New controller expressed concern with restr tower visibility due to faulty defog equipment.

Attributes
ACN	600044
Time
Date	200311
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : new.airport
State Reference	LA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : bos.tower
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller non radar : 25
ASRS Report	600044
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : non availability of parts performance deficiency : repair
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance FAA
Primary Problem	FAA

Narrative:

The water system used to defog the tower windows does not shut off completely. A cold front passed through new orleans, la, on nov/tue/03. The WX associated with the front caused strong, gusty winds on nov/wed/03. The constant stream of water from the window washer being blown on the windows caused water stains that significantly impaired the vision of the tower controllers. Airways facilities, the FAA maintenance personnel, advised us several weeks ago that parts were on order to correct the problem. This has now become a safety issue, since controllers are unable to see aircraft in the vicinity of the airport. In addition, since this leak has been ongoing for the past several months, the water bill must surely be extremely high.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NEW CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN WITH RESTR TWR VISIBILITY DUE TO FAULTY DEFOG EQUIP.

Narrative: THE WATER SYS USED TO DEFOG THE TWR WINDOWS DOES NOT SHUT OFF COMPLETELY. A COLD FRONT PASSED THROUGH NEW ORLEANS, LA, ON NOV/TUE/03. THE WX ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRONT CAUSED STRONG, GUSTY WINDS ON NOV/WED/03. THE CONSTANT STREAM OF WATER FROM THE WINDOW WASHER BEING BLOWN ON THE WINDOWS CAUSED WATER STAINS THAT SIGNIFICANTLY IMPAIRED THE VISION OF THE TWR CTLRS. AIRWAYS FACILITIES, THE FAA MAINT PERSONNEL, ADVISED US SEVERAL WKS AGO THAT PARTS WERE ON ORDER TO CORRECT THE PROB. THIS HAS NOW BECOME A SAFETY ISSUE, SINCE CTLRS ARE UNABLE TO SEE ACFT IN THE VICINITY OF THE ARPT. IN ADDITION, SINCE THIS LEAK HAS BEEN ONGOING FOR THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS, THE WATER BILL MUST SURELY BE EXTREMELY HIGH.

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.