Narrative:

Working local control #1 during saturday morning mild arrival/departure push. All position completely staffed per recent requirements. Informed by operations supervisor that 2 aircraft emergencys were inbound. Emergency vehicles and county vehicles standing by. First aircraft lands without incident and clears the runway. County vehicle then checks on frequency and requests to follow emergency aircraft (standard request). I ask him which one as #1 had already cleared the runway -- no response. Some confusion over who #2 is -- operations supervisor informs aircraft identify when aircraft was on 12 mi final (air carrier X). Aircraft is sequenced with other arrs to converging runway 25L (nonstandard operation). Supervisor instructs me to change aircraft to the intersecting runway 25R (standard operation). Being nervous about moving an emergency aircraft (remember we do not know nature of emergency); I ask the pilot if they can accept runway 25R -- pilot accepts and is sequenced. An air carrier Y sequenced behind; air carrier X; is informed of the change and continues for runway 25L. Meanwhile TRACON requests a short approach to intersecting runway 19R which local control #2 approves (GA VFR SR22). I assume that my emergency will trump the VFR in case of a tie and do nothing. Supervisor then informs me to change the air carrier X back to the non intersecting runway 25L as it wasn't going to work. Despite being recently told to not question supervisory instructions; I did. 19+ yrs I have always been taught once an emergency; always an amer. I reassign the air carrier X to runway 25L. This makes it close to minimums with the air carrier Y now back in trail. I then query the supervisor about the county vehicles and their standard request. He tells me to move them to the appropriate runway and they can wait to check the runway until after the air carrier X as he is no longer an emergency. I then inform vehicle on frequency that he will have to wait until the air carrier Y lands as the air carrier X is no longer an emergency. This is apparently news to emergency vehicles and air carrier X. Air carrier X is quiet (flying the airplane) but emergency vehicle is talking to ground. As the air carrier X lands it is obvious the first 2 high speeds are not going to work; so I query about taxiway A7. He says no and by the way yes we are an emergency -- who told you anything else? I'm now busy handling the go around for the air carrier Y and embarrassed by the situation. Trying to avoid further discussion and embarrassment; I have the air carrier X cross runway 25R and contact ground control. This incident had several causal factors: 1) recent county decision to change the way emergency aircraft are handled. County now calls to inform of all aircraft that are inbound with any degree of urgency. Everything from a headache on is now relayed to the tower supervisor. There has been confusion as to how to handle this increase in calls with most supervisors ignoring the calls. Had the first call about aircraft #1 been ignored; there might have been a better ability to focus on real emergency #2. 2) the entire operational side of the facility has been under pressure to 'perform' and avoid 'errors.' I do not know the communications that occurred between the TRACON and the pilot; but somewhere down there the TRACON were left with the impression that the pilot did not require priority handling. Since the TRACON was already busy trying to squeeze as many aircraft into our under construction airport; the ability to consider an aircraft not an emergency was probably considerable. 3) I could have clarified the situation when the pilot checked on but did not. I felt at the time that since the aircraft was receiving priority handling all would be well. When instructed to change the aircraft back (3 mi final) I did not want to add a question to the high pilot workload. (Of course so could the air carrier X saying unable on the last switch but he was being a cooperative pilot just like we condition him to be) it is now hours later and I am at home wondering where this situation will go. Yet I feel that with the current cya at all costs attitude that exists; that without questions I would be in trouble in this incident (and I'm not sure I won't be). I did not question the instruction to move the air carrier X to runway 25R but did question the instruction to runway 25L and to not afford expeditious handling to county vehicles. I wonder how much trouble I would be in if I have moved the aircraft or attempted to terminate the emergency without clear instructions to do so. The supervisor on duty did apologize and agreed the situation was handled poorly. The phones lit up like a christmas tree and he spent a lot of time talking to the county; fire captain and the captain of the air carrier X.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LAS TWR CTLR DESCRIBES EMER INCIDENT AND SUPVR INSTRUCTIONS.

