Narrative:

This situation occurred at a non towered airport (mgj) and involved a person not in an aircraft using a handheld radio and talking to pilots in-flight and on the ground. I flew to mgj to practice takeoffs and crosswind lndgs. The ASOS indicated zero wind and 1 of 2 windsocks agreed showing no wind. 1 other windsock showed a very light wind; less than 5 KTS at about 260 degrees. The preferred no wind runway based on my understanding is runway 21. Some pilots were using runway 26; one departed runway 21 and one landed on runway 3 while I was at this airport. The pilots flying were communicating very well and I felt it was a safe situation. However; I noticed that when a pilot would call inbound asking what runway was being used; a person on the ground with a handheld radio was responding orange county is using runway 26. The way I knew this was because I was at the airport performing takeoffs and lndgs long enough to know his voice. In addition; once when I was departing runway 21; I called on the radio; 'is anyone on base or final for any runway at orange county?' the only response I received was the person I believed to be the man with the handheld radio. He responded a plane is landing on runway 26. I asked if he was in the pattern and he replied no; I am standing next to the runway and a plane is landing on runway 26. If this was true then the plane landing did not have a radio or was not making radio calls. I do not believe a plane was landing at all. I waited several mins and made my call again; no response and I called out my departure on runway 21. When departing the area; I did not see any planes in the air or on the ground that may have just landed. I believe this person was making false radio calls. I am reporting this in the hope that local FAA offices will get a message out to non towered airports that use handheld radios to act as an ATC controller is unacceptable. Only pilots should be using the CTAF and this frequency should not be tied up with people who are not flying in the system.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT REPORTS PERSON ON GROUND AT MGJ IS UTILIZING CTAF FREQUENCY TO ACT AS A DE FACTO TRAFFIC CTLR.

Narrative: THIS SITUATION OCCURRED AT A NON TOWERED ARPT (MGJ) AND INVOLVED A PERSON NOT IN AN ACFT USING A HANDHELD RADIO AND TALKING TO PLTS INFLT AND ON THE GND. I FLEW TO MGJ TO PRACTICE TKOFS AND XWIND LNDGS. THE ASOS INDICATED ZERO WIND AND 1 OF 2 WINDSOCKS AGREED SHOWING NO WIND. 1 OTHER WINDSOCK SHOWED A VERY LIGHT WIND; LESS THAN 5 KTS AT ABOUT 260 DEGS. THE PREFERRED NO WIND RWY BASED ON MY UNDERSTANDING IS RWY 21. SOME PLTS WERE USING RWY 26; ONE DEPARTED RWY 21 AND ONE LANDED ON RWY 3 WHILE I WAS AT THIS ARPT. THE PLTS FLYING WERE COMMUNICATING VERY WELL AND I FELT IT WAS A SAFE SITUATION. HOWEVER; I NOTICED THAT WHEN A PLT WOULD CALL INBOUND ASKING WHAT RWY WAS BEING USED; A PERSON ON THE GND WITH A HANDHELD RADIO WAS RESPONDING ORANGE COUNTY IS USING RWY 26. THE WAY I KNEW THIS WAS BECAUSE I WAS AT THE ARPT PERFORMING TKOFS AND LNDGS LONG ENOUGH TO KNOW HIS VOICE. IN ADDITION; ONCE WHEN I WAS DEPARTING RWY 21; I CALLED ON THE RADIO; 'IS ANYONE ON BASE OR FINAL FOR ANY RWY AT ORANGE COUNTY?' THE ONLY RESPONSE I RECEIVED WAS THE PERSON I BELIEVED TO BE THE MAN WITH THE HANDHELD RADIO. HE RESPONDED A PLANE IS LNDG ON RWY 26. I ASKED IF HE WAS IN THE PATTERN AND HE REPLIED NO; I AM STANDING NEXT TO THE RWY AND A PLANE IS LNDG ON RWY 26. IF THIS WAS TRUE THEN THE PLANE LNDG DID NOT HAVE A RADIO OR WAS NOT MAKING RADIO CALLS. I DO NOT BELIEVE A PLANE WAS LNDG AT ALL. I WAITED SEVERAL MINS AND MADE MY CALL AGAIN; NO RESPONSE AND I CALLED OUT MY DEP ON RWY 21. WHEN DEPARTING THE AREA; I DID NOT SEE ANY PLANES IN THE AIR OR ON THE GND THAT MAY HAVE JUST LANDED. I BELIEVE THIS PERSON WAS MAKING FALSE RADIO CALLS. I AM RPTING THIS IN THE HOPE THAT LOCAL FAA OFFICES WILL GET A MESSAGE OUT TO NON TOWERED ARPTS THAT USE HANDHELD RADIOS TO ACT AS AN ATC CTLR IS UNACCEPTABLE. ONLY PLTS SHOULD BE USING THE CTAF AND THIS FREQ SHOULD NOT BE TIED UP WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT FLYING IN THE SYS.

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.