VOR AT DEP END OF RWY APPEARS TO BE A VEHICLE OR ACFT ON RWY TO DEPARTING ACFT.
Synopsis
VOR AT DEP END OF RWY APPEARS TO BE A VEHICLE OR ACFT ON RWY TO DEPARTING ACFT.
Narrative
DAYLIGHT VFR; ACR X; TOUCHDOWN RWY 17R. I PUT ACR Y INTO POS AND HOLD. ACR Y ADVISED DIDN'T HAVE NUMBERS AND WASN'T READY FOR DEP. I HAD NO OTHER TFC IN OR OUT; SO I LET HIM TAKE DELAY ON RWY. 2 CONTRIBUTING FACTORS SO FAR: LIGHT TFC AND LETTING ACR Y TAKE DELAY ON RWY. ACR X WAS ISSUED EXITING INSTRUCTIONS AT INTXN M2 AS THEY PASSED INTXN M3. I THEN ASKED ACR Y IF THEY WERE READY. I SCANNED RWY PLUS D-BRITE AND OBSERVED X TURNING AT INTXN M2. Y SAID THEY WERE READY SO I CLRED Y FOR TKOF. Y THEN SAID; 'ISN'T THERE SOMEONE STILL ON RWY?' INSTINCTIVELY I CANCELED THE TKOF ON RWY. X IMMEDIATELY KEYED UP AND VERIFIED THEY WERE OFF RWY. I CLRED Y FOR TKOF AGAIN. WE ALL HAVE HEARD IT OVER AND OVER. STAY MORE ALERT DURING 'SLOW' TIMES. ALSO; I WON'T LET SOMEONE TAKE A DELAY NO MATTER HOW SHORT ON A RWY. WHAT I BELIEVE Y SAW WAS THE DEN VOR SITS ABOUT 1 MI S OF RWY 17R. WE'VE HAD NUMEROUS RPTS AND HAVE BROUGHT IT TO THE ATTN OF MGMNT THAT TO AN ACFT DEPARTING RWY 17R IT LOOKS LIKE A VEHICLE/ACFT ON THE RWY. ONLY THE TOP OF THE VOR IS VISIBLE FROM THE APCH END OF RWY 17R. IT NEEDS TO BE PAINTED OR MAYBE A NOTAM ISSUED BUT THAT'S A CATCH 22. IF THERE STILL IS 'SOMETHING' ON THE RWY AND WE CLR THE ACFT FOR TKOF THINKING IT'S THE VOR; THINGS COULD BE WORSE. A HEADS UP IF YOU'RE DEPARTING THE NEW ARPT OFF RWY 17R. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THIS PROB HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO THE ATTN OF FACILITY MGMNT AND ARPT MGMNT. RPTR STATED HE KNOWS OF AT LEAST 3 OTHER INCIDENTS WHERE AN ACFT DEPARTING QUESTIONED IF THERE WAS AN ACFT OR VEHICLE ON THE RWY. THE PROB ONLY OCCURS DURING THE DAY; NOT AT NIGHT.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.