Narrative:

On 2/X/90, controllers at albert whitted ATC tower were assigned to work in a temporary mobile tower, placed at ground level, east of the existing control tower. The normal tower of operation places controllers at approximately 45' off the ground. Because of the temporary tower being placed flat on the ground, several movement areas, on the airport and in the air, are obstructed from view from the mobile tower. The problems that have arisen due to this, and the areas not visible to controllers are as follows: the left base entry and final to runway 6 are obstructed from view due to the original tower's position, and the large city bldgs on the northwest side of the airport. The approach end of runway 6 fades out of view and blends into landscaping, fencing, aircraft, etc. Aircraft on the active taxiway movement areas are camouflaged by parked aircraft and by the perspective at ground level. Taxiway B, parallel to runway 36, is totally obstructed from view on the south end by a sewer treatment plant located on the airport. The approach end of runway 36 cannot be seen from the mobile tower to be able to observe if aircraft have passed the end to be able to put the next aircraft in position. Since the taxiway view is blocked by the treatment plant, aircraft awaiting departure cannot be seen from the mobile tower. To remedy the situation, I believe the mobile tower should be raised to a higher level above ground, and possibly relocated to another location on the airport. Obviously, the best remedy is for the FAA to expedite repairs on the normal tower of operation (work is not scheduled to begin until the end of 3/90) and relocate the controllers back into that tower. In the meantime, perhaps runway 6 should be closed for safety reasons. After all, safety should be the #1 concern for air traffic. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter stated that stair problem within tower bldg not up to osha standards and are scheduled work beginning 3/31/90. This was reported to osha by natca rep about 16 months ago as a problem. FAA just not getting around to fixing problem. Should be completed by 6/1/90. Cannot see many areas on airport. Reporter considers this dangerous. Recommends closing runway 6 to lndgs until they can move back into the tower bldg as a fix. No suggestion on where to relocate temporary tower on airport given. Reporter says other controllers feel the same way about safety problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLOSING OF TWR AND MOVING TO A TEMPORARY TWR AT GND LEVEL CAUSES A SAFETY PROBLEM DUE TO LACK OF VISIBILITY OF MOVEMENT AREAS.

Narrative: ON 2/X/90, CTLRS AT ALBERT WHITTED ATC TWR WERE ASSIGNED TO WORK IN A TEMPORARY MOBILE TWR, PLACED AT GND LEVEL, E OF THE EXISTING CTL TWR. THE NORMAL TWR OF OPERATION PLACES CTLRS AT APPROX 45' OFF THE GND. BECAUSE OF THE TEMPORARY TWR BEING PLACED FLAT ON THE GND, SEVERAL MOVEMENT AREAS, ON THE ARPT AND IN THE AIR, ARE OBSTRUCTED FROM VIEW FROM THE MOBILE TWR. THE PROBS THAT HAVE ARISEN DUE TO THIS, AND THE AREAS NOT VISIBLE TO CTLRS ARE AS FOLLOWS: THE LEFT BASE ENTRY AND FINAL TO RWY 6 ARE OBSTRUCTED FROM VIEW DUE TO THE ORIGINAL TWR'S POS, AND THE LARGE CITY BLDGS ON THE NW SIDE OF THE ARPT. THE APCH END OF RWY 6 FADES OUT OF VIEW AND BLENDS INTO LANDSCAPING, FENCING, ACFT, ETC. ACFT ON THE ACTIVE TXWY MOVEMENT AREAS ARE CAMOUFLAGED BY PARKED ACFT AND BY THE PERSPECTIVE AT GND LEVEL. TXWY B, PARALLEL TO RWY 36, IS TOTALLY OBSTRUCTED FROM VIEW ON THE S END BY A SEWER TREATMENT PLANT LOCATED ON THE ARPT. THE APCH END OF RWY 36 CANNOT BE SEEN FROM THE MOBILE TWR TO BE ABLE TO OBSERVE IF ACFT HAVE PASSED THE END TO BE ABLE TO PUT THE NEXT ACFT IN POS. SINCE THE TXWY VIEW IS BLOCKED BY THE TREATMENT PLANT, ACFT AWAITING DEP CANNOT BE SEEN FROM THE MOBILE TWR. TO REMEDY THE SITUATION, I BELIEVE THE MOBILE TWR SHOULD BE RAISED TO A HIGHER LEVEL ABOVE GND, AND POSSIBLY RELOCATED TO ANOTHER LOCATION ON THE ARPT. OBVIOUSLY, THE BEST REMEDY IS FOR THE FAA TO EXPEDITE REPAIRS ON THE NORMAL TWR OF OPERATION (WORK IS NOT SCHEDULED TO BEGIN UNTIL THE END OF 3/90) AND RELOCATE THE CTLRS BACK INTO THAT TWR. IN THE MEANTIME, PERHAPS RWY 6 SHOULD BE CLOSED FOR SAFETY REASONS. AFTER ALL, SAFETY SHOULD BE THE #1 CONCERN FOR AIR TFC. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATED THAT STAIR PROB WITHIN TWR BLDG NOT UP TO OSHA STANDARDS AND ARE SCHEDULED WORK BEGINNING 3/31/90. THIS WAS RPTED TO OSHA BY NATCA REP ABOUT 16 MONTHS AGO AS A PROB. FAA JUST NOT GETTING AROUND TO FIXING PROB. SHOULD BE COMPLETED BY 6/1/90. CANNOT SEE MANY AREAS ON ARPT. RPTR CONSIDERS THIS DANGEROUS. RECOMMENDS CLOSING RWY 6 TO LNDGS UNTIL THEY CAN MOVE BACK INTO THE TWR BLDG AS A FIX. NO SUGGESTION ON WHERE TO RELOCATE TEMPORARY TWR ON ARPT GIVEN. RPTR SAYS OTHER CTLRS FEEL THE SAME WAY ABOUT SAFETY PROB.

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