Narrative:

I am a CFI. I was in a citabria 7ECA with a student. My other student was in an aeronca champ 7AC. I was doing takeoffs and lndgs in rhv class D airspace, while my student in the champ was attempting to enter the airspace from the south. I and other pilots could hear my student attempting to call the tower. Not only did another bonanza hear my student and try to relay the call to the tower, I, too, could hear the call. However, the ATC controller would not respond to the champ with a landing clearance. The controller simply said 'aircraft calling, radio unreadable.' my student did the right thing and remained clear of the class D airspace until contacting the tower. Finally, after my student called on the 3RD or 4TH time, the tower heard him and cleared him to enter in the airspace. After landing, my student was handed to ground control, where he requested takeoff and landing practice. Ground instructed my student to taxi to the runway for takeoff. My student then was handed off to the tower and the tower cleared my student for takeoffs and lndgs. As soon as the champ came downwind and requested a landing clearance, the tower again said 'radio unreadable.' tower would not give my student a landing clearance. My student continued to fly the pattern and requested landing sequence. It wasn't until the student asked the tower 3 or 4 times for 'sequence' did the controller finally respond. His response, in my opinion, was unprofessional. He said something like this, 'ok, champ, don't respond, your radio is blasting out my ears, rock your wings to confirm you are cleared to land, that radio is no good.' this action by the controller created an unsafe environment in the traffic pattern. The controller should not have even cleared my student for takeoff if he felt the radio was a problem. Ground control, myself in the other airplane, and the bonanza could hear the champ radio just fine.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN RHV LCL CTLR BELIEVES A STUDENT PLT'S RADIO XMITTER IS TOO LOUD AND IGNORES THE PLT'S REQUEST FOR LNDG INSTRUCTIONS.

Narrative: I AM A CFI. I WAS IN A CITABRIA 7ECA WITH A STUDENT. MY OTHER STUDENT WAS IN AN AERONCA CHAMP 7AC. I WAS DOING TKOFS AND LNDGS IN RHV CLASS D AIRSPACE, WHILE MY STUDENT IN THE CHAMP WAS ATTEMPTING TO ENTER THE AIRSPACE FROM THE S. I AND OTHER PLTS COULD HEAR MY STUDENT ATTEMPTING TO CALL THE TWR. NOT ONLY DID ANOTHER BONANZA HEAR MY STUDENT AND TRY TO RELAY THE CALL TO THE TWR, I, TOO, COULD HEAR THE CALL. HOWEVER, THE ATC CTLR WOULD NOT RESPOND TO THE CHAMP WITH A LNDG CLRNC. THE CTLR SIMPLY SAID 'ACFT CALLING, RADIO UNREADABLE.' MY STUDENT DID THE RIGHT THING AND REMAINED CLR OF THE CLASS D AIRSPACE UNTIL CONTACTING THE TWR. FINALLY, AFTER MY STUDENT CALLED ON THE 3RD OR 4TH TIME, THE TWR HEARD HIM AND CLRED HIM TO ENTER IN THE AIRSPACE. AFTER LNDG, MY STUDENT WAS HANDED TO GND CTL, WHERE HE REQUESTED TKOF AND LNDG PRACTICE. GND INSTRUCTED MY STUDENT TO TAXI TO THE RWY FOR TKOF. MY STUDENT THEN WAS HANDED OFF TO THE TWR AND THE TWR CLRED MY STUDENT FOR TKOFS AND LNDGS. AS SOON AS THE CHAMP CAME DOWNWIND AND REQUESTED A LNDG CLRNC, THE TWR AGAIN SAID 'RADIO UNREADABLE.' TWR WOULD NOT GIVE MY STUDENT A LNDG CLRNC. MY STUDENT CONTINUED TO FLY THE PATTERN AND REQUESTED LNDG SEQUENCE. IT WASN'T UNTIL THE STUDENT ASKED THE TWR 3 OR 4 TIMES FOR 'SEQUENCE' DID THE CTLR FINALLY RESPOND. HIS RESPONSE, IN MY OPINION, WAS UNPROFESSIONAL. HE SAID SOMETHING LIKE THIS, 'OK, CHAMP, DON'T RESPOND, YOUR RADIO IS BLASTING OUT MY EARS, ROCK YOUR WINGS TO CONFIRM YOU ARE CLRED TO LAND, THAT RADIO IS NO GOOD.' THIS ACTION BY THE CTLR CREATED AN UNSAFE ENVIRONMENT IN THE TFC PATTERN. THE CTLR SHOULD NOT HAVE EVEN CLRED MY STUDENT FOR TKOF IF HE FELT THE RADIO WAS A PROB. GND CTL, MYSELF IN THE OTHER AIRPLANE, AND THE BONANZA COULD HEAR THE CHAMP RADIO JUST FINE.

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.