Narrative: WORKING LCL CTL #1 DURING SATURDAY MORNING MILD ARR/DEP PUSH. ALL POS COMPLETELY STAFFED PER RECENT REQUIREMENTS. INFORMED BY OPS SUPVR THAT 2 ACFT EMERS WERE INBOUND. EMER VEHICLES AND COUNTY VEHICLES STANDING BY. FIRST ACFT LANDS WITHOUT INCIDENT AND CLRS THE RWY. COUNTY VEHICLE THEN CHKS ON FREQ AND REQUESTS TO FOLLOW EMER ACFT (STANDARD REQUEST). I ASK HIM WHICH ONE AS #1 HAD ALREADY CLRED THE RWY -- NO RESPONSE. SOME CONFUSION OVER WHO #2 IS -- OPS SUPVR INFORMS ACFT IDENT WHEN ACFT WAS ON 12 MI FINAL (ACR X). ACFT IS SEQUENCED WITH OTHER ARRS TO CONVERGING RWY 25L (NONSTANDARD OP). SUPVR INSTRUCTS ME TO CHANGE ACFT TO THE INTERSECTING RWY 25R (STANDARD OP). BEING NERVOUS ABOUT MOVING AN EMER ACFT (REMEMBER WE DO NOT KNOW NATURE OF EMER); I ASK THE PLT IF THEY CAN ACCEPT RWY 25R -- PLT ACCEPTS AND IS SEQUENCED. AN ACR Y SEQUENCED BEHIND; ACR X; IS INFORMED OF THE CHANGE AND CONTINUES FOR RWY 25L. MEANWHILE TRACON REQUESTS A SHORT APCH TO INTERSECTING RWY 19R WHICH LCL CTL #2 APPROVES (GA VFR SR22). I ASSUME THAT MY EMER WILL TRUMP THE VFR IN CASE OF A TIE AND DO NOTHING. SUPVR THEN INFORMS ME TO CHANGE THE ACR X BACK TO THE NON INTERSECTING RWY 25L AS IT WASN'T GOING TO WORK. DESPITE BEING RECENTLY TOLD TO NOT QUESTION SUPERVISORY INSTRUCTIONS; I DID. 19+ YRS I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN TAUGHT ONCE AN EMER; ALWAYS AN AMER. I REASSIGN THE ACR X TO RWY 25L. THIS MAKES IT CLOSE TO MINIMUMS WITH THE ACR Y NOW BACK IN TRAIL. I THEN QUERY THE SUPVR ABOUT THE COUNTY VEHICLES AND THEIR STANDARD REQUEST. HE TELLS ME TO MOVE THEM TO THE APPROPRIATE RWY AND THEY CAN WAIT TO CHK THE RWY UNTIL AFTER THE ACR X AS HE IS NO LONGER AN EMER. I THEN INFORM VEHICLE ON FREQ THAT HE WILL HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THE ACR Y LANDS AS THE ACR X IS NO LONGER AN EMER. THIS IS APPARENTLY NEWS TO EMER VEHICLES AND ACR X. ACR X IS QUIET (FLYING THE AIRPLANE) BUT EMER VEHICLE IS TALKING TO GND. AS THE ACR X LANDS IT IS OBVIOUS THE FIRST 2 HIGH SPDS ARE NOT GOING TO WORK; SO I QUERY ABOUT TXWY A7. HE SAYS NO AND BY THE WAY YES WE ARE AN EMER -- WHO TOLD YOU ANYTHING ELSE? I'M NOW BUSY HANDLING THE GAR FOR THE ACR Y AND EMBARRASSED BY THE SITUATION. TRYING TO AVOID FURTHER DISCUSSION AND EMBARRASSMENT; I HAVE THE ACR X CROSS RWY 25R AND CONTACT GND CTL. THIS INCIDENT HAD SEVERAL CAUSAL FACTORS: 1) RECENT COUNTY DECISION TO CHANGE THE WAY EMER ACFT ARE HANDLED. COUNTY NOW CALLS TO INFORM OF ALL ACFT THAT ARE INBOUND WITH ANY DEGREE OF URGENCY. EVERYTHING FROM A HEADACHE ON IS NOW RELAYED TO THE TWR SUPVR. THERE HAS BEEN CONFUSION AS TO HOW TO HANDLE THIS INCREASE IN CALLS WITH MOST SUPVRS IGNORING THE CALLS. HAD THE FIRST CALL ABOUT ACFT #1 BEEN IGNORED; THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN A BETTER ABILITY TO FOCUS ON REAL EMER #2. 2) THE ENTIRE OPERATIONAL SIDE OF THE FACILITY HAS BEEN UNDER PRESSURE TO 'PERFORM' AND AVOID 'ERRORS.' I DO NOT KNOW THE COMS THAT OCCURRED BTWN THE TRACON AND THE PLT; BUT SOMEWHERE DOWN THERE THE TRACON WERE LEFT WITH THE IMPRESSION THAT THE PLT DID NOT REQUIRE PRIORITY HANDLING. SINCE THE TRACON WAS ALREADY BUSY TRYING TO SQUEEZE AS MANY ACFT INTO OUR UNDER CONSTRUCTION ARPT; THE ABILITY TO CONSIDER AN ACFT NOT AN EMER WAS PROBABLY CONSIDERABLE. 3) I COULD HAVE CLARIFIED THE SITUATION WHEN THE PLT CHKED ON BUT DID NOT. I FELT AT THE TIME THAT SINCE THE ACFT WAS RECEIVING PRIORITY HANDLING ALL WOULD BE WELL. WHEN INSTRUCTED TO CHANGE THE ACFT BACK (3 MI FINAL) I DID NOT WANT TO ADD A QUESTION TO THE HIGH PLT WORKLOAD. (OF COURSE SO COULD THE ACR X SAYING UNABLE ON THE LAST SWITCH BUT HE WAS BEING A COOPERATIVE PLT JUST LIKE WE CONDITION HIM TO BE) IT IS NOW HRS LATER AND I AM AT HOME WONDERING WHERE THIS SITUATION WILL GO. YET I FEEL THAT WITH THE CURRENT CYA AT ALL COSTS ATTITUDE THAT EXISTS; THAT WITHOUT QUESTIONS I WOULD BE IN TROUBLE IN THIS INCIDENT (AND I'M NOT SURE I WON'T BE). I DID NOT QUESTION THE INSTRUCTION TO MOVE THE ACR X TO RWY 25R BUT DID QUESTION THE INSTRUCTION TO RWY 25L AND TO NOT AFFORD EXPEDITIOUS HANDLING TO COUNTY VEHICLES. I WONDER HOW MUCH TROUBLE I WOULD BE IN IF I HAVE MOVED THE ACFT OR ATTEMPTED TO TERMINATE THE EMER WITHOUT CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS TO DO SO. THE SUPVR ON DUTY DID APOLOGIZE AND AGREED THE SITUATION WAS HANDLED POORLY. THE PHONES LIT UP LIKE A CHRISTMAS TREE AND HE SPENT A LOT OF TIME TALKING TO THE COUNTY; FIRE CAPT AND THE CAPT OF THE ACR X.

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.