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A pilot reports after informing an iah ground controller about a taxiway sign obscured by grass was told it 'wasn't her responsibility.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 709060 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200609 |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : iah.airport |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Dawn |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : taxi |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | ATC Human Performance Airport |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
Narrative:
After beginning taxi at iah we noticed the sign for taxiway wf was 3/4 obscured by tall grass. We informed the ground controller and her response was that it 'wasn't her responsibility.' we were shocked. Who else are we to tell? She proceeded to tell another aircraft 15 seconds later that whatever they queried about wasn't her responsibility either. Her response to us was completely irresponsible and unacceptable. Are we supposed to get to our layover hotel in california 8 hours later and try to find a phone number for ground maintenance at iah and inform them? The obscured sign could result in faulty taxiing; although that isn't likely. Still; it needed their attention. In 25 yrs of professional flying I've never heard that type of response from a controller. I've heard sarcasm; anger; frustration; joviality; neutrality; etc; but never irresponsibility.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A PLT RPTS AFTER INFORMING AN IAH GND CTLR ABOUT A TXWY SIGN OBSCURED BY GRASS WAS TOLD IT 'WASN'T HER RESPONSIBILITY.
Narrative: AFTER BEGINNING TAXI AT IAH WE NOTICED THE SIGN FOR TXWY WF WAS 3/4 OBSCURED BY TALL GRASS. WE INFORMED THE GND CTLR AND HER RESPONSE WAS THAT IT 'WASN'T HER RESPONSIBILITY.' WE WERE SHOCKED. WHO ELSE ARE WE TO TELL? SHE PROCEEDED TO TELL ANOTHER ACFT 15 SECONDS LATER THAT WHATEVER THEY QUERIED ABOUT WASN'T HER RESPONSIBILITY EITHER. HER RESPONSE TO US WAS COMPLETELY IRRESPONSIBLE AND UNACCEPTABLE. ARE WE SUPPOSED TO GET TO OUR LAYOVER HOTEL IN CALIFORNIA 8 HRS LATER AND TRY TO FIND A PHONE NUMBER FOR GND MAINT AT IAH AND INFORM THEM? THE OBSCURED SIGN COULD RESULT IN FAULTY TAXIING; ALTHOUGH THAT ISN'T LIKELY. STILL; IT NEEDED THEIR ATTN. IN 25 YRS OF PROFESSIONAL FLYING I'VE NEVER HEARD THAT TYPE OF RESPONSE FROM A CTLR. I'VE HEARD SARCASM; ANGER; FRUSTRATION; JOVIALITY; NEUTRALITY; ETC; BUT NEVER IRRESPONSIBILITY.
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.