Mem controller voiced concern regarding departure runway configuration; ie; lack of amass coverage a...

Attributes
ACN	811780
Time
Date	200811
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mem.airport
State Reference	TN
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Weather Elements	Fog
Light	Night
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 15
ASRS Report	811780
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	FAA
Primary Problem	FAA
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : mem.tower

Narrative:

During the midnight outbound; visibility was nil; the runways and txwys were not visible from the control tower. Amass does not cover runway 27; yet the supervisor insisted on using the south/runway 27 departure confign. Multiple aircraft must cross runway 27 to get to runway 18L/C/right for departure. It was impossible to verify whether aircraft were clear of runway 27 without verbal verification from each one. All of the controllers were against this confign yet the supervisor insisted; evidently he got a call from air carrier X which insisted on the runway 18/27 departures. After several departures on runway 27 the supervisor finally gave in and went to a south only departure confign.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MEM CONTROLLER VOICED CONCERN REGARDING DEPARTURE RUNWAY CONFIGURATION; IE; LACK OF AMASS COVERAGE AND WEATHER FACTORS. ALLEGING SUPERVISOR INFLUENCED BY USER PRESSURE.

Narrative: DURING THE MIDNIGHT OUTBOUND; VISIBILITY WAS NIL; THE RWYS AND TXWYS WERE NOT VISIBLE FROM THE CTL TWR. AMASS DOES NOT COVER RWY 27; YET THE SUPVR INSISTED ON USING THE S/RWY 27 DEP CONFIGN. MULTIPLE ACFT MUST CROSS RWY 27 TO GET TO RWY 18L/C/R FOR DEP. IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO VERIFY WHETHER ACFT WERE CLR OF RWY 27 WITHOUT VERBAL VERIFICATION FROM EACH ONE. ALL OF THE CTLRS WERE AGAINST THIS CONFIGN YET THE SUPVR INSISTED; EVIDENTLY HE GOT A CALL FROM ACR X WHICH INSISTED ON THE RWY 18/27 DEPS. AFTER SEVERAL DEPS ON RWY 27 THE SUPVR FINALLY GAVE IN AND WENT TO A S ONLY DEP CONFIGN.

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.

Mem controller voiced concern regarding departure runway configuration; ie; lack of amass coverage and weather factors. Alleging supervisor influenced by user pressure.