Narrative:

From the old tower we had an excellent view of all of our runways and txwys. In fact; when seated at the clearance delivery position; one could very easily maintain a situational awareness of local control's and ground control's traffic. And most of us did just that. More than once the controller at clearance delivery; or the supervisor at the cabin attendant supervisor position; would speak up and help bring attention to what could have become an unsafe situation otherwise. Such teamwork results in safety being maintained. Nowadays; however; here at cmh; we operate in a different world. It is a world where that 'extra set of eyes' isn't nearly as effective. We now work from our sparkling new; 200 ft tall; state-of-the-art ATC tower cabin attendant. Just over twice as high as our old tower cabin attendant; one would think our view would be spectacular. Well; yes; we do have a spectacular view -- of our neighboring communities. However; the problem is; our view of our movement areas is considerably blocked by the structure itself. You see; the wide spaciousness of our new tower cabin attendant actually blocks our view. For instance; when seated at clearance delivery on the south side of the tower (the side near runway 28L); one cannot see most of the movement areas of our airport! That extra set of eyes has become; for all practical purposes; ineffective. And the same goes for the 'cs' position; which is on the north side of the tower cabin attendant. When seated there; the person cannot see most of the movement areas as well. So; there's another set of eyes that has become virtually ineffective. Even our local control and ground control position have an incredibly obstructed view of our movement areas. As an example; when on a runway 28 operation; one will often find the local control and ground control controllers seated at their east position. From these position; an aircraft that lands on runway 28L is lost from sight shortly after it passes the C3 intersection (which is nearly abeam the tower). As the aircraft exits at C4 and calls ground control; ground control will often simply instruct the aircraft to taxi to the ramp without actually observing the aircraft. This aircraft will come back into view as it approachs the C3 intersection; eastbound on taxiway C.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CMH TWR CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING THE LIMITED VISIBILITY OF CERTAIN ARPT MOVEMENT AREAS FROM THE TWR CAB.

Narrative: FROM THE OLD TWR WE HAD AN EXCELLENT VIEW OF ALL OF OUR RWYS AND TXWYS. IN FACT; WHEN SEATED AT THE CLRNC DELIVERY POS; ONE COULD VERY EASILY MAINTAIN A SITUATIONAL AWARENESS OF LCL CTL'S AND GND CTL'S TFC. AND MOST OF US DID JUST THAT. MORE THAN ONCE THE CTLR AT CLRNC DELIVERY; OR THE SUPVR AT THE CAB SUPVR POS; WOULD SPEAK UP AND HELP BRING ATTN TO WHAT COULD HAVE BECOME AN UNSAFE SITUATION OTHERWISE. SUCH TEAMWORK RESULTS IN SAFETY BEING MAINTAINED. NOWADAYS; HOWEVER; HERE AT CMH; WE OPERATE IN A DIFFERENT WORLD. IT IS A WORLD WHERE THAT 'EXTRA SET OF EYES' ISN'T NEARLY AS EFFECTIVE. WE NOW WORK FROM OUR SPARKLING NEW; 200 FT TALL; STATE-OF-THE-ART ATC TWR CAB. JUST OVER TWICE AS HIGH AS OUR OLD TWR CAB; ONE WOULD THINK OUR VIEW WOULD BE SPECTACULAR. WELL; YES; WE DO HAVE A SPECTACULAR VIEW -- OF OUR NEIGHBORING COMMUNITIES. HOWEVER; THE PROB IS; OUR VIEW OF OUR MOVEMENT AREAS IS CONSIDERABLY BLOCKED BY THE STRUCTURE ITSELF. YOU SEE; THE WIDE SPACIOUSNESS OF OUR NEW TWR CAB ACTUALLY BLOCKS OUR VIEW. FOR INSTANCE; WHEN SEATED AT CLRNC DELIVERY ON THE S SIDE OF THE TWR (THE SIDE NEAR RWY 28L); ONE CANNOT SEE MOST OF THE MOVEMENT AREAS OF OUR ARPT! THAT EXTRA SET OF EYES HAS BECOME; FOR ALL PRACTICAL PURPOSES; INEFFECTIVE. AND THE SAME GOES FOR THE 'CS' POS; WHICH IS ON THE N SIDE OF THE TWR CAB. WHEN SEATED THERE; THE PERSON CANNOT SEE MOST OF THE MOVEMENT AREAS AS WELL. SO; THERE'S ANOTHER SET OF EYES THAT HAS BECOME VIRTUALLY INEFFECTIVE. EVEN OUR LCL CTL AND GND CTL POS HAVE AN INCREDIBLY OBSTRUCTED VIEW OF OUR MOVEMENT AREAS. AS AN EXAMPLE; WHEN ON A RWY 28 OP; ONE WILL OFTEN FIND THE LCL CTL AND GND CTL CTLRS SEATED AT THEIR E POS. FROM THESE POS; AN ACFT THAT LANDS ON RWY 28L IS LOST FROM SIGHT SHORTLY AFTER IT PASSES THE C3 INTXN (WHICH IS NEARLY ABEAM THE TWR). AS THE ACFT EXITS AT C4 AND CALLS GND CTL; GND CTL WILL OFTEN SIMPLY INSTRUCT THE ACFT TO TAXI TO THE RAMP WITHOUT ACTUALLY OBSERVING THE ACFT. THIS ACFT WILL COME BACK INTO VIEW AS IT APCHS THE C3 INTXN; EBOUND ON TXWY C.

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.