Narrative:

After landing at ewn following 30 min flight to test new avionics (my home base), waited to cross, taxi, clear active runway 2L for an aircraft to land and clear -- another aircraft was on 5 mi final, no factor. As I was crossing runway 2L, unicom operator announced, 'aircraft hold short, aircraft on final.' by the time he finished above statement, I was across active runway 22 and was in front of my hangar waiting to 'shut down' by time aircraft on final landed. I visited unicom operator to discuss his apparent 'control' instructions -- pointing out that unicom should only be an advisory service. He did not agree in total with this concept. I am writing to you because in my 20 yrs of flying at ewn, airport has gone from tower airport in 1970's, to FSS airport in 1980's, to uncontrolled airport in 1990's. Airport had hired a 'former' tower employee to staff unicom now at request of regional commuter. However, I believe the service may actually degrade safety due to unicom's confused mission. We have many student pilots training here and I'm afraid they may be 'led' to unsafe sits via unicom's issuance of 'apparent' control instructions. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he had since talked with airport management and learned that the unicom operator had been incorrectly giving instructions rather than only advise during his contact with pilots. The manager further stated that the operator was carrying the habit of his previous controller experience instead of learning the unicom advise procedures. However, the reporter stated that the airport is planning to reopen the tower with contract personnel.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A BEECH BARON BE55 COMPLAINT ABOUT ARPT UNICOM OPERATOR USING ATC CTL TECHNIQUE INSTEAD OF ONLY GIVEN ADVISORY INFO.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG AT EWN FOLLOWING 30 MIN FLT TO TEST NEW AVIONICS (MY HOME BASE), WAITED TO CROSS, TAXI, CLR ACTIVE RWY 2L FOR AN ACFT TO LAND AND CLR -- ANOTHER ACFT WAS ON 5 MI FINAL, NO FACTOR. AS I WAS XING RWY 2L, UNICOM OPERATOR ANNOUNCED, 'ACFT HOLD SHORT, ACFT ON FINAL.' BY THE TIME HE FINISHED ABOVE STATEMENT, I WAS ACROSS ACTIVE RWY 22 AND WAS IN FRONT OF MY HANGAR WAITING TO 'SHUT DOWN' BY TIME ACFT ON FINAL LANDED. I VISITED UNICOM OPERATOR TO DISCUSS HIS APPARENT 'CTL' INSTRUCTIONS -- POINTING OUT THAT UNICOM SHOULD ONLY BE AN ADVISORY SVC. HE DID NOT AGREE IN TOTAL WITH THIS CONCEPT. I AM WRITING TO YOU BECAUSE IN MY 20 YRS OF FLYING AT EWN, ARPT HAS GONE FROM TWR ARPT IN 1970'S, TO FSS ARPT IN 1980'S, TO UNCTLED ARPT IN 1990'S. ARPT HAD HIRED A 'FORMER' TWR EMPLOYEE TO STAFF UNICOM NOW AT REQUEST OF REGIONAL COMMUTER. HOWEVER, I BELIEVE THE SVC MAY ACTUALLY DEGRADE SAFETY DUE TO UNICOM'S CONFUSED MISSION. WE HAVE MANY STUDENT PLTS TRAINING HERE AND I'M AFRAID THEY MAY BE 'LED' TO UNSAFE SITS VIA UNICOM'S ISSUANCE OF 'APPARENT' CTL INSTRUCTIONS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE HAD SINCE TALKED WITH ARPT MGMNT AND LEARNED THAT THE UNICOM OPERATOR HAD BEEN INCORRECTLY GIVING INSTRUCTIONS RATHER THAN ONLY ADVISE DURING HIS CONTACT WITH PLTS. THE MGR FURTHER STATED THAT THE OPERATOR WAS CARRYING THE HABIT OF HIS PREVIOUS CTLR EXPERIENCE INSTEAD OF LEARNING THE UNICOM ADVISE PROCS. HOWEVER, THE RPTR STATED THAT THE ARPT IS PLANNING TO REOPEN THE TWR WITH CONTRACT PERSONNEL.

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.