Narrative:

This evening in our tower cabin attendant; nothing out of the ordinary occurred. In fact; if one was viewing the operation from a pilot's perspective; or were to listen to our frequencys; the operation would appear quite professional. However; if one were to be able to observe the local controller (local control); one would notice that this controller is sitting on a chair. This controller is at ease working local control from our local controller-east position; while comfortably seated nearly the entire time. The problem is; before every takeoff clearance this controller issues; and before every landing clearance this controller issues; the controller is unable to scan approximately one-third of either of our parallel runways. How can this be? Well; our tower was improperly designed for a 1-LCL controller (or a 1-GND controller) operation. From our designated working position (working local controller-east when on a runway 28 operation; or working local controller-west when on a runway 10 operation); not one of us are able to scan the entire movement areas. This is so even while standing at our designated position. One must continually maneuver about our cabin attendant in order to be able to view one entire runway; then the other entire runway. Precious seconds are lost while walking from side to side. The taller one is; the less steps required. Nevertheless; not one of us is tall enough to see all the movement areas from our designated position. Scanning varies considerably. If you were able to observe our operation; depending upon who you may be observing; you would notice that some controllers always situation; some will always situation but often climb up on their chair to take a peek at the (entire) runways; some will diligently walk from side to side to scan; some will stand on a wooden platform (that isn't designed to be stood upon); and one always stands on the 13 inch riser that was supposed to be the answer to this obstructed visibility problem. How bad is the visibility obstructed when seated at local controller-east or local controller-west? Well; you could easily park a B747 on each parallel runway in our blind spots; and these jumbo jets would go unseen by the seated controller.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CMH CTLR DESCRIBED TWR CAB VISIBILITY RESTRS THAT HAMPER VIEWS OF THE ENTIRE RWY-TXWY SURFACES.

Narrative: THIS EVENING IN OUR TWR CAB; NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY OCCURRED. IN FACT; IF ONE WAS VIEWING THE OP FROM A PLT'S PERSPECTIVE; OR WERE TO LISTEN TO OUR FREQS; THE OP WOULD APPEAR QUITE PROFESSIONAL. HOWEVER; IF ONE WERE TO BE ABLE TO OBSERVE THE LCL CTLR (LC); ONE WOULD NOTICE THAT THIS CTLR IS SITTING ON A CHAIR. THIS CTLR IS AT EASE WORKING LCL CTL FROM OUR LCL CTLR-E POS; WHILE COMFORTABLY SEATED NEARLY THE ENTIRE TIME. THE PROB IS; BEFORE EVERY TKOF CLRNC THIS CTLR ISSUES; AND BEFORE EVERY LNDG CLRNC THIS CTLR ISSUES; THE CTLR IS UNABLE TO SCAN APPROX ONE-THIRD OF EITHER OF OUR PARALLEL RWYS. HOW CAN THIS BE? WELL; OUR TWR WAS IMPROPERLY DESIGNED FOR A 1-LCL CTLR (OR A 1-GND CTLR) OP. FROM OUR DESIGNATED WORKING POS (WORKING LCL CTLR-E WHEN ON A RWY 28 OP; OR WORKING LCL CTLR-W WHEN ON A RWY 10 OP); NOT ONE OF US ARE ABLE TO SCAN THE ENTIRE MOVEMENT AREAS. THIS IS SO EVEN WHILE STANDING AT OUR DESIGNATED POS. ONE MUST CONTINUALLY MANEUVER ABOUT OUR CAB IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO VIEW ONE ENTIRE RWY; THEN THE OTHER ENTIRE RWY. PRECIOUS SECONDS ARE LOST WHILE WALKING FROM SIDE TO SIDE. THE TALLER ONE IS; THE LESS STEPS REQUIRED. NEVERTHELESS; NOT ONE OF US IS TALL ENOUGH TO SEE ALL THE MOVEMENT AREAS FROM OUR DESIGNATED POS. SCANNING VARIES CONSIDERABLY. IF YOU WERE ABLE TO OBSERVE OUR OP; DEPENDING UPON WHO YOU MAY BE OBSERVING; YOU WOULD NOTICE THAT SOME CTLRS ALWAYS SIT; SOME WILL ALWAYS SIT BUT OFTEN CLB UP ON THEIR CHAIR TO TAKE A PEEK AT THE (ENTIRE) RWYS; SOME WILL DILIGENTLY WALK FROM SIDE TO SIDE TO SCAN; SOME WILL STAND ON A WOODEN PLATFORM (THAT ISN'T DESIGNED TO BE STOOD UPON); AND ONE ALWAYS STANDS ON THE 13 INCH RISER THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE ANSWER TO THIS OBSTRUCTED VISIBILITY PROB. HOW BAD IS THE VISIBILITY OBSTRUCTED WHEN SEATED AT LCL CTLR-E OR LCL CTLR-W? WELL; YOU COULD EASILY PARK A B747 ON EACH PARALLEL RWY IN OUR BLIND SPOTS; AND THESE JUMBO JETS WOULD GO UNSEEN BY THE SEATED CTLR.

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.