Narrative:

An operations supervisor from anchorage TRACON is sometimes assigned to fai tower controller in charge position. When this same confign was brought into question about 2 weeks earlier; I was informed that anchorage TRACON staff manager had approved the arrangement. I do not believe that an anchorage TRACON supervisor fulfills national order requirements to work the fai tcic position. The 7210.3 2-6-3 states the requirements for a controller in charge of being certified in the area/facility for 6 months. The basic requirements for a controller to work controller in charge; 7210.3 2-6-3 a-b; outlines stepping-stones in the requirements for a supervisor to perform the same duties. An operations supervisor first fulfills the requirements for controller in charge and then; in addition; fulfills the requirements for watch supervision. An operations supervisor from anchorage TRACON is not certified in any area of fai tower cabin attendant. An operations supervisor from anchorage TRACON fails to meet these requirements of tcic. This is more than a casual misunderstanding about a national order -- safety could be seriously compromised. During the first session; the supervisor was tcic in charge of 2 developmentals. The local control controller had been certified on local control for less than 2 weeks; and the ground control controller had been certified on ground control for less than 6 months and not certified on local control. What if one of these newly certified developmentals needed assistance on a rule; a procedure; or even an emergency? The tcic is to provide that assistance in a timely manner. There may be no time to look up the information or call someone for the answer. An operations supervisor from anchorage TRACON is not familiar with local procedures at fai ATCT and thus also fails requirements in 7210.3 2-6-1. The 7210.3 2-6-1A requires the supervisor to maintain situational awareness and provide timely assistance. The 7210.3 2-6-1a10 states; simply put; situational awareness means knowing what is going on around you. An operations supervisor from anchorage TRACON fails this requirement. An example of local knowledge that is needed in order to provide timely assistance and knowing what is going on around you as tcic at fairbanks. A vehicle is working inside the runway hold lines but outside of the runway edge of runway 19R/1L. A BE20 is arriving/departing runway 19R/1L and then a B190 is doing the same. Does local control need to move the vehicle? At fai; the answer is yes for the BE20 and no for the B190. Very similar aircraft in all aspects; however; different rules apply to these 2 aircraft at fairbanks. This also happens to be a fairly new procedure at fai and many controllers of all levels of experience have questioned what is legal and what would be a runway incursion. Fortunately; to my knowledge; no safety issues occurred during these 2 sessions. However; that may not be the case during the next session the same or another operations supervisor from another facility takes on the role of operations supervisor in charge at fai tower.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FAI TWR CTLR VOICED CONCERN REGARDING A FACILITY MGMNT PRACTICE THAT UTILIZED ANC SUPVR TO ACT AS CIC IN THE TWR CAB.

Narrative: AN OPS SUPVR FROM ANCHORAGE TRACON IS SOMETIMES ASSIGNED TO FAI TWR CIC POS. WHEN THIS SAME CONFIGN WAS BROUGHT INTO QUESTION ABOUT 2 WKS EARLIER; I WAS INFORMED THAT ANCHORAGE TRACON STAFF MGR HAD APPROVED THE ARRANGEMENT. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT AN ANCHORAGE TRACON SUPVR FULFILLS NATL ORDER REQUIREMENTS TO WORK THE FAI TCIC POS. THE 7210.3 2-6-3 STATES THE REQUIREMENTS FOR A CIC OF BEING CERTIFIED IN THE AREA/FACILITY FOR 6 MONTHS. THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR A CTLR TO WORK CIC; 7210.3 2-6-3 A-B; OUTLINES STEPPING-STONES IN THE REQUIREMENTS FOR A SUPVR TO PERFORM THE SAME DUTIES. AN OPS SUPVR FIRST FULFILLS THE REQUIREMENTS FOR CIC AND THEN; IN ADDITION; FULFILLS THE REQUIREMENTS FOR WATCH SUPERVISION. AN OPS SUPVR FROM ANCHORAGE TRACON IS NOT CERTIFIED IN ANY AREA OF FAI TWR CAB. AN OPS SUPVR FROM ANCHORAGE TRACON FAILS TO MEET THESE REQUIREMENTS OF TCIC. THIS IS MORE THAN A CASUAL MISUNDERSTANDING ABOUT A NATL ORDER -- SAFETY COULD BE SERIOUSLY COMPROMISED. DURING THE FIRST SESSION; THE SUPVR WAS TCIC IN CHARGE OF 2 DEVELOPMENTALS. THE LCL CTL CTLR HAD BEEN CERTIFIED ON LCL CTL FOR LESS THAN 2 WKS; AND THE GND CTL CTLR HAD BEEN CERTIFIED ON GND CTL FOR LESS THAN 6 MONTHS AND NOT CERTIFIED ON LCL CTL. WHAT IF ONE OF THESE NEWLY CERTIFIED DEVELOPMENTALS NEEDED ASSISTANCE ON A RULE; A PROC; OR EVEN AN EMER? THE TCIC IS TO PROVIDE THAT ASSISTANCE IN A TIMELY MANNER. THERE MAY BE NO TIME TO LOOK UP THE INFO OR CALL SOMEONE FOR THE ANSWER. AN OPS SUPVR FROM ANCHORAGE TRACON IS NOT FAMILIAR WITH LCL PROCS AT FAI ATCT AND THUS ALSO FAILS REQUIREMENTS IN 7210.3 2-6-1. THE 7210.3 2-6-1A REQUIRES THE SUPVR TO MAINTAIN SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND PROVIDE TIMELY ASSISTANCE. THE 7210.3 2-6-1A10 STATES; SIMPLY PUT; SITUATIONAL AWARENESS MEANS KNOWING WHAT IS GOING ON AROUND YOU. AN OPS SUPVR FROM ANCHORAGE TRACON FAILS THIS REQUIREMENT. AN EXAMPLE OF LCL KNOWLEDGE THAT IS NEEDED IN ORDER TO PROVIDE TIMELY ASSISTANCE AND KNOWING WHAT IS GOING ON AROUND YOU AS TCIC AT FAIRBANKS. A VEHICLE IS WORKING INSIDE THE RWY HOLD LINES BUT OUTSIDE OF THE RWY EDGE OF RWY 19R/1L. A BE20 IS ARRIVING/DEPARTING RWY 19R/1L AND THEN A B190 IS DOING THE SAME. DOES LCL CTL NEED TO MOVE THE VEHICLE? AT FAI; THE ANSWER IS YES FOR THE BE20 AND NO FOR THE B190. VERY SIMILAR ACFT IN ALL ASPECTS; HOWEVER; DIFFERENT RULES APPLY TO THESE 2 ACFT AT FAIRBANKS. THIS ALSO HAPPENS TO BE A FAIRLY NEW PROC AT FAI AND MANY CTLRS OF ALL LEVELS OF EXPERIENCE HAVE QUESTIONED WHAT IS LEGAL AND WHAT WOULD BE A RWY INCURSION. FORTUNATELY; TO MY KNOWLEDGE; NO SAFETY ISSUES OCCURRED DURING THESE 2 SESSIONS. HOWEVER; THAT MAY NOT BE THE CASE DURING THE NEXT SESSION THE SAME OR ANOTHER OPS SUPVR FROM ANOTHER FACILITY TAKES ON THE ROLE OF OPS SUPVR IN CHARGE AT FAI TWR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.