Narrative:

Phl ramp control and phl international tower have a letter of agreement (LOA) outlining how and when the ramp is to be released to the tower at night and opened in the morning. Ramp control is not following the LOA. At present; when ramp control calls to close; for example; and the tower says wait 5 mins because they are too busy to assume responsibility for the ramp; ramp control will shut down; stop answering calls; not only from its own aircraft; but from other companies. Ramp control tells their aircraft to call ground control. This is done without ground control being told anything. There is no briefing accomplished and is further complicated by other itinerate aircraft calling ground control because they can't get ramp when ground still thinks the ramp is open. This is dangerous. The LOA needs to be rewritten and addressed immediately; responsibilities should be spelled out; a control briefing should be mandatory. The tower needs to allocate resources; people; in the cabin attendant; until this call is accomplished. If air carrier X will not pay its people to stay until we can take the ramp safely; then the FAA should make sure there is enough people in the tower to accommodate this phone call and briefing.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PHL CTLR EXPRESSED FRUSTRATION REGARDING RAMP CTL OPS DURING START UP AND CLOSE DOWN TIME PERIODS.

Narrative: PHL RAMP CTL AND PHL INTL TWR HAVE A LETTER OF AGREEMENT (LOA) OUTLINING HOW AND WHEN THE RAMP IS TO BE RELEASED TO THE TWR AT NIGHT AND OPENED IN THE MORNING. RAMP CTL IS NOT FOLLOWING THE LOA. AT PRESENT; WHEN RAMP CTL CALLS TO CLOSE; FOR EXAMPLE; AND THE TWR SAYS WAIT 5 MINS BECAUSE THEY ARE TOO BUSY TO ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE RAMP; RAMP CTL WILL SHUT DOWN; STOP ANSWERING CALLS; NOT ONLY FROM ITS OWN ACFT; BUT FROM OTHER COMPANIES. RAMP CTL TELLS THEIR ACFT TO CALL GND CTL. THIS IS DONE WITHOUT GND CTL BEING TOLD ANYTHING. THERE IS NO BRIEFING ACCOMPLISHED AND IS FURTHER COMPLICATED BY OTHER ITINERATE ACFT CALLING GND CTL BECAUSE THEY CAN'T GET RAMP WHEN GND STILL THINKS THE RAMP IS OPEN. THIS IS DANGEROUS. THE LOA NEEDS TO BE REWRITTEN AND ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY; RESPONSIBILITIES SHOULD BE SPELLED OUT; A CTL BRIEFING SHOULD BE MANDATORY. THE TWR NEEDS TO ALLOCATE RESOURCES; PEOPLE; IN THE CAB; UNTIL THIS CALL IS ACCOMPLISHED. IF ACR X WILL NOT PAY ITS PEOPLE TO STAY UNTIL WE CAN TAKE THE RAMP SAFELY; THEN THE FAA SHOULD MAKE SURE THERE IS ENOUGH PEOPLE IN THE TWR TO ACCOMMODATE THIS PHONE CALL AND BRIEFING.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.