ATCT controller at ewr states he is required to control aircraft in areas not visible from the tower...

Attributes
ACN	419972
Time
Date	199811
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ewr
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : ground
Experience	controller non radar : 14 controller radar : 7 flight time total : 400
ASRS Report	419972
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	oversight : supervisor
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Txwys a and B west of taxiway V are unseen from the control tower. The ground controller is required to provide separation to aircraft in that area. That area is considered as a 'non visibility' area. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter was not very familiar with handbook ATP 7210.3 that provides air traffic mgrs with instructions dealing with areas of non visibility. He was also not familiar with the paragraph in the airman's information manual. That has a diagram of movement/non movement boundary markings. Analyst referred the reporter to appropriate paragraphs and he said he would research the information and discuss it with his union representative. The reporter said a new tower is scheduled to be constructed in 2 yrs that should resolve the problem.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATCT CTLR AT EWR STATES HE IS REQUIRED TO CTL ACFT IN AREAS NOT VISIBLE FROM THE TWR.

Narrative: TXWYS A AND B W OF TXWY V ARE UNSEEN FROM THE CTL TWR. THE GND CTLR IS REQUIRED TO PROVIDE SEPARATION TO ACFT IN THAT AREA. THAT AREA IS CONSIDERED AS A 'NON VISIBILITY' AREA. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS NOT VERY FAMILIAR WITH HANDBOOK ATP 7210.3 THAT PROVIDES AIR TFC MGRS WITH INSTRUCTIONS DEALING WITH AREAS OF NON VISIBILITY. HE WAS ALSO NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE PARAGRAPH IN THE AIRMAN'S INFO MANUAL. THAT HAS A DIAGRAM OF MOVEMENT/NON MOVEMENT BOUNDARY MARKINGS. ANALYST REFERRED THE RPTR TO APPROPRIATE PARAGRAPHS AND HE SAID HE WOULD RESEARCH THE INFO AND DISCUSS IT WITH HIS UNION REPRESENTATIVE. THE RPTR SAID A NEW TWR IS SCHEDULED TO BE CONSTRUCTED IN 2 YRS THAT SHOULD RESOLVE THE PROB.

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.