Narrative:

The hpn tower air conditioning main system has been inoperative for 5 yrs. The supplemental air conditioner based on the dehumidifier principle of removal of moisture in the air and recirculation is from 1980's. It freezes up continually because it was never designed to be a primary source of cooling a large glass enclosed area without any other outside source of ventilation. Air conditioner technicians called in to attempt temporary repairs have advised controller personnel that there are no replacement parts available if they are ever needed! These units being so old are a health hazard to controller personnel because mold, dust particles, etc, are a by-product of continued use without sufficient air conditioning available. $17000 dollars was just spent on landscaping for the facade of the tower building. Aircraft safety and controller performance takes a 'backseat' to appearances. If controllers are having trouble concentrating on aircraft separation and the general control of arrival and departing aircraft an unsafe condition exist. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter advised that mntnc did look at and partially repaired the air conditioning system. But the repair did not provide cooling into the tower cabin attendant, which still must utilize the dehumidifier. The reporter was told by another controller of being advised by an air conditioning mntnc person that the dehumidifier they were using was subject to mold build up. The reporter was not aware of any standard cleaning or inspection process to check for mold. Recently, an af mntnc person stated to the reporter that he finally considered the air conditioning outage as unacceptable. Supplemental information from acn 516098: the tower cabin attendant is filled with hot stagnant air. Controllers become fatigued and complacent, complain of headaches and difficulties concentrating on the control of air traffic. This condition directly affects the safety of air traffic at the hpn airport. Supplemental information from acn 516645: the only air conditioning source is a pair of 1980's era supplemental units, these units also supplement the cabin attendant's heating. In hot or cold WX these supplemental units fail (as they did in day of report). The tower cabin attendant environment then worsens. In this case the tower maintained a temperature of 87 degrees and was rising. This interferes with the ability of ATC to safely perform their duties. Many report concentration problems, breathing difficulties and headaches.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HPN CTLR DOCUMENTS TWR AIR CONDITIONS SYS FAILURE OVER THE LAST FIVE YRS AND IMPACT ON WORKFORCE.

Narrative: THE HPN TWR AIR CONDITIONING MAIN SYS HAS BEEN INOP FOR 5 YRS. THE SUPPLEMENTAL AIR CONDITIONER BASED ON THE DEHUMIDIFIER PRINCIPLE OF REMOVAL OF MOISTURE IN THE AIR AND RECIRCULATION IS FROM 1980'S. IT FREEZES UP CONTINUALLY BECAUSE IT WAS NEVER DESIGNED TO BE A PRIMARY SOURCE OF COOLING A LARGE GLASS ENCLOSED AREA WITHOUT ANY OTHER OUTSIDE SOURCE OF VENTILATION. AIR CONDITIONER TECHNICIANS CALLED IN TO ATTEMPT TEMPORARY REPAIRS HAVE ADVISED CTLR PERSONNEL THAT THERE ARE NO REPLACEMENT PARTS AVAILABLE IF THEY ARE EVER NEEDED! THESE UNITS BEING SO OLD ARE A HEALTH HAZARD TO CTLR PERSONNEL BECAUSE MOLD, DUST PARTICLES, ETC, ARE A BY-PRODUCT OF CONTINUED USE WITHOUT SUFFICIENT AIR CONDITIONING AVAILABLE. $17000 DOLLARS WAS JUST SPENT ON LANDSCAPING FOR THE FACADE OF THE TWR BUILDING. ACFT SAFETY AND CTLR PERFORMANCE TAKES A 'BACKSEAT' TO APPEARANCES. IF CTLRS ARE HAVING TROUBLE CONCENTRATING ON ACFT SEPARATION AND THE GENERAL CTL OF ARR AND DEPARTING ACFT AN UNSAFE CONDITION EXIST. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR ADVISED THAT MNTNC DID LOOK AT AND PARTIALLY REPAIRED THE AIR CONDITIONING SYS. BUT THE REPAIR DID NOT PROVIDE COOLING INTO THE TWR CAB, WHICH STILL MUST UTILIZE THE DEHUMIDIFIER. THE RPTR WAS TOLD BY ANOTHER CTLR OF BEING ADVISED BY AN AIR CONDITIONING MNTNC PERSON THAT THE DEHUMIDIFIER THEY WERE USING WAS SUBJECT TO MOLD BUILD UP. THE RPTR WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY STANDARD CLEANING OR INSPECTION PROCESS TO CHK FOR MOLD. RECENTLY, AN AF MNTNC PERSON STATED TO THE RPTR THAT HE FINALLY CONSIDERED THE AIR CONDITIONING OUTAGE AS UNACCEPTABLE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 516098: THE TWR CAB IS FILLED WITH HOT STAGNANT AIR. CTLRS BECOME FATIGUED AND COMPLACENT, COMPLAIN OF HEADACHES AND DIFFICULTIES CONCENTRATING ON THE CTL OF AIR TRAFFIC. THIS CONDITION DIRECTLY AFFECTS THE SAFETY OF AIR TRAFFIC AT THE HPN ARPT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 516645: THE ONLY AIR CONDITIONING SOURCE IS A PAIR OF 1980'S ERA SUPPLEMENTAL UNITS, THESE UNITS ALSO SUPPLEMENT THE CAB'S HEATING. IN HOT OR COLD WX THESE SUPPLEMENTAL UNITS FAIL (AS THEY DID IN DAY OF RPT). THE TWR CAB ENVIRONMENT THEN WORSENS. IN THIS CASE THE TWR MAINTAINED A TEMPERATURE OF 87 DEGS AND WAS RISING. THIS INTERFERES WITH THE ABILITY OF ATC TO SAFELY PERFORM THEIR DUTIES. MANY RPT CONCENTRATION PROBS, BREATHING DIFFICULTIES AND HEADACHES.

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.