Narrative:

Aircraft requested a visual landing gear confirmation on approximately 3-4 mi final. I advised the pilot that I would comply once he was closer. I advised the controller in charge of the declared emergency and instructed him to notify the emergency vehicles. The controller in charge refused the emergency notification without any information. 2 additional times I requested emergency equipment and he refused. Fortunately, the aircraft landed without incident. Had there been a gear failure, precious mins would have been lost by the refusal to notify. I believe a lack of desire to fill out paperwork placed lives at risk and the FAA at extreme liability. There are no down sides to calling emergency vehicles. Safety is our #1 goal. Emergency notification should be made in all cases where an emergency is declared. I have no desire to watch someone needlessly die. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter advised that a personal issue had developed between the local controller and the controller in charge. Others observed the situation. Management was advised about the incident. Supplemental information from acn 513803: as I was working ground control, the local controller advised that the guy on final didn't think he had 3 in the green and was requesting the equipment to roll. The controller in charge said he wasn't going to ring the emergency phone and waited and watched as he landed. I watched in shock as he landed, luckily nothing happened, but it is in my opinion that it should have been activated. Who are we as controllers to decide if the emergency phone is activated? I'm also disturbed at the controller in charge comment that by the time he lands they would just be rolling. What if his gear did collapse and those extra 2 mins would have made a difference between a rescue or worse!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CIC AND LCL CTLR DISAGREE WHEN TO CALL OUT EMER EQUIP FOR TURBOPROP WITH UNSAFE GEAR INDICATION.

Narrative: ACFT REQUESTED A VISUAL LNDG GEAR CONFIRMATION ON APPROX 3-4 MI FINAL. I ADVISED THE PLT THAT I WOULD COMPLY ONCE HE WAS CLOSER. I ADVISED THE CIC OF THE DECLARED EMER AND INSTRUCTED HIM TO NOTIFY THE EMER VEHICLES. THE CIC REFUSED THE EMER NOTIFICATION WITHOUT ANY INFO. 2 ADDITIONAL TIMES I REQUESTED EMER EQUIP AND HE REFUSED. FORTUNATELY, THE ACFT LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. HAD THERE BEEN A GEAR FAILURE, PRECIOUS MINS WOULD HAVE BEEN LOST BY THE REFUSAL TO NOTIFY. I BELIEVE A LACK OF DESIRE TO FILL OUT PAPERWORK PLACED LIVES AT RISK AND THE FAA AT EXTREME LIABILITY. THERE ARE NO DOWN SIDES TO CALLING EMER VEHICLES. SAFETY IS OUR #1 GOAL. EMER NOTIFICATION SHOULD BE MADE IN ALL CASES WHERE AN EMER IS DECLARED. I HAVE NO DESIRE TO WATCH SOMEONE NEEDLESSLY DIE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR ADVISED THAT A PERSONAL ISSUE HAD DEVELOPED BTWN THE LCL CTLR AND THE CIC. OTHERS OBSERVED THE SIT. MGMNT WAS ADVISED ABOUT THE INCIDENT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 513803: AS I WAS WORKING GND CTL, THE LCL CTLR ADVISED THAT THE GUY ON FINAL DIDN'T THINK HE HAD 3 IN THE GREEN AND WAS REQUESTING THE EQUIP TO ROLL. THE CIC SAID HE WASN'T GOING TO RING THE EMER PHONE AND WAITED AND WATCHED AS HE LANDED. I WATCHED IN SHOCK AS HE LANDED, LUCKILY NOTHING HAPPENED, BUT IT IS IN MY OPINION THAT IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ACTIVATED. WHO ARE WE AS CTLRS TO DECIDE IF THE EMER PHONE IS ACTIVATED? I'M ALSO DISTURBED AT THE CIC COMMENT THAT BY THE TIME HE LANDS THEY WOULD JUST BE ROLLING. WHAT IF HIS GEAR DID COLLAPSE AND THOSE EXTRA 2 MINS WOULD HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE BTWN A RESCUE OR WORSE!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.