Las tower controller expressed concern regarding tower visual restr due to cargo area lighting and a...

Attributes
ACN	739200
Time
Date	200705
Place
Locale Reference	airport : las.airport
State Reference	NV
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Dusk
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Experience	controller limited radar : 10 controller military : 10 controller time certified in position1 : 6
ASRS Report	739200
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Environmental Factor ATC Human Performance Airport
Primary Problem	FAA
Situations
ATC Facility	radar equipment : las.tower

Narrative:

At night it is very difficult to see areas of the airport movement area due to parking area lights located on the cargo ramp. From the local control one; and the ground control east positions you cannot see aircraft on taxiway charlie due to the light on the cargo ramp. An additional problem exists at the local two and ground control west positions in relation to taxiway delta. It's not the lights that obscure but rather a new building the aircraft almost completely disappear behind. This new building also has created a false target on the asde equipment showing a primary radar return on runway 19L at taxiway microphone. This also causes targets to drop-off the amass safety logic. When arriving aircraft pass this blind spot created by the new building. Suggest that the lights in the parking area be shrouded on the side towards the control tower: the amass/asde issue with a blind spot created by a new building can be fixed by a taller tower or some type of equipment to give visual reference to the blind area. Possibly changing the locations of the asde radar antenna or the multiple antennas working in tandem would fix the false radar return.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LAS TWR CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING TWR VISUAL RESTR DUE TO CARGO AREA LIGHTING AND AMASS/ASDE BLIND SPOTS; CITING A NEW BUILDING AS CAUSAL FACTOR.

Narrative: AT NIGHT IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE AREAS OF THE ARPT MOVEMENT AREA DUE TO PARKING AREA LIGHTS LOCATED ON THE CARGO RAMP. FROM THE LOCAL CTL ONE; AND THE GND CTL E POSITIONS YOU CANNOT SEE ACFT ON TXWY CHARLIE DUE TO THE LIGHT ON THE CARGO RAMP. AN ADDITIONAL PROB EXISTS AT THE LOCAL TWO AND GND CTL W POSITIONS IN RELATION TO TXWY DELTA. IT'S NOT THE LIGHTS THAT OBSCURE BUT RATHER A NEW BUILDING THE ACFT ALMOST COMPLETELY DISAPPEAR BEHIND. THIS NEW BUILDING ALSO HAS CREATED A FALSE TARGET ON THE ASDE EQUIPMENT SHOWING A PRIMARY RADAR RETURN ON RWY 19L AT TXWY MIKE. THIS ALSO CAUSES TARGETS TO DROP-OFF THE AMASS SAFETY LOGIC. WHEN ARRIVING ACFT PASS THIS BLIND SPOT CREATED BY THE NEW BUILDING. SUGGEST THAT THE LIGHTS IN THE PARKING AREA BE SHROUDED ON THE SIDE TOWARDS THE CTL TWR: THE AMASS/ASDE ISSUE WITH A BLIND SPOT CREATED BY A NEW BUILDING CAN BE FIXED BY A TALLER TWR OR SOME TYPE OF EQUIPMENT TO GIVE VISUAL REFERENCE TO THE BLIND AREA. POSSIBLY CHANGING THE LOCATIONS OF THE ASDE RADAR ANTENNA OR THE MULTIPLE ANTENNAS WORKING IN TANDEM WOULD FIX THE FALSE RADAR RETURN.

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.

Las tower controller expressed concern regarding tower visual restr due to cargo area lighting and amass/asde blind spots; citing a new building as causal factor.