Narrative:

The airport manager is not timely when giving field condition reports that portray the current field conditions. There is no airport management on the field after 5PM on weekdays and no one is available on weekends. As an example on jan/xa/96, an AC69 had to abort his takeoff on runway 34 due to slush and standing water on the runway. Upon a request from the tower, airport management plowed runway 34 but did not plow the other runway, runway 27, the txwys or the ramp areas. The field condition passed to the tower was 'runway 9/27 covered with patchy slush. All txwys and ramps are covered with patchy slush. Braking action good on all surfaces.' the temperature in this area was above 40 degrees on jan/xb/96 and jan/xc/96. All of the slush was melted. No new field condition was given to the tower to reflect the new conditions. Aircraft checking NOTAMS for beverly and wanting to depart before the tower opens or land would get improper information on the condition of the runways and txwys. The only solution is to have airport management available at times when the WX is conducive to a change in airport conditions. As controllers we need the most up to date information so that we can relay that to an aircraft. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that after the facility met with the airport manager, the airport manager will schedule one of his staff to be on call on weekends during the winter. Reporter indicated that they, the tower, might have to call the designated person to come out to make the field condition reports. Reporter alleged that there would be no one available for the 3 hour period after the airport office closes and when the tower closes. Reporter stated there would be no one available after the tower closes. Reporter indicated a concern that old field conditions reports could provide inaccurate information and mislead pilots as to the actual conditions. Reporter stated that a ucr had been filed but was closed out by the facility manager after the meeting with the airport manager.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR CLAIMS THE ARPT FIELD CONDITION RPTS ARE NOT TIMELY. AN AC69 ABORTED TKOF DUE TO SLUSH AND STANDING WATER ON THE RWY. THE RWY WAS PLOWED AFTER A REQUEST FROM THE TWR. RPTR STATED THE OTHER RWY, TXWYS OR RAMPS WERE NOT PLOWED. THERE IS ARPT MGMNT ON THE FIELD DURING THE WK AFTER OFFICE HRS AND NO ONE IS AVAILABLE ON THE WEEKEND.

Narrative: THE ARPT MGR IS NOT TIMELY WHEN GIVING FIELD CONDITION RPTS THAT PORTRAY THE CURRENT FIELD CONDITIONS. THERE IS NO ARPT MGMNT ON THE FIELD AFTER 5PM ON WEEKDAYS AND NO ONE IS AVAILABLE ON WEEKENDS. AS AN EXAMPLE ON JAN/XA/96, AN AC69 HAD TO ABORT HIS TKOF ON RWY 34 DUE TO SLUSH AND STANDING WATER ON THE RWY. UPON A REQUEST FROM THE TWR, ARPT MGMNT PLOWED RWY 34 BUT DID NOT PLOW THE OTHER RWY, RWY 27, THE TXWYS OR THE RAMP AREAS. THE FIELD CONDITION PASSED TO THE TWR WAS 'RWY 9/27 COVERED WITH PATCHY SLUSH. ALL TXWYS AND RAMPS ARE COVERED WITH PATCHY SLUSH. BRAKING ACTION GOOD ON ALL SURFACES.' THE TEMP IN THIS AREA WAS ABOVE 40 DEGS ON JAN/XB/96 AND JAN/XC/96. ALL OF THE SLUSH WAS MELTED. NO NEW FIELD CONDITION WAS GIVEN TO THE TWR TO REFLECT THE NEW CONDITIONS. ACFT CHKING NOTAMS FOR BEVERLY AND WANTING TO DEPART BEFORE THE TWR OPENS OR LAND WOULD GET IMPROPER INFO ON THE CONDITION OF THE RWYS AND TXWYS. THE ONLY SOLUTION IS TO HAVE ARPT MGMNT AVAILABLE AT TIMES WHEN THE WX IS CONDUCIVE TO A CHANGE IN ARPT CONDITIONS. AS CTLRS WE NEED THE MOST UP TO DATE INFO SO THAT WE CAN RELAY THAT TO AN ACFT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT AFTER THE FACILITY MET WITH THE ARPT MGR, THE ARPT MGR WILL SCHEDULE ONE OF HIS STAFF TO BE ON CALL ON WEEKENDS DURING THE WINTER. RPTR INDICATED THAT THEY, THE TWR, MIGHT HAVE TO CALL THE DESIGNATED PERSON TO COME OUT TO MAKE THE FIELD CONDITION RPTS. RPTR ALLEGED THAT THERE WOULD BE NO ONE AVAILABLE FOR THE 3 HR PERIOD AFTER THE ARPT OFFICE CLOSES AND WHEN THE TWR CLOSES. RPTR STATED THERE WOULD BE NO ONE AVAILABLE AFTER THE TWR CLOSES. RPTR INDICATED A CONCERN THAT OLD FIELD CONDITIONS RPTS COULD PROVIDE INACCURATE INFO AND MISLEAD PLTS AS TO THE ACTUAL CONDITIONS. RPTR STATED THAT A UCR HAD BEEN FILED BUT WAS CLOSED OUT BY THE FACILITY MGR AFTER THE MEETING WITH THE ARPT MGR.

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.