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Reporter experienced radio failure with an SW3 in position on the runway and an A320 on short final. The SW3 exited the runway after receiving TCASII alert. Reporter felt the A320 would have landed with the SW3 on the runway.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 335165 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199605 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : san |
| State Reference | CA |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : san |
| Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
| Make Model Name | Merlin III |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
| Flight Phase | ground : holding |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Make Model Name | A320 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : local |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| ASRS Report | 335165 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | oversight : supervisor |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | faa : investigated |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
An SW3 was in position on runway at night with 2 aircraft on final and cleared to land. I experienced radio failure on tower primary 118.3. I was also unable to use backup transmitter and had to resort to the light gun which in itself is unreliable (you don't know if pilot is looking at it). Luckily, in this instance, the SW3 had a TCASII alert and taxied off of the runway. The airbus on short final was surely going to land over the top of SW3. Since then, at least 5 incidents have occurred due to 118.3 outage. Technicians continue to work on the equipment, but problem has not been resolved. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated there has not been a recurrence of the frequency problem in the past few weeks. Reporter indicated the reporter was unable to use the backup transmitter due its location in the back of the tower and the timeliness of the situation. Reporter stated they would be moving to a new tower with small tower voice switching equipment and felt there would not be a frequency problem with the new equipment.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: RPTR EXPERIENCED RADIO FAILURE WITH AN SW3 IN POS ON THE RWY AND AN A320 ON SHORT FINAL. THE SW3 EXITED THE RWY AFTER RECEIVING TCASII ALERT. RPTR FELT THE A320 WOULD HAVE LANDED WITH THE SW3 ON THE RWY.
Narrative: AN SW3 WAS IN POS ON RWY AT NIGHT WITH 2 ACFT ON FINAL AND CLRED TO LAND. I EXPERIENCED RADIO FAILURE ON TWR PRIMARY 118.3. I WAS ALSO UNABLE TO USE BACKUP XMITTER AND HAD TO RESORT TO THE LIGHT GUN WHICH IN ITSELF IS UNRELIABLE (YOU DON'T KNOW IF PLT IS LOOKING AT IT). LUCKILY, IN THIS INSTANCE, THE SW3 HAD A TCASII ALERT AND TAXIED OFF OF THE RWY. THE AIRBUS ON SHORT FINAL WAS SURELY GOING TO LAND OVER THE TOP OF SW3. SINCE THEN, AT LEAST 5 INCIDENTS HAVE OCCURRED DUE TO 118.3 OUTAGE. TECHNICIANS CONTINUE TO WORK ON THE EQUIP, BUT PROB HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECURRENCE OF THE FREQ PROB IN THE PAST FEW WKS. RPTR INDICATED THE RPTR WAS UNABLE TO USE THE BACKUP XMITTER DUE ITS LOCATION IN THE BACK OF THE TWR AND THE TIMELINESS OF THE SIT. RPTR STATED THEY WOULD BE MOVING TO A NEW TWR WITH SMALL TWR VOICE SWITCHING EQUIP AND FELT THERE WOULD NOT BE A FREQ PROB WITH THE NEW EQUIP.
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.