Narrative:

Baron X was ready for takeoff. After scanning final approach course for the tampico (aircraft Y), I began to issue a takeoff clearance. A tree located between the tower and approach end of the runway has been an unsafe condition since my arrival at the facility 19 months ago. This tree had obscured the tampico completely, and only after wind blew the branches (creating a hole to see through the leaves) did I see the tampico. I had not unkeyed and immediately countermanded my previous instruction to the baron and indicated he should continue to hold short of the runway. This tree has been a continuous unsafe condition. Apparently the owner has been approached and wants an exorbitant amount to cut the tree down. I suggest 'topping' the tree and removing the top 30 ft or so. We expect a new tower to be constructed within 10 yrs, and this temporary solution seems appropriate. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter advised that an FAA official addressed the tree's obscuration with the owner, who wanted an inordinate amount of money to have the tree removed. Last yr, the tower was #4 on the list for relocation. This yr, they were advised that they had slipped to #44. The reporter advised that housing is situated to the ssw of runway 30L. All have trees. Some home owners have thinned or topped their trees, knowing about their obscuration. The tower cabin attendant base is approximately 42 ft AGL. The tree effecting approach obscuration blocks the continuous visual recognition of aircraft from 500 ft to 600 ft AGL, approximately the last 1 1/2 - 2 mi on final, through the first 705 ft on the runway. Aircraft taxiing on taxiway B from taxiway M to taxiway north and onto runway 30L approach end are not visible from the tower. Aircraft on short final for runway 4, inside 2 mi, are briefly obscured for tower visibility, being a perpendicular visual scan, opposed to runway 30L, being tangential scan obscuration. Cps airport is a significant bizjet center, supporting aircraft airframe, engine and custom interior modifications for bizjets, up through and including the carj (CL65). The reporter advised there are 3 prominent flying schools and a 'good amount' of itinerant GA traffic. The instrument runway is 30L, with an ILS, NDB and soon to be published GPS. The reporter advises that with the passing of each yr of tree growth, more and more of the runway 30 final becomes obscured.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CPS LCL CTLR RETRACTS TKOF CLRNC WHEN RECOGNIZING THAT THE DEP ACFT IS IN POSSIBLE CONFLICT WITH ANOTHER ACFT ON SHORT FINAL, WHOSE POS IS OBSTRUCTED BY A TREE.

Narrative: BARON X WAS READY FOR TKOF. AFTER SCANNING FINAL APCH COURSE FOR THE TAMPICO (ACFT Y), I BEGAN TO ISSUE A TKOF CLRNC. A TREE LOCATED BTWN THE TWR AND APCH END OF THE RWY HAS BEEN AN UNSAFE CONDITION SINCE MY ARR AT THE FACILITY 19 MONTHS AGO. THIS TREE HAD OBSCURED THE TAMPICO COMPLETELY, AND ONLY AFTER WIND BLEW THE BRANCHES (CREATING A HOLE TO SEE THROUGH THE LEAVES) DID I SEE THE TAMPICO. I HAD NOT UNKEYED AND IMMEDIATELY COUNTERMANDED MY PREVIOUS INSTRUCTION TO THE BARON AND INDICATED HE SHOULD CONTINUE TO HOLD SHORT OF THE RWY. THIS TREE HAS BEEN A CONTINUOUS UNSAFE CONDITION. APPARENTLY THE OWNER HAS BEEN APCHED AND WANTS AN EXORBITANT AMOUNT TO CUT THE TREE DOWN. I SUGGEST 'TOPPING' THE TREE AND REMOVING THE TOP 30 FT OR SO. WE EXPECT A NEW TWR TO BE CONSTRUCTED WITHIN 10 YRS, AND THIS TEMPORARY SOLUTION SEEMS APPROPRIATE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR ADVISED THAT AN FAA OFFICIAL ADDRESSED THE TREE'S OBSCURATION WITH THE OWNER, WHO WANTED AN INORDINATE AMOUNT OF MONEY TO HAVE THE TREE REMOVED. LAST YR, THE TWR WAS #4 ON THE LIST FOR RELOCATION. THIS YR, THEY WERE ADVISED THAT THEY HAD SLIPPED TO #44. THE RPTR ADVISED THAT HOUSING IS SITUATED TO THE SSW OF RWY 30L. ALL HAVE TREES. SOME HOME OWNERS HAVE THINNED OR TOPPED THEIR TREES, KNOWING ABOUT THEIR OBSCURATION. THE TWR CAB BASE IS APPROX 42 FT AGL. THE TREE EFFECTING APCH OBSCURATION BLOCKS THE CONTINUOUS VISUAL RECOGNITION OF ACFT FROM 500 FT TO 600 FT AGL, APPROX THE LAST 1 1/2 - 2 MI ON FINAL, THROUGH THE FIRST 705 FT ON THE RWY. ACFT TAXIING ON TXWY B FROM TXWY M TO TXWY N AND ONTO RWY 30L APCH END ARE NOT VISIBLE FROM THE TWR. ACFT ON SHORT FINAL FOR RWY 4, INSIDE 2 MI, ARE BRIEFLY OBSCURED FOR TWR VISIBILITY, BEING A PERPENDICULAR VISUAL SCAN, OPPOSED TO RWY 30L, BEING TANGENTIAL SCAN OBSCURATION. CPS ARPT IS A SIGNIFICANT BIZJET CTR, SUPPORTING ACFT AIRFRAME, ENG AND CUSTOM INTERIOR MODIFICATIONS FOR BIZJETS, UP THROUGH AND INCLUDING THE CARJ (CL65). THE RPTR ADVISED THERE ARE 3 PROMINENT FLYING SCHOOLS AND A 'GOOD AMOUNT' OF ITINERANT GA TFC. THE INST RWY IS 30L, WITH AN ILS, NDB AND SOON TO BE PUBLISHED GPS. THE RPTR ADVISES THAT WITH THE PASSING OF EACH YR OF TREE GROWTH, MORE AND MORE OF THE RWY 30 FINAL BECOMES OBSCURED.

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.