Narrative:

The city airport authority/authorized called me to open runway 29. Runway 29 is a taxiway that has been temporarily designated as a runway for use when runway 28R is closed. I opened runway 29 and advised the supervisor. I also asked the supervisor to set the amass confign for runway 29. There was some confusion on this issue. The amass was then put in limited confign. An E120 on visual approach to runway 28R asked if runway 29 was open. I answered 'yes, runway 29 is open.' the E120 requested runway 29. I cleared them to land runway 29. The supervisor said that amass would probably alert. He said he wasn't sure how to configure amass for runway 29 arrs. When the E120 was on 1 mi final, amass alerted 'warning runway 10L go around.' I looked out the window and at the d-brite. I saw no traffic for runway 10L. I looked at the E120 landing runway 29 and I scanned runway 29. The E120 appeared to be lined up for runway 29 and runway 29 appeared clear. I looked at the asde/amass and I observed the E120 target alerting as the 'runway 10L arrival' even though the target was on approach to runway 29. The E120 landed on runway 29 without incident. Subsequently the supervisor found instructions for configuring the amass for runway 29 arrs. Amass training at this facility does not seem to be taken very seriously. It consists of nothing more than an item in the read and initial book rather than face-to-face briefings, team briefings or hands-on training. Amass training at sfo needs improvement. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter advised that amass (airport movement area safety system) is still under operational evaluation and subject to adjustment. The reporter advised that additional training was initiated after this incident for supervisor and controllers. The implementation site contractor reviews all 'incidences' to correct the false alerts. Amass becomes operation at approximately 200 ft and 1 mi, providing a voice and visual alarm on the asde (airport surface detection equipment). Ground traffic conflicts activate generally with speeds greater than 40 mph. Potential traffic alerts are displayed as a triangle. Those alerting, generate a circle around the conflicting triangles/aircraft and flash in conjunction with a voice command alert/alarm. The reporter advised that the on-site contractor is available and responsive to direct controller questions. The reporter advised that sfo's amass program had to be adapted for temporary runway 29. Temporary runway 29 is utilized when runway 28R is closed for resurfacing work.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SFO LCL CTLR CONCERNED WITH FALSE AMASS ALERTS AND INTRAFAC TRAINING PROC.

Narrative: THE CITY ARPT AUTH CALLED ME TO OPEN RWY 29. RWY 29 IS A TXWY THAT HAS BEEN TEMPORARILY DESIGNATED AS A RWY FOR USE WHEN RWY 28R IS CLOSED. I OPENED RWY 29 AND ADVISED THE SUPVR. I ALSO ASKED THE SUPVR TO SET THE AMASS CONFIGN FOR RWY 29. THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION ON THIS ISSUE. THE AMASS WAS THEN PUT IN LIMITED CONFIGN. AN E120 ON VISUAL APCH TO RWY 28R ASKED IF RWY 29 WAS OPEN. I ANSWERED 'YES, RWY 29 IS OPEN.' THE E120 REQUESTED RWY 29. I CLRED THEM TO LAND RWY 29. THE SUPVR SAID THAT AMASS WOULD PROBABLY ALERT. HE SAID HE WASN'T SURE HOW TO CONFIGURE AMASS FOR RWY 29 ARRS. WHEN THE E120 WAS ON 1 MI FINAL, AMASS ALERTED 'WARNING RWY 10L GO AROUND.' I LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW AND AT THE D-BRITE. I SAW NO TFC FOR RWY 10L. I LOOKED AT THE E120 LNDG RWY 29 AND I SCANNED RWY 29. THE E120 APPEARED TO BE LINED UP FOR RWY 29 AND RWY 29 APPEARED CLR. I LOOKED AT THE ASDE/AMASS AND I OBSERVED THE E120 TARGET ALERTING AS THE 'RWY 10L ARR' EVEN THOUGH THE TARGET WAS ON APCH TO RWY 29. THE E120 LANDED ON RWY 29 WITHOUT INCIDENT. SUBSEQUENTLY THE SUPVR FOUND INSTRUCTIONS FOR CONFIGURING THE AMASS FOR RWY 29 ARRS. AMASS TRAINING AT THIS FACILITY DOES NOT SEEM TO BE TAKEN VERY SERIOUSLY. IT CONSISTS OF NOTHING MORE THAN AN ITEM IN THE READ AND INITIAL BOOK RATHER THAN FACE-TO-FACE BRIEFINGS, TEAM BRIEFINGS OR HANDS-ON TRAINING. AMASS TRAINING AT SFO NEEDS IMPROVEMENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR ADVISED THAT AMASS (ARPT MOVEMENT AREA SAFETY SYS) IS STILL UNDER OPERATIONAL EVALUATION AND SUBJECT TO ADJUSTMENT. THE RPTR ADVISED THAT ADDITIONAL TRAINING WAS INITIATED AFTER THIS INCIDENT FOR SUPVR AND CTLRS. THE IMPLEMENTATION SITE CONTRACTOR REVIEWS ALL 'INCIDENCES' TO CORRECT THE FALSE ALERTS. AMASS BECOMES OP AT APPROX 200 FT AND 1 MI, PROVIDING A VOICE AND VISUAL ALARM ON THE ASDE (ARPT SURFACE DETECTION EQUIP). GND TFC CONFLICTS ACTIVATE GENERALLY WITH SPDS GREATER THAN 40 MPH. POTENTIAL TFC ALERTS ARE DISPLAYED AS A TRIANGLE. THOSE ALERTING, GENERATE A CIRCLE AROUND THE CONFLICTING TRIANGLES/ACFT AND FLASH IN CONJUNCTION WITH A VOICE COMMAND ALERT/ALARM. THE RPTR ADVISED THAT THE ON-SITE CONTRACTOR IS AVAILABLE AND RESPONSIVE TO DIRECT CTLR QUESTIONS. THE RPTR ADVISED THAT SFO'S AMASS PROGRAM HAD TO BE ADAPTED FOR TEMPORARY RWY 29. TEMPORARY RWY 29 IS UTILIZED WHEN RWY 28R IS CLOSED FOR RESURFACING WORK.

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.