Large transport doing full power runup for maintenance purposes in designated area destroyed localiz...

Attributes
ACN	124003
Time
Date	198909
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sna
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground : holding
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : ground
Qualification	controller : non radar
ASRS Report	124003
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Air carrier large transport called ground control for a full power engine runup at the gate. Ground control advised him he would have to go to the jet runup area. This runup area is designated and authorized by the county of orange, the airport operator. The heading for aircraft operating in this area is 220 degree. As the large transport taxied into this area, ground control advised the heading the large transport complied. As the large transport made his full power runup the ground control observed a cloud of dust several hundred feet in the air and debris blowing on the departure end of the runway in use (up to 1500'). The ground controller immediately called the aircraft to cease runup. After 2 or 3 calls the aircraft complied. When the dust and debris cleared, the damage that was done was the complete destruction of the localizer. The county of orange, ca, should change the use of this area to a 'bomb threat area' only. And if they continue to use this area for maintenance runup, they should install a 'blast fence'. If an FAA technician was inside the localizer shack, he would have been seriously injured or killed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LGT DOING FULL POWER RUNUP FOR MAINTENANCE PURPOSES IN DESIGNATED AREA DESTROYED LOCALIZER SHACK WITH JET BLAST.

Narrative: ACR LGT CALLED GND CTL FOR A FULL POWER ENGINE RUNUP AT THE GATE. GND CTL ADVISED HIM HE WOULD HAVE TO GO TO THE JET RUNUP AREA. THIS RUNUP AREA IS DESIGNATED AND AUTHORIZED BY THE COUNTY OF ORANGE, THE ARPT OPERATOR. THE HDG FOR ACFT OPERATING IN THIS AREA IS 220 DEG. AS THE LGT TAXIED INTO THIS AREA, GND CTL ADVISED THE HDG THE LGT COMPLIED. AS THE LGT MADE HIS FULL POWER RUNUP THE GND CTL OBSERVED A CLOUD OF DUST SEVERAL HUNDRED FEET IN THE AIR AND DEBRIS BLOWING ON THE DEP END OF THE RWY IN USE (UP TO 1500'). THE GND CTLR IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE ACFT TO CEASE RUNUP. AFTER 2 OR 3 CALLS THE ACFT COMPLIED. WHEN THE DUST AND DEBRIS CLRED, THE DAMAGE THAT WAS DONE WAS THE COMPLETE DESTRUCTION OF THE LOC. THE COUNTY OF ORANGE, CA, SHOULD CHANGE THE USE OF THIS AREA TO A 'BOMB THREAT AREA' ONLY. AND IF THEY CONTINUE TO USE THIS AREA FOR MAINT RUNUP, THEY SHOULD INSTALL A 'BLAST FENCE'. IF AN FAA TECHNICIAN WAS INSIDE THE LOC SHACK, HE WOULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.

Large transport doing full power runup for maintenance purposes in designated area destroyed localizer shack with jet blast.