Narrative:

I have been an atcs for 15 yrs and spi is my 5TH duty location. I have worked at spi for 3 yrs and I believe that the number of vehicles permitted to drive on txwys and runways is excessive and dangerous. The springfield airport authority/authorized has authority/authorized 99 vehicles to operate on movement areas. These vehicles include springfield airport authority/authorized fire and police, springfield airport authority/authorized maintenance, snow plows, military, numerous fuel trucks, survey trucks, FAA airways facilities trucks, and even farm implements such as plows and tractors. Many of these vehicles have legitimate needs to access locations on the airport. However, the airport perimeter is equipped with access gates that allow vehicles to exit the airport and drive on city/county streets. These gates are extremely under-used. The norm at spi is to call ground control and ask for clearance on txwys and runways. This results in frequency congestion, runway crossing, and the increased probability of a runway incursion. 6 weeks ago, a controller had an operational error involving a vehicle and an aircraft on takeoff roll. These vehicles should be exiting the airport and using city/county roads to drive around the airport and re-enter the airport through an access gate close to their destination. They should not access movement areas or call ground control unless absolutely necessary. Working aircraft on ground control is not difficult. It is the large number of vehicles that make ground control difficult. Many of these xmissions could be eliminated if vehicles used the access gates. The large number of vehicles at spi constitute a threat to safety. It is only a matter of time until the next vehicle/aircraft incident or accident. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that nothing has changed since his report was written. Reporter did say that an attempt was made last week to present a draft LOA between the local FAA and the airport authority/authorized to allow ground vehicles to use the txwys without calling the tower ground controller. This would get most of the vehicles off the tower ground frequency. The LOA was drafted by the tower staff and union personnel. Reporter indicated that the facility manager does not support the LOA and the airport authority/authorized is concerned about the legal liability of it. So as of today the draft LOA is dead. Reporter also stated that the military unit on the airport, which they have the most problem with their vehicles, are reluctant to use the perimeter access gates because of their concern to transport FOD on their ramp area.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR STATES THAT TOO MANY VEHICLES ARE PERMITTED TO DRIVE ON RWYS AND TXWYS INSTEAD OF USING THE ARPT PERIMETER ACCESS GATES. THE TWR GND FREQ BECOMES CONGESTED WITH THEIR REQUESTS.

Narrative: I HAVE BEEN AN ATCS FOR 15 YRS AND SPI IS MY 5TH DUTY LOCATION. I HAVE WORKED AT SPI FOR 3 YRS AND I BELIEVE THAT THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES PERMITTED TO DRIVE ON TXWYS AND RWYS IS EXCESSIVE AND DANGEROUS. THE SPRINGFIELD ARPT AUTH HAS AUTH 99 VEHICLES TO OPERATE ON MOVEMENT AREAS. THESE VEHICLES INCLUDE SPRINGFIELD ARPT AUTH FIRE AND POLICE, SPRINGFIELD ARPT AUTH MAINT, SNOW PLOWS, MIL, NUMEROUS FUEL TRUCKS, SURVEY TRUCKS, FAA AIRWAYS FACILITIES TRUCKS, AND EVEN FARM IMPLEMENTS SUCH AS PLOWS AND TRACTORS. MANY OF THESE VEHICLES HAVE LEGITIMATE NEEDS TO ACCESS LOCATIONS ON THE ARPT. HOWEVER, THE ARPT PERIMETER IS EQUIPPED WITH ACCESS GATES THAT ALLOW VEHICLES TO EXIT THE ARPT AND DRIVE ON CITY/COUNTY STREETS. THESE GATES ARE EXTREMELY UNDER-USED. THE NORM AT SPI IS TO CALL GND CTL AND ASK FOR CLRNC ON TXWYS AND RWYS. THIS RESULTS IN FREQ CONGESTION, RWY XING, AND THE INCREASED PROBABILITY OF A RWY INCURSION. 6 WKS AGO, A CTLR HAD AN OPERROR INVOLVING A VEHICLE AND AN ACFT ON TKOF ROLL. THESE VEHICLES SHOULD BE EXITING THE ARPT AND USING CITY/COUNTY ROADS TO DRIVE AROUND THE ARPT AND RE-ENTER THE ARPT THROUGH AN ACCESS GATE CLOSE TO THEIR DEST. THEY SHOULD NOT ACCESS MOVEMENT AREAS OR CALL GND CTL UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. WORKING ACFT ON GND CTL IS NOT DIFFICULT. IT IS THE LARGE NUMBER OF VEHICLES THAT MAKE GND CTL DIFFICULT. MANY OF THESE XMISSIONS COULD BE ELIMINATED IF VEHICLES USED THE ACCESS GATES. THE LARGE NUMBER OF VEHICLES AT SPI CONSTITUTE A THREAT TO SAFETY. IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME UNTIL THE NEXT VEHICLE/ACFT INCIDENT OR ACCIDENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT NOTHING HAS CHANGED SINCE HIS RPT WAS WRITTEN. RPTR DID SAY THAT AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE LAST WK TO PRESENT A DRAFT LOA BTWN THE LCL FAA AND THE ARPT AUTH TO ALLOW GND VEHICLES TO USE THE TXWYS WITHOUT CALLING THE TWR GND CTLR. THIS WOULD GET MOST OF THE VEHICLES OFF THE TWR GND FREQ. THE LOA WAS DRAFTED BY THE TWR STAFF AND UNION PERSONNEL. RPTR INDICATED THAT THE FACILITY MGR DOES NOT SUPPORT THE LOA AND THE ARPT AUTH IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE LEGAL LIABILITY OF IT. SO AS OF TODAY THE DRAFT LOA IS DEAD. RPTR ALSO STATED THAT THE MIL UNIT ON THE ARPT, WHICH THEY HAVE THE MOST PROB WITH THEIR VEHICLES, ARE RELUCTANT TO USE THE PERIMETER ACCESS GATES BECAUSE OF THEIR CONCERN TO TRANSPORT FOD ON THEIR RAMP AREA.

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.