Narrative:

I was cleared to land (no conditions). I landed long, approximately mid field, since I would be parking at the south ramp, and this would prevent excessive taxiing after landing. After I touched down, while my airplane was still moving, ilm tower said in an obviously sarcastic, surly tone, 'so, you must be parking at the south ramp.' then an angry, rude tone continued, 'next time you do that, you need to tell me before you just go and do it!' I replied, 'sorry.' after I cleared runway 17 and transmitted to ground control that I was clear, ground control replied in an angry tone, 'squawk standby or off!' in this instance the pilot is not required to request permission for a long landing. In addition, I am not aware of any particular problems created by a long landing at this airport. It is my understanding that landing the way I did expedites the flow of ground traffic. If the ilm tower needed to communicate any useful information to me, it should be transmitted in an unemotional tone. The tower's verbal attack on my landing distraction me so that I neglected to immediately turn off my transponder. Ground control should have politely reminded me to turn my transponder off. This is just one example of an endemic problem at the ilm tower, of controllers being rude and impolite for no apparent reason. This problem began approximately 5 yrs ago and has escalated. A safety issue arises when aggressive, emotional communications from ATC distract pilots who should be focusing their attention on controling the airplane. It is well documented that performance ability of critical tasks is negatively affected by emotional stressors. Initial and continuing training for all ATC personnel should include training in respectful, courteous communication skills, with an emphasis on supporting and assisting pilots in the task of managing airplanes. ATC personnel sometimes seem unaware of the many critical tasks that pilots must remain focused on in order to fly safely. The often used pilot training acronym 'I'm safe' is a memory aid to pilots for the factors to consider for safe flying: illness, medication, stress, alcohol, fatigue, emotion. 2 of the factors relate to the emotional/stress state of the pilot. ATC personnel can contribute to safe flight conditions by avoiding unnecessary insertions of negative emotionalism in their communications, as well as carrying out their technical duties.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE35 LANDED LONG AT ILM PROMPTING CTLR COMMENTS.

Narrative: I WAS CLRED TO LAND (NO CONDITIONS). I LANDED LONG, APPROX MID FIELD, SINCE I WOULD BE PARKING AT THE S RAMP, AND THIS WOULD PREVENT EXCESSIVE TAXIING AFTER LNDG. AFTER I TOUCHED DOWN, WHILE MY AIRPLANE WAS STILL MOVING, ILM TWR SAID IN AN OBVIOUSLY SARCASTIC, SURLY TONE, 'SO, YOU MUST BE PARKING AT THE S RAMP.' THEN AN ANGRY, RUDE TONE CONTINUED, 'NEXT TIME YOU DO THAT, YOU NEED TO TELL ME BEFORE YOU JUST GO AND DO IT!' I REPLIED, 'SORRY.' AFTER I CLRED RWY 17 AND XMITTED TO GND CTL THAT I WAS CLR, GND CTL REPLIED IN AN ANGRY TONE, 'SQUAWK STANDBY OR OFF!' IN THIS INSTANCE THE PLT IS NOT REQUIRED TO REQUEST PERMISSION FOR A LONG LNDG. IN ADDITION, I AM NOT AWARE OF ANY PARTICULAR PROBS CREATED BY A LONG LNDG AT THIS ARPT. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT LNDG THE WAY I DID EXPEDITES THE FLOW OF GND TFC. IF THE ILM TWR NEEDED TO COMMUNICATE ANY USEFUL INFO TO ME, IT SHOULD BE XMITTED IN AN UNEMOTIONAL TONE. THE TWR'S VERBAL ATTACK ON MY LNDG DISTR ME SO THAT I NEGLECTED TO IMMEDIATELY TURN OFF MY XPONDER. GND CTL SHOULD HAVE POLITELY REMINDED ME TO TURN MY XPONDER OFF. THIS IS JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF AN ENDEMIC PROB AT THE ILM TWR, OF CTLRS BEING RUDE AND IMPOLITE FOR NO APPARENT REASON. THIS PROB BEGAN APPROX 5 YRS AGO AND HAS ESCALATED. A SAFETY ISSUE ARISES WHEN AGGRESSIVE, EMOTIONAL COMS FROM ATC DISTRACT PLTS WHO SHOULD BE FOCUSING THEIR ATTN ON CTLING THE AIRPLANE. IT IS WELL DOCUMENTED THAT PERFORMANCE ABILITY OF CRITICAL TASKS IS NEGATIVELY AFFECTED BY EMOTIONAL STRESSORS. INITIAL AND CONTINUING TRAINING FOR ALL ATC PERSONNEL SHOULD INCLUDE TRAINING IN RESPECTFUL, COURTEOUS COM SKILLS, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON SUPPORTING AND ASSISTING PLTS IN THE TASK OF MANAGING AIRPLANES. ATC PERSONNEL SOMETIMES SEEM UNAWARE OF THE MANY CRITICAL TASKS THAT PLTS MUST REMAIN FOCUSED ON IN ORDER TO FLY SAFELY. THE OFTEN USED PLT TRAINING ACRONYM 'I'M SAFE' IS A MEMORY AID TO PLTS FOR THE FACTORS TO CONSIDER FOR SAFE FLYING: ILLNESS, MEDICATION, STRESS, ALCOHOL, FATIGUE, EMOTION. 2 OF THE FACTORS RELATE TO THE EMOTIONAL/STRESS STATE OF THE PLT. ATC PERSONNEL CAN CONTRIBUTE TO SAFE FLT CONDITIONS BY AVOIDING UNNECESSARY INSERTIONS OF NEGATIVE EMOTIONALISM IN THEIR COMS, AS WELL AS CARRYING OUT THEIR TECHNICAL DUTIES.

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.