ATC communication problem on airport.

Attributes
ACN	294959
Time
Date	199501
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mem
State Reference	TN
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : ztl
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : ground
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 6
ASRS Report	294959
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Navigational Facility
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

Mem airport. Aircraft taxiing on taxiway C between taxiway C7 and runways 9 and 27 experience radio communication problems with ground control. This problem affects both the transmitting of instructions and the readback of clrncs. When the airport is in a south runway confign, aircraft taxiing to X are given holding instructions due to aircraft landing runways 18L and 27. Aircraft parking on the east side of the X ramp must make a 90 degree turn and then cross under the flight path of aircraft landing runway 18L. When meteorological conditions are VFR these aircraft are a bare 3 mi in trail on final approach resulting in 'squeeze plays' at the ground control position. The radio transmission and receiving problem causes delays in the movement of these aircraft (9 aircraft holding) and the potential for unnecessary 'gars' when 'readbacks' are not received or are too garbled to comprehend. This problem is most severe at night which also happens to be our busiest time.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATC COM PROB ON ARPT.

Narrative: MEM ARPT. ACFT TAXIING ON TXWY C BTWN TXWY C7 AND RWYS 9 AND 27 EXPERIENCE RADIO COM PROBS WITH GND CTL. THIS PROB AFFECTS BOTH THE XMITTING OF INSTRUCTIONS AND THE READBACK OF CLRNCS. WHEN THE ARPT IS IN A S RWY CONFIGN, ACFT TAXIING TO X ARE GIVEN HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS DUE TO ACFT LNDG RWYS 18L AND 27. ACFT PARKING ON THE E SIDE OF THE X RAMP MUST MAKE A 90 DEG TURN AND THEN CROSS UNDER THE FLT PATH OF ACFT LNDG RWY 18L. WHEN METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS ARE VFR THESE ACFT ARE A BARE 3 MI IN TRAIL ON FINAL APCH RESULTING IN 'SQUEEZE PLAYS' AT THE GND CTL POS. THE RADIO XMISSION AND RECEIVING PROB CAUSES DELAYS IN THE MOVEMENT OF THESE ACFT (9 ACFT HOLDING) AND THE POTENTIAL FOR UNNECESSARY 'GARS' WHEN 'READBACKS' ARE NOT RECEIVED OR ARE TOO GARBLED TO COMPREHEND. THIS PROB IS MOST SEVERE AT NIGHT WHICH ALSO HAPPENS TO BE OUR BUSIEST TIME.

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.