Narrative:

I was working ground control and controller B was working tower or local control position. Traffic was light, runway 31R was closed for construction with men and some vehs on or near the runway. Small aircraft X was cleared to land on runway 31L, but lined up on final for runway 31R. (Runway ctrlines are only 300' apart). Controller B failed to scan final. Small aircraft X was on final for runway 31R when I looked up and saw the aircraft inside of a 1/4 mi final. I told controller B to send small aircraft X around. By the time the aircraft started to climb he was very short final approaching the flaring out stage of flight. She never looked or saw small aircraft X at all. I later talked to the men on the runway and they were getting the heck off the runway. They were scared. This was a bad deal that could have been much worse. This is one of many major incidents that controller B has had. I am fed up with watching deal after deal with this controller. She is dangerous to say the least. I wouldn't write to you if I didn't feel that we had a serious problem on our hands. We have pilots complaining about her service routinely. I feel desperate and something has got to be done. Over 1/2 of the controllers felt she should not have been checked out or qualified in the tower at all. A yr later she has not improved and is simply going to get someone hurt or killed. She has no desire to improve or learn. She should have never made it through training. I am not the only controller who feels this way. Its hard to express to you on paper just how bad this problem is. Controller B should be placed back in FSS where she belongs, and came from. This is not a personal problem or anything like that. I like the gal but she is always having close calls. Example. She was working ground one day and one of her aircraft was authority/authorized to cross a runway that was just called active for some crosswind training. She acknowledged the runway being in use. The taxiing aircraft had to inform her that they would hold short for the aircraft on final. I've got a list of incidents like this and I've simply had enough. Please do something! Thank you! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Apologized to reporter for two month delay in processing of his report. Reporter says that during the winter months their traffic has been light and controller B has been able to get by with a lot of help and surveillance by other controllers. There are nine controllers assigned to the facility and the majority think controller B should be reassigned to FSS. Reporter has been with ATC for 5 yrs. Person who was facility manager at time of report is gone and they expect new manager in april 1991. Suggested to reporter that the controllers should make feelings known to new manager after manager has chance to get established in the position. He asked if there was any other course of action they could pursue, and I suggested FAA hotline.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR ALLEGES UNSAFE OPERATION BY ANOTHER CTLR. CITES AN INCIDENT.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING GND CTL AND CTLR B WAS WORKING TWR OR LCL CTL POS. TFC WAS LIGHT, RWY 31R WAS CLOSED FOR CONSTRUCTION WITH MEN AND SOME VEHS ON OR NEAR THE RWY. SMA X WAS CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 31L, BUT LINED UP ON FINAL FOR RWY 31R. (RWY CTRLINES ARE ONLY 300' APART). CTLR B FAILED TO SCAN FINAL. SMA X WAS ON FINAL FOR RWY 31R WHEN I LOOKED UP AND SAW THE ACFT INSIDE OF A 1/4 MI FINAL. I TOLD CTLR B TO SEND SMA X AROUND. BY THE TIME THE ACFT STARTED TO CLB HE WAS VERY SHORT FINAL APCHING THE FLARING OUT STAGE OF FLT. SHE NEVER LOOKED OR SAW SMA X AT ALL. I LATER TALKED TO THE MEN ON THE RWY AND THEY WERE GETTING THE HECK OFF THE RWY. THEY WERE SCARED. THIS WAS A BAD DEAL THAT COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE. THIS IS ONE OF MANY MAJOR INCIDENTS THAT CTLR B HAS HAD. I AM FED UP WITH WATCHING DEAL AFTER DEAL WITH THIS CTLR. SHE IS DANGEROUS TO SAY THE LEAST. I WOULDN'T WRITE TO YOU IF I DIDN'T FEEL THAT WE HAD A SERIOUS PROB ON OUR HANDS. WE HAVE PLTS COMPLAINING ABOUT HER SVC ROUTINELY. I FEEL DESPERATE AND SOMETHING HAS GOT TO BE DONE. OVER 1/2 OF THE CTLRS FELT SHE SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN CHKED OUT OR QUALIFIED IN THE TWR AT ALL. A YR LATER SHE HAS NOT IMPROVED AND IS SIMPLY GOING TO GET SOMEONE HURT OR KILLED. SHE HAS NO DESIRE TO IMPROVE OR LEARN. SHE SHOULD HAVE NEVER MADE IT THROUGH TRNING. I AM NOT THE ONLY CTLR WHO FEELS THIS WAY. ITS HARD TO EXPRESS TO YOU ON PAPER JUST HOW BAD THIS PROB IS. CTLR B SHOULD BE PLACED BACK IN FSS WHERE SHE BELONGS, AND CAME FROM. THIS IS NOT A PERSONAL PROB OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. I LIKE THE GAL BUT SHE IS ALWAYS HAVING CLOSE CALLS. EXAMPLE. SHE WAS WORKING GND ONE DAY AND ONE OF HER ACFT WAS AUTH TO CROSS A RWY THAT WAS JUST CALLED ACTIVE FOR SOME XWIND TRNING. SHE ACKNOWLEDGED THE RWY BEING IN USE. THE TAXIING ACFT HAD TO INFORM HER THAT THEY WOULD HOLD SHORT FOR THE ACFT ON FINAL. I'VE GOT A LIST OF INCIDENTS LIKE THIS AND I'VE SIMPLY HAD ENOUGH. PLEASE DO SOMETHING! THANK YOU! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. APOLOGIZED TO RPTR FOR TWO MONTH DELAY IN PROCESSING OF HIS RPT. RPTR SAYS THAT DURING THE WINTER MONTHS THEIR TFC HAS BEEN LIGHT AND CTLR B HAS BEEN ABLE TO GET BY WITH A LOT OF HELP AND SURVEILLANCE BY OTHER CTLRS. THERE ARE NINE CTLRS ASSIGNED TO THE FAC AND THE MAJORITY THINK CTLR B SHOULD BE REASSIGNED TO FSS. RPTR HAS BEEN WITH ATC FOR 5 YRS. PERSON WHO WAS FAC MGR AT TIME OF RPT IS GONE AND THEY EXPECT NEW MGR IN APRIL 1991. SUGGESTED TO RPTR THAT THE CTLRS SHOULD MAKE FEELINGS KNOWN TO NEW MGR AFTER MGR HAS CHANCE TO GET ESTABLISHED IN THE POS. HE ASKED IF THERE WAS ANY OTHER COURSE OF ACTION THEY COULD PURSUE, AND I SUGGESTED FAA HOTLINE.

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.