Narrative:

Please refer to the attached airport layout of dallas love field. Because of the noise sensitivity and the wealthy neighbors putting pressure on the dallas aviation department, dallas love field has numerous noise abatement procedures. The 2 procedures I am writing about are: engine run-up area and the noise abatement runway. As you can see on the layout, the red area is located in the middle of the airport and is the only place on the airport where engine run-ups are permitted. This means all the maintenance aircraft from the east side of the airport have to cross 2 active runways with a maintenance person at the controls. It is dangerous enough for a pilot to taxi across an active runway but a maintenance person? On an average hour working ground control it is not uncommon to have 10-12 aircraft taxiing around the airport and 6 or 7 of them will be maintenance aircraft to or from the run-up area. These could be from an small aircraft to a heavy transport. We also have more veh xings of active runways at dal than I have ever seen at an airport. There is a perimeter road that completely circles the airport but does not seem to be used. I have kept track on several occasions of the veh xings while working ground control. The average was 14 veh xings in a one hour period. Besides the danger of a runway incursion, it also congests the ground control frequency and distracts the local controller when ground control has to ask to cross an active runway. After 9 O'clock at night until 6 O'clock in the morning, all jets have to use the west runway for noise abatement (13R/31L). If you look at the layout you will see most of the fbos are located on the east side of the airport. This again forces the pilot to cross 2 active runways to get to the west runway. Keep in mind, not all pilots are familiar with with the taxiway system and can easily wander onto an active runway. So we have non-pilot maintenance personnel crossing active runways, unfamiliar pilots crossing active runways at night in all WX conditions for a reason called noise abatement. Vehs crossing all day and night for what ever reason. I have personally witnessed an airport operations veh call ground control to cross an active runway at 5 O'clock in the morning and 10 mins later had a fellow controller see him at taco cabana picking up breakfast. I don't feel this is a legitimate reason to cross an active runway at a busy airport. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. ASRS received a second identical report from the reporter. Analyst called to say that an alert notice was being considered at this time, and that it appeared to be a justified concern. Reporter states that the problem still exists. Analyst stated that there may not be anything that could be done about the noise abatement runup area, but the veh traffic might be something the airport would be interested in.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR REPORTER COMPLAINS ABOUT THE LOCATION OF THE ARPT ENGINE RUNUP AREA CAUSED BY NOISE ABATEMENT POLICY AND THE NUMBER OF ARPT VEHICLES CROSSING ACTIVE RWYS.

Narrative: PLEASE REFER TO THE ATTACHED ARPT LAYOUT OF DALLAS LOVE FIELD. BECAUSE OF THE NOISE SENSITIVITY AND THE WEALTHY NEIGHBORS PUTTING PRESSURE ON THE DALLAS AVIATION DEPT, DALLAS LOVE FIELD HAS NUMEROUS NOISE ABATEMENT PROCS. THE 2 PROCS I AM WRITING ABOUT ARE: ENG RUN-UP AREA AND THE NOISE ABATEMENT RWY. AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE LAYOUT, THE RED AREA IS LOCATED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ARPT AND IS THE ONLY PLACE ON THE ARPT WHERE ENG RUN-UPS ARE PERMITTED. THIS MEANS ALL THE MAINT ACFT FROM THE E SIDE OF THE ARPT HAVE TO CROSS 2 ACTIVE RWYS WITH A MAINT PERSON AT THE CTLS. IT IS DANGEROUS ENOUGH FOR A PLT TO TAXI ACROSS AN ACTIVE RWY BUT A MAINT PERSON? ON AN AVERAGE HR WORKING GND CTL IT IS NOT UNCOMMON TO HAVE 10-12 ACFT TAXIING AROUND THE ARPT AND 6 OR 7 OF THEM WILL BE MAINT ACFT TO OR FROM THE RUN-UP AREA. THESE COULD BE FROM AN SMA TO A HVT. WE ALSO HAVE MORE VEH XINGS OF ACTIVE RWYS AT DAL THAN I HAVE EVER SEEN AT AN ARPT. THERE IS A PERIMETER ROAD THAT COMPLETELY CIRCLES THE ARPT BUT DOES NOT SEEM TO BE USED. I HAVE KEPT TRACK ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS OF THE VEH XINGS WHILE WORKING GND CTL. THE AVERAGE WAS 14 VEH XINGS IN A ONE HR PERIOD. BESIDES THE DANGER OF A RWY INCURSION, IT ALSO CONGESTS THE GND CTL FREQ AND DISTRACTS THE LCL CTLR WHEN GND CTL HAS TO ASK TO CROSS AN ACTIVE RWY. AFTER 9 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT UNTIL 6 O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING, ALL JETS HAVE TO USE THE W RWY FOR NOISE ABATEMENT (13R/31L). IF YOU LOOK AT THE LAYOUT YOU WILL SEE MOST OF THE FBOS ARE LOCATED ON THE E SIDE OF THE ARPT. THIS AGAIN FORCES THE PLT TO CROSS 2 ACTIVE RWYS TO GET TO THE W RWY. KEEP IN MIND, NOT ALL PLTS ARE FAMILIAR WITH WITH THE TXWY SYS AND CAN EASILY WANDER ONTO AN ACTIVE RWY. SO WE HAVE NON-PLT MAINT PERSONNEL XING ACTIVE RWYS, UNFAMILIAR PLTS XING ACTIVE RWYS AT NIGHT IN ALL WX CONDITIONS FOR A REASON CALLED NOISE ABATEMENT. VEHS XING ALL DAY AND NIGHT FOR WHAT EVER REASON. I HAVE PERSONALLY WITNESSED AN ARPT OPS VEH CALL GND CTL TO CROSS AN ACTIVE RWY AT 5 O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING AND 10 MINS LATER HAD A FELLOW CTLR SEE HIM AT TACO CABANA PICKING UP BREAKFAST. I DON'T FEEL THIS IS A LEGITIMATE REASON TO CROSS AN ACTIVE RWY AT A BUSY ARPT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. ASRS RECEIVED A SEC IDENTICAL RPT FROM THE RPTR. ANALYST CALLED TO SAY THAT AN ALERT NOTICE WAS BEING CONSIDERED AT THIS TIME, AND THAT IT APPEARED TO BE A JUSTIFIED CONCERN. RPTR STATES THAT THE PROB STILL EXISTS. ANALYST STATED THAT THERE MAY NOT BE ANYTHING THAT COULD BE DONE ABOUT THE NOISE ABATEMENT RUNUP AREA, BUT THE VEH TFC MIGHT BE SOMETHING THE ARPT WOULD BE INTERESTED IN.

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.