Smx controller expressed concern regarding condition and usability of tower shades.

Attributes
ACN	690161
Time
Date	200603
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : smx.airport
State Reference	CA
Environment
Light	Dawn
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 16 controller time certified in position1 : 16
ASRS Report	690161
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Environmental Factor FAA
Primary Problem	FAA
Situations
ATC Facility	other physical facility

Narrative:

The sun shades in the tower are unusable! When the sun rises; you look straight down the runway at arriving aircraft. The shades are scratched and dirty and cannot be used safely. This has been brought to the attention of the management to no avail. The sun is so bright; I cannot see the aircraft effectively even with my prescription sunglasses. There are 2 sets of shades so they can be doubled to increase the effectiveness and decrease the glare. This problem needs to be corrected as soon as possible so as to increase safety.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMX CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING CONDITION AND USABILITY OF TWR SHADES.

Narrative: THE SUN SHADES IN THE TWR ARE UNUSABLE! WHEN THE SUN RISES; YOU LOOK STRAIGHT DOWN THE RWY AT ARRIVING ACFT. THE SHADES ARE SCRATCHED AND DIRTY AND CANNOT BE USED SAFELY. THIS HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO THE ATTN OF THE MGMNT TO NO AVAIL. THE SUN IS SO BRIGHT; I CANNOT SEE THE ACFT EFFECTIVELY EVEN WITH MY PRESCRIPTION SUNGLASSES. THERE ARE 2 SETS OF SHADES SO THEY CAN BE DOUBLED TO INCREASE THE EFFECTIVENESS AND DECREASE THE GLARE. THIS PROB NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED ASAP SO AS TO INCREASE SAFETY.

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.