RVR sensor producing incorrect readings to ATC facility.

Attributes
ACN	582913
Time
Date	200305
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sba.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local controller : ground controller : clearance delivery
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 23 controller time certified in position1 : 5
ASRS Report	582913
Events
Anomaly	ground encounters : animal other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Problem Areas	FAA Navigational Facility Environmental Factor Airport
Primary Problem	Airport
Situations
ATC Facility	other physical facility
Airport	groundskeeping : sba.airport

Narrative:

A bird sitting on the RVR sensor interfering with the RVR reading in the tower and TRACON. This is not a single time, it happens almost daily. A bird sits on the RVR sensor giving a bad reading both on the tower, TRACON and ASOS indicators. Type bird is a hawk and it has been told that technicians have cleaned blood off the indicators.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RVR SENSOR PRODUCING INCORRECT READINGS TO ATC FACILITY.

Narrative: A BIRD SITTING ON THE RVR SENSOR INTERFERING WITH THE RVR READING IN THE TWR AND TRACON. THIS IS NOT A SINGLE TIME, IT HAPPENS ALMOST DAILY. A BIRD SITS ON THE RVR SENSOR GIVING A BAD READING BOTH ON THE TWR, TRACON AND ASOS INDICATORS. TYPE BIRD IS A HAWK AND IT HAS BEEN TOLD THAT TECHNICIANS HAVE CLEANED BLOOD OFF THE INDICATORS.

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.