Situation: obstructed view of approach end of runway 13R from tower at dfw airport.

Attributes
ACN	182135
Time
Date	199107
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : dfw
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller military : 8 controller non radar : 1 controller radar : 2 controller supervisory : 2
ASRS Report	182135
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

The problem is a hangar is being erected between the control tower and the approach end of runway 13R which will block approximately 2000 ft of the runway. This will make the separation of arrival aircraft unsafe due to the fact, the runway threshold is what is used to base it on. Refer to ATC procedures handbook 7110.65F para 3-122 excerpt, 'ensure landing aircraft is clear of runway prior to arriving aircraft crossing landing threshold.' which will be blocked from view. Separation will be strictly guess work or luck. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Callback was to dfw planning and procedures specialist. He stated the new hangar is in skeleton stage and should be completed in 1 mo. The approach end of runway 13R will not be visible from the current control tower. A new control tower is to be constructed in 2 yrs which will give the controller full visibility of the runway. Currently runway 13R is not used for departures. He further stated the touchdown zone for aircraft landing runway 13R hides the aircraft for only 1 or 2 seconds. There is a water tower reference which marks the runway threshold.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SITUATION: OBSTRUCTED VIEW OF APCH END OF RWY 13R FROM TWR AT DFW ARPT.

Narrative: THE PROBLEM IS A HANGAR IS BEING ERECTED BTWN THE CTL TWR AND THE APCH END OF RWY 13R WHICH WILL BLOCK APPROX 2000 FT OF THE RWY. THIS WILL MAKE THE SEPARATION OF ARR ACFT UNSAFE DUE TO THE FACT, THE RWY THRESHOLD IS WHAT IS USED TO BASE IT ON. REFER TO ATC PROCS HANDBOOK 7110.65F PARA 3-122 EXCERPT, 'ENSURE LNDG ACFT IS CLR OF RWY PRIOR TO ARRIVING ACFT XING LNDG THRESHOLD.' WHICH WILL BE BLOCKED FROM VIEW. SEPARATION WILL BE STRICTLY GUESS WORK OR LUCK. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. CALLBACK WAS TO DFW PLANNING AND PROCS SPECIALIST. HE STATED THE NEW HANGAR IS IN SKELETON STAGE AND SHOULD BE COMPLETED IN 1 MO. THE APCH END OF RWY 13R WILL NOT BE VISIBLE FROM THE CURRENT CTL TWR. A NEW CTL TWR IS TO BE CONSTRUCTED IN 2 YRS WHICH WILL GIVE THE CTLR FULL VISIBILITY OF THE RWY. CURRENTLY RWY 13R IS NOT USED FOR DEPS. HE FURTHER STATED THE TOUCHDOWN ZONE FOR ACFT LNDG RWY 13R HIDES THE ACFT FOR ONLY 1 OR 2 SECONDS. THERE IS A WATER TWR REF WHICH MARKS THE RWY THRESHOLD.

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.