Narrative:

After waiting with great anticipation our tower was equipped with a d-brite in 05/1997. Because the tower is supposed to be replaced, a decision was made to counter mount the BRITE instead of standard hanging from the ceiling for $10,000. It's often just in the way! Even trying to see over, under, or around it, it blocks traffic. This particular day, a cessna pulled onto the runway (12R at east) with a baron on a half mi or less final. On ground control, I could see the cessna on the runway (but didn't know he wasn't talking to tower), but I didn't see the baron on final behind the BRITE. Local control could see the baron on final but didn't see the cessna on the runway behind the BRITE. The only one in the scenario who could see it all was the baron. It's a bad deal all around to save the agency $10,000. We're happy to have a BRITE after 20 yrs with none, but it's a dangerous obstruction to our visibility in the tower. Callback conversation with the reporter revealed the following information: reporter was working ground control and said the C182 pilot taxied onto the runway without a clearance. The reporter was not sure the incident was reported as a runway incursion. The reporter said even a standing controller cannot see clearly around the console mounted d-brite.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TWR GND CTLR AT CPS CLAIMS COUNTER MOUNTED D-BRITE RADAR OBSTRUCTS THE VIEW OF THE GND AND LCL CTLR POSITIONS. THIS PROB MAY HAVE CAUSED A RWY INCURSION.

Narrative: AFTER WAITING WITH GREAT ANTICIPATION OUR TWR WAS EQUIPPED WITH A D-BRITE IN 05/1997. BECAUSE THE TWR IS SUPPOSED TO BE REPLACED, A DECISION WAS MADE TO COUNTER MOUNT THE BRITE INSTEAD OF STANDARD HANGING FROM THE CEILING FOR $10,000. IT'S OFTEN JUST IN THE WAY! EVEN TRYING TO SEE OVER, UNDER, OR AROUND IT, IT BLOCKS TFC. THIS PARTICULAR DAY, A CESSNA PULLED ONTO THE RWY (12R AT E) WITH A BARON ON A HALF MI OR LESS FINAL. ON GND CTL, I COULD SEE THE CESSNA ON THE RWY (BUT DIDN'T KNOW HE WASN'T TALKING TO TWR), BUT I DIDN'T SEE THE BARON ON FINAL BEHIND THE BRITE. LCL CTL COULD SEE THE BARON ON FINAL BUT DIDN'T SEE THE CESSNA ON THE RWY BEHIND THE BRITE. THE ONLY ONE IN THE SCENARIO WHO COULD SEE IT ALL WAS THE BARON. IT'S A BAD DEAL ALL AROUND TO SAVE THE AGENCY $10,000. WE'RE HAPPY TO HAVE A BRITE AFTER 20 YRS WITH NONE, BUT IT'S A DANGEROUS OBSTRUCTION TO OUR VISIBILITY IN THE TWR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH THE RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR WAS WORKING GND CTL AND SAID THE C182 PLT TAXIED ONTO THE RWY WITHOUT A CLRNC. THE RPTR WAS NOT SURE THE INCIDENT WAS RPTED AS A RWY INCURSION. THE RPTR SAID EVEN A STANDING CTLR CANNOT SEE CLRLY AROUND THE CONSOLE MOUNTED D-BRITE.

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.