Narrative:

Airport vehicle completed runway inspection of runway 21L and exited the runway at taxiway delta 6. I was unable to communicate with the airport vehicle on primary transmitter/receiver. I switched to standby and he was loud and clear. We have carried over this problem on our facility 7230-4 log for the last several years. This ongoing problem with the location of primary transmitter/receiver has been reported by riat, rsat and evaluators. We were approved and funded for a rag site to relocate these radios, and then funding was pulled because head quarters showed the problem was for runway 12 (non-primary runway), instead of runway 21L (primary runway). Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that the towers primary local and ground controller transmitters/receivers are located on the top of the FSS building - a single story structure - adjoining the control tower. The secondary transmitter/receiver antennas are located on the roof of the control tower. A hill, approximately 20 ft in height, is located along the south side of taxiway D, between approximately taxiway D3 to taxiway D5. This is apparently the physical obstruction that blocks primary tower radio reception for aircraft that are in the run-up area for runway 21L, in the immediate vicinity of taxiway D6. The controller states that it is common for other aircraft taxiing on the airport, other than on taxiway D, to advise the tower that an aircraft at the approach end of runway 21L is calling them. The local/ground controller will then change local/ground frequency to standby and subsequently receive aircraft xmissions 'loud and clear'. The controller alleges the breakdown in 'paper work' communication occurred between local maintenance, ATC, the FAA western pacific region and FAA head quarters over the approved $200,000 funding to relocate the primary transmitter/receiver from the FSS building to another site location on the airport. Someone perceived that the $200,000 was directed to repair activity for runway 12/30 and terminated the $200,000. This happened in the fall of 2003, and has not been corrected or resolved to present. The reporter stated that he is not aware of the proposed antenna site, but it could not be atop the tower due to existing antenna and other physical equipment clutter. The controller advised that other FAA inspection offices have been alerted to the problem. The controller was not aware of any recent ground conflict or runway incursion that was, or could be attributed to this radio coverage limitation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: KPRC GC ALLEGES FREQ LIMITATIONS DUE TO ARPT TERRAIN, PHYSICAL LOCATION OF EFFECTED ACFT ON ARPT AND PRIMARY RECEIVER LOCATION.

Narrative: ARPT VEHICLE COMPLETED RWY INSPECTION OF RWY 21L AND EXITED THE RWY AT TXWY DELTA 6. I WAS UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE ARPT VEHICLE ON PRIMARY XMITTER/RECEIVER. I SWITCHED TO STANDBY AND HE WAS LOUD AND CLEAR. WE HAVE CARRIED OVER THIS PROBLEM ON OUR FACILITY 7230-4 LOG FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS. THIS ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THE LOCATION OF PRIMARY XMITTER/RECEIVER HAS BEEN REPORTED BY RIAT, RSAT AND EVALUATORS. WE WERE APPROVED AND FUNDED FOR A RAG SITE TO RELOCATE THESE RADIOS, AND THEN FUNDING WAS PULLED BECAUSE HEAD QUARTERS SHOWED THE PROBLEM WAS FOR RWY 12 (NON-PRIMARY RWY), INSTEAD OF RWY 21L (PRIMARY RWY). CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THE TWRS PRIMARY LCL AND GND CTLR XMITTERS/RECEIVERS ARE LOCATED ON THE TOP OF THE FSS BUILDING - A SINGLE STORY STRUCTURE - ADJOINING THE CTL TOWER. THE SECONDARY XMITTER/RECEIVER ANTENNAS ARE LOCATED ON THE ROOF OF THE CTL TWR. A HILL, APPROX 20 FT IN HEIGHT, IS LOCATED ALONG THE SOUTH SIDE OF TXWY D, BETWEEN APPROX TXWY D3 TO TXWY D5. THIS IS APPARENTLY THE PHYSICAL OBSTRUCTION THAT BLOCKS PRIMARY TWR RADIO RECEPTION FOR ACFT THAT ARE IN THE RUN-UP AREA FOR RWY 21L, IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY OF TXWY D6. THE CTLR STATES THAT IT IS COMMON FOR OTHER ACFT TAXIING ON THE ARPT, OTHER THAN ON TXWY D, TO ADVISE THE TWR THAT AN ACFT AT THE APCH END OF RWY 21L IS CALLING THEM. THE LCL/GND CTLR WILL THEN CHANGE LCL/GND FREQ TO STANDBY AND SUBSEQUENTLY RECEIVE ACFT XMISSIONS 'LOUD AND CLEAR'. THE CTLR ALLEGES THE BREAKDOWN IN 'PAPER WORK' COM OCCURRED BETWEEN LCL MAINT, ATC, THE FAA WESTERN PACIFIC REGION AND FAA HEAD QUARTERS OVER THE APPROVED $200,000 FUNDING TO RELOCATE THE PRIMARY XMITTER/RECEIVER FROM THE FSS BUILDING TO ANOTHER SITE LOCATION ON THE ARPT. SOMEONE PERCEIVED THAT THE $200,000 WAS DIRECTED TO REPAIR ACTIVITY FOR RWY 12/30 AND TERMINATED THE $200,000. THIS HAPPENED IN THE FALL OF 2003, AND HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED OR RESOLVED TO PRESENT. THE RPTR STATED THAT HE IS NOT AWARE OF THE PROPOSED ANTENNA SITE, BUT IT COULD NOT BE ATOP THE TWR DUE TO EXISTING ANTENNA AND OTHER PHYSICAL EQUIP CLUTTER. THE CTLR ADVISED THAT OTHER FAA INSPECTION OFFICES HAVE BEEN ALERTED TO THE PROB. THE CTLR WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY RECENT GND CONFLICT OR RWY INCURSION THAT WAS, OR COULD BE ATTRIBUTED TO THIS RADIO COVERAGE LIMITATION.

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.