Narrative:

The purpose of this report is to bring attention to a dangerous situation at mather airport, ca. Specifically, 3 items come to mind: 1) mather is uncontrolled. With the amount of large jet transports and small aircraft in such close proximity, at night, a collision potential exists. The cause stems from several variables to include bad situational awareness, inadequate spacing, night operations and marginal VFR WX. Solution: if the city of sacramento wishes to designate mather for cargo operations, a control tower becomes necessary with present traffic levels, which can only increase, especially during the christmas holiday season. 2) airfield lighting is inadequate. Taxiway lights and signs are non existent. Some txwys have succumbed to grass and FOD. Extreme caution is required at night to avoid taxing onto said txwys. Solution: self explanatory. 3) there is zero ability to combat any aircraft related mishap in a prompt manner. The airfield falls under FAA part 139 jurisdiction. I was informed that there is emergency equipment on the field, however, the crews to man them are 3, 4, and 6 mi away respectively. Simply put, if a crew were overwhelmed by smoke associated with an aircraft fire, the response time given the existing situation is unacceptable. Solution: again, if this airport is designated for cargo operations, a fire department equal to that at sacramento international is necessary. Execution of this requirement must be immediate. Small aircraft, DC8's, DC9's, B727's, and B757's operating at mather require the same emergency response as they would at sacramento. Regardless of whether you have cargo on board one day and cargo the next is not relevant. The requirements to fly the passenger version versus the cargo version is the same. Lives are still at risk. In concluding, one question must be asked. Are these volunteer emergency response personnel qualified/familiar with extracting wounded air crew from aircraft? More specifically, do they know how to open emergency exits and/or doors from the outside.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR B757 FREIGHTER FLC RPTS THAT MHR ARPT HAS A NUMBER OF PROBS WITH THE FACILITY. THE RPTR COMPLAINS ABOUT THE TXWYS BEING CLUTTERED WITH DEBRIS, POOR LIGHTING AND SIGNAGE, THE LACK OF A CTL TWR AT A BUSY ARPT WITH A MIX OF ACFT TYPES AND NO CFR PERSONNEL BASED AT THE ARPT.

Narrative: THE PURPOSE OF THIS RPT IS TO BRING ATTN TO A DANGEROUS SIT AT MATHER ARPT, CA. SPECIFICALLY, 3 ITEMS COME TO MIND: 1) MATHER IS UNCTLED. WITH THE AMOUNT OF LARGE JET TRANSPORTS AND SMALL ACFT IN SUCH CLOSE PROX, AT NIGHT, A COLLISION POTENTIAL EXISTS. THE CAUSE STEMS FROM SEVERAL VARIABLES TO INCLUDE BAD SITUATIONAL AWARENESS, INADEQUATE SPACING, NIGHT OPS AND MARGINAL VFR WX. SOLUTION: IF THE CITY OF SACRAMENTO WISHES TO DESIGNATE MATHER FOR CARGO OPS, A CTL TWR BECOMES NECESSARY WITH PRESENT TFC LEVELS, WHICH CAN ONLY INCREASE, ESPECIALLY DURING THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY SEASON. 2) AIRFIELD LIGHTING IS INADEQUATE. TXWY LIGHTS AND SIGNS ARE NON EXISTENT. SOME TXWYS HAVE SUCCUMBED TO GRASS AND FOD. EXTREME CAUTION IS REQUIRED AT NIGHT TO AVOID TAXING ONTO SAID TXWYS. SOLUTION: SELF EXPLANATORY. 3) THERE IS ZERO ABILITY TO COMBAT ANY ACFT RELATED MISHAP IN A PROMPT MANNER. THE AIRFIELD FALLS UNDER FAA PART 139 JURISDICTION. I WAS INFORMED THAT THERE IS EMER EQUIP ON THE FIELD, HOWEVER, THE CREWS TO MAN THEM ARE 3, 4, AND 6 MI AWAY RESPECTIVELY. SIMPLY PUT, IF A CREW WERE OVERWHELMED BY SMOKE ASSOCIATED WITH AN ACFT FIRE, THE RESPONSE TIME GIVEN THE EXISTING SIT IS UNACCEPTABLE. SOLUTION: AGAIN, IF THIS ARPT IS DESIGNATED FOR CARGO OPS, A FIRE DEPT EQUAL TO THAT AT SACRAMENTO INTL IS NECESSARY. EXECUTION OF THIS REQUIREMENT MUST BE IMMEDIATE. SMALL ACFT, DC8'S, DC9'S, B727'S, AND B757'S OPERATING AT MATHER REQUIRE THE SAME EMER RESPONSE AS THEY WOULD AT SACRAMENTO. REGARDLESS OF WHETHER YOU HAVE CARGO ON BOARD ONE DAY AND CARGO THE NEXT IS NOT RELEVANT. THE REQUIREMENTS TO FLY THE PAX VERSION VERSUS THE CARGO VERSION IS THE SAME. LIVES ARE STILL AT RISK. IN CONCLUDING, ONE QUESTION MUST BE ASKED. ARE THESE VOLUNTEER EMER RESPONSE PERSONNEL QUALIFIED/FAMILIAR WITH EXTRACTING WOUNDED AIR CREW FROM ACFT? MORE SPECIFICALLY, DO THEY KNOW HOW TO OPEN EMER EXITS AND/OR DOORS FROM THE OUTSIDE.

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.