CTLR TURNS TFC ON XWIND WITH TFC ENTERING DOWNWIND OPPOSITE DIRECTION.

Date: 1996-07 · Aircraft: PA-28R Cherokee Arrow All Series

Anomalies: conflict-airborne-conflict|other-unspecified

Synopsis

CTLR TURNS TFC ON XWIND WITH TFC ENTERING DOWNWIND OPPOSITE DIRECTION.

Narrative

I RECEIVED TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO RWY 11. AFTER RUN-UP AND PREFLT CHK; I SWITCHED FREQ. A DH8 WAS ON A 5 MI R BASE RWY 29. I WAITED FOR HIM TO LAND AND AFTER HE CLRED; I REQUESTED TKOF WITH A R TURN. RECEIVED TAXI TO HOLD SHORT RWY 11 FOR WAKE TURB. I WAVED AND RECEIVED TKOF CLRNC. AS I ROLLED ONTO RWY AND APPLIED PWR; A BONANZA RPTED 3 MI FINAL RWY 29 (OPPOSITE RWY; HEAD ON). TWR ADVISED IMMEDIATE TKOF. I ADVISED THAT I WAS ROLLING AS I TURNED R XWIND. ANOTHER ACFT RPTED L DOWNWIND RWY 29 (CONVERGING TOWARD ME FROM ABOVE AND L). BY ITSELF; THE BONANZA WAS NOT A FACTOR. THE THIRD ACFT WAS A FACTOR. NEITHER ACFT WERE IN ADVISORIES TO ME. THE FIRST POINT I WANT TO MAKE IS THAT OF THIS CTLR'S INCOMPETENCE. HE IS CONSTANTLY FORCING PEOPLE TO DO 360 DEGS FOR SPACING; MISSING CALL SIGNS OR RADIO CALLS ALTOGETHER; AND DEMONSTRATES A GENERAL UNPROFESSIONAL DEMEANOR. JUST IN 1 WK; HE WAS THE TARGET OF 3 COMPLAINTS. NONE OF THE OTHER CTLRS IN THIS FACILITY EARN THAT REPUTATION. I HAVE STUDENTS THAT WILL ACTUALLY CANCEL A FLT OR LESSON IF MR X IS IN THE TWR. THE SECOND POINT IS THE PERSONAL ASPECT. I HAVE MET WITH THE TWR CHIEF SEVERAL TIMES REGARDING MR X IN MY CAPACITY AS AVIATION SAFETY COUNSELOR. THESE MEETINGS HAVE BEEN PROMPTED BY PERSONAL OBSERVATION AND COMPLAINTS BY OTHER PLTS. I SUSPECT HE SENT ME TO THE WRONG END OF THE RWY OR LINED 3 ACFT UP GOING THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION TO GET EVEN. INCOMPETENCE IS UNQUESTIONABLE. A PERSONAL VENDETTA IS ARGUABLE. NEITHER SHOULD BE TOLERATED. NOR IS THERE ROOM FOR EITHER IN AVIATION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES HE HAS NOT HEARD ANYTHING DIRECTLY REGARDING THIS INCIDENT. HE HAS HEARD FROM OTHER CTLRS IN THE TWR THAT MR X WROTE A RPT ON THE INCIDENT IN WHICH HE RATHