Narrative:

When it comes to runway safety at port columbus; the stakes could not be higher. When I last reviewed it; the advisory circular 'airport design guide 150/5300-13' includes the following wording about the proper way to design an air traffic control tower. 202F. The location and orientation of runways and txwys must be such that the existing (or future) airport traffic control tower (ATCT) has a clear line of sight to...all runway structural pavement; and; other operational surfaces controled by ATC. 609(B)(2) there must be clear; unobstructed; and direct line of sight to the approachs; to all runways or landing areas; and to all runway and taxiway surfaces. There are some within our organization that have actually insinuated that our tower does; in fact; meet those requirements. In a perverse sort of way; they are correct. Technically; our 'tower' does have a clear and unobstructed view of traffic. However; it is not the tower that requires the clear and unobstructed view. It is the air traffic controllers within our tower that require the clear and unobstructed view. Incredibly; the intention of the advisory circular has been lost; as the controllers within our tower have not been afforded such working conditions. As an example as to how runway safety has been eroded; consider the following. When a controller walks to the north side of the tower to view the entire movement area of our north runways and txwys; massive portions of the south movement areas are then blocked from this controller's view. This controller must take up to a half dozen steps to the other side of the tower to scan the entire south runways and txwys. Once there; the controller loses the ability to be able to scan the entire north runways and txwys. One of these days; the circumstances will be such that the controller will need to observe both sides of the airport nearly simultaneously. Can the powers that be not fathom such a need? In aviation; the little things are important. While this controller is away from their designated operating position in order to scan the runways/txwys; this person cannot reach an important button on the communication system should they need to immediately coordinate with a radar controller. Neither can this person reach their podium; upon which they may have a simple tablet of paper wherein they wish to jot a note. Nor can they see any of their notes when several feet from their podium. Such a note may carry an incredibly important piece of information that guards against short-term memory errors. Can the powers that be not fathom such a need? Our obstructed visibility issues have been brought up from well before we moved into this new tower. These issues have even been brought up personally to the very top people in FAA management (ie to the administrator as well as the chief operating officer). After the coo visited our tower nearly a year ago; where he got to observe firsthand our obstructed visibility; our manager (sort of) got the nod from the coo to address the problem. There was a flurry of activity that ended with a proposal to construct a raised floor. The plans that eventually got proposed was virtually a homebrew (built by our own folks) project; in which our facility would only require an estimated $15000 total project costs. I seriously doubt that our visibility problem could be resolved for such a low cost; but at least there was some hope that something would finally be done. However; as of yet; nothing has transpired. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the new tower was completed about 2 1/2 yrs ago. The tower is a circular shape with 2 local control position on each side of the tower. Both local controls are seldom used. Just after the new tower was completed; the local media was notified about the obstruction issue. The $15000 that was authority/authorized to rectify the problem has not been spent yet. The reporter thinks that the reason is that no one can come up with a solution that is workable. If the floor is raised; then the consoles will also have to be raised which could negate the raised floor.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LCL CTLR AT CMH CLAIMS THAT DUE TO THE DESIGN OF THE RECENTLY BUILT CTL TWR; PORTIONS OF THE RWYS AND TXWYS ARE NOT VISIBLE FROM THE LCL CTLR POS.

