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ATCT controller at btv reports that airport management is unresponsive to requests to keep runways aligned with strong winds available for use.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 603271 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200312 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : btv.airport |
| State Reference | VT |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Marginal |
| Weather Elements | Windshear other |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : btv.tower |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Christen A-1 Huskey |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach landing : roll |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : local |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| ASRS Report | 603271 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | other personnel other oversight : supervisor |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Weather Airport |
| Primary Problem | Airport |
Narrative:
Runway 15 in use, runway 19 closed by btv airport operations due to high snow banks, both runways 15 and 19 basically bare and day with scattered patches of hard packed snow and ice. Air traffic control asked airport operations if runway 19 could be opened for small aircraft due to extremely high winds out of the southwest. Wind 210 degrees at 20 KTS gusting to 30 KTS. The snow banks were outside of the runway lights and appeared to be no factor for small or medium sized aircraft. Windshear of 15 KTS was reported on final for runway 15. Operations said 'no!' I feel this is an unsafe situation. The husky in question landed safely on runway 15 but it took an experienced pilot to do it. The pilot said he could have landed sideways on runway 15 with the strong crosswind. Airport operations should be more flexible in allowing small aircraft to use the runway more aligned with the wind. The snow banks in question also run alongside taxiway a and large aircraft such as A320's, B737's, B727's, all use taxiway a but a husky or C152 can't use runway 19. Crazy!
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ATCT CTLR AT BTV RPTS THAT ARPT MGMNT IS UNRESPONSIVE TO REQUESTS TO KEEP RWYS ALIGNED WITH STRONG WINDS AVAILABLE FOR USE.
Narrative: RWY 15 IN USE, RWY 19 CLOSED BY BTV ARPT OPS DUE TO HIGH SNOW BANKS, BOTH RWYS 15 AND 19 BASICALLY BARE AND DAY WITH SCATTERED PATCHES OF HARD PACKED SNOW AND ICE. AIR TFC CTL ASKED ARPT OPS IF RWY 19 COULD BE OPENED FOR SMALL ACFT DUE TO EXTREMELY HIGH WINDS OUT OF THE SW. WIND 210 DEGS AT 20 KTS GUSTING TO 30 KTS. THE SNOW BANKS WERE OUTSIDE OF THE RWY LIGHTS AND APPEARED TO BE NO FACTOR FOR SMALL OR MEDIUM SIZED ACFT. WINDSHEAR OF 15 KTS WAS RPTED ON FINAL FOR RWY 15. OPS SAID 'NO!' I FEEL THIS IS AN UNSAFE SIT. THE HUSKY IN QUESTION LANDED SAFELY ON RWY 15 BUT IT TOOK AN EXPERIENCED PLT TO DO IT. THE PLT SAID HE COULD HAVE LANDED SIDEWAYS ON RWY 15 WITH THE STRONG XWIND. ARPT OPS SHOULD BE MORE FLEXIBLE IN ALLOWING SMALL ACFT TO USE THE RWY MORE ALIGNED WITH THE WIND. THE SNOW BANKS IN QUESTION ALSO RUN ALONGSIDE TXWY A AND LARGE ACFT SUCH AS A320'S, B737'S, B727'S, ALL USE TXWY A BUT A HUSKY OR C152 CAN'T USE RWY 19. CRAZY!
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.