Narrative: WHEN IT COMES TO RWY SAFETY AT PORT COLUMBUS; THE STAKES COULD NOT BE HIGHER. WHEN I LAST REVIEWED IT; THE ADVISORY CIRCULAR 'ARPT DESIGN GUIDE 150/5300-13' INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING WORDING ABOUT THE PROPER WAY TO DESIGN AN AIR TFC CTL TWR. 202F. THE LOCATION AND ORIENTATION OF RWYS AND TXWYS MUST BE SUCH THAT THE EXISTING (OR FUTURE) ARPT TFC CTL TWR (ATCT) HAS A CLR LINE OF SIGHT TO...ALL RWY STRUCTURAL PAVEMENT; AND; OTHER OPERATIONAL SURFACES CTLED BY ATC. 609(B)(2) THERE MUST BE CLR; UNOBSTRUCTED; AND DIRECT LINE OF SIGHT TO THE APCHS; TO ALL RWYS OR LNDG AREAS; AND TO ALL RWY AND TXWY SURFACES. THERE ARE SOME WITHIN OUR ORGANIZATION THAT HAVE ACTUALLY INSINUATED THAT OUR TWR DOES; IN FACT; MEET THOSE REQUIREMENTS. IN A PERVERSE SORT OF WAY; THEY ARE CORRECT. TECHNICALLY; OUR 'TWR' DOES HAVE A CLR AND UNOBSTRUCTED VIEW OF TFC. HOWEVER; IT IS NOT THE TWR THAT REQUIRES THE CLR AND UNOBSTRUCTED VIEW. IT IS THE AIR TFC CTLRS WITHIN OUR TWR THAT REQUIRE THE CLR AND UNOBSTRUCTED VIEW. INCREDIBLY; THE INTENTION OF THE ADVISORY CIRCULAR HAS BEEN LOST; AS THE CTLRS WITHIN OUR TWR HAVE NOT BEEN AFFORDED SUCH WORKING CONDITIONS. AS AN EXAMPLE AS TO HOW RWY SAFETY HAS BEEN ERODED; CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING. WHEN A CTLR WALKS TO THE N SIDE OF THE TWR TO VIEW THE ENTIRE MOVEMENT AREA OF OUR N RWYS AND TXWYS; MASSIVE PORTIONS OF THE S MOVEMENT AREAS ARE THEN BLOCKED FROM THIS CTLR'S VIEW. THIS CTLR MUST TAKE UP TO A HALF DOZEN STEPS TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TWR TO SCAN THE ENTIRE S RWYS AND TXWYS. ONCE THERE; THE CTLR LOSES THE ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO SCAN THE ENTIRE N RWYS AND TXWYS. ONE OF THESE DAYS; THE CIRCUMSTANCES WILL BE SUCH THAT THE CTLR WILL NEED TO OBSERVE BOTH SIDES OF THE ARPT NEARLY SIMULTANEOUSLY. CAN THE POWERS THAT BE NOT FATHOM SUCH A NEED? IN AVIATION; THE LITTLE THINGS ARE IMPORTANT. WHILE THIS CTLR IS AWAY FROM THEIR DESIGNATED OPERATING POS IN ORDER TO SCAN THE RWYS/TXWYS; THIS PERSON CANNOT REACH AN IMPORTANT BUTTON ON THE COM SYS SHOULD THEY NEED TO IMMEDIATELY COORDINATE WITH A RADAR CTLR. NEITHER CAN THIS PERSON REACH THEIR PODIUM; UPON WHICH THEY MAY HAVE A SIMPLE TABLET OF PAPER WHEREIN THEY WISH TO JOT A NOTE. NOR CAN THEY SEE ANY OF THEIR NOTES WHEN SEVERAL FEET FROM THEIR PODIUM. SUCH A NOTE MAY CARRY AN INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT PIECE OF INFO THAT GUARDS AGAINST SHORT-TERM MEMORY ERRORS. CAN THE POWERS THAT BE NOT FATHOM SUCH A NEED? OUR OBSTRUCTED VISIBILITY ISSUES HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP FROM WELL BEFORE WE MOVED INTO THIS NEW TWR. THESE ISSUES HAVE EVEN BEEN BROUGHT UP PERSONALLY TO THE VERY TOP PEOPLE IN FAA MGMNT (IE TO THE ADMINISTRATOR AS WELL AS THE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER). AFTER THE COO VISITED OUR TWR NEARLY A YEAR AGO; WHERE HE GOT TO OBSERVE FIRSTHAND OUR OBSTRUCTED VISIBILITY; OUR MGR (SORT OF) GOT THE NOD FROM THE COO TO ADDRESS THE PROB. THERE WAS A FLURRY OF ACTIVITY THAT ENDED WITH A PROPOSAL TO CONSTRUCT A RAISED FLOOR. THE PLANS THAT EVENTUALLY GOT PROPOSED WAS VIRTUALLY A HOMEBREW (BUILT BY OUR OWN FOLKS) PROJECT; IN WHICH OUR FACILITY WOULD ONLY REQUIRE AN ESTIMATED $15000 TOTAL PROJECT COSTS. I SERIOUSLY DOUBT THAT OUR VISIBILITY PROB COULD BE RESOLVED FOR SUCH A LOW COST; BUT AT LEAST THERE WAS SOME HOPE THAT SOMETHING WOULD FINALLY BE DONE. HOWEVER; AS OF YET; NOTHING HAS TRANSPIRED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE NEW TWR WAS COMPLETED ABOUT 2 1/2 YRS AGO. THE TWR IS A CIRCULAR SHAPE WITH 2 LCL CTL POS ON EACH SIDE OF THE TWR. BOTH LCL CTLS ARE SELDOM USED. JUST AFTER THE NEW TWR WAS COMPLETED; THE LCL MEDIA WAS NOTIFIED ABOUT THE OBSTRUCTION ISSUE. THE $15000 THAT WAS AUTH TO RECTIFY THE PROB HAS NOT BEEN SPENT YET. THE RPTR THINKS THAT THE REASON IS THAT NO ONE CAN COME UP WITH A SOLUTION THAT IS WORKABLE. IF THE FLOOR IS RAISED; THEN THE CONSOLES WILL ALSO HAVE TO BE RAISED WHICH COULD NEGATE THE RAISED FLOOR.

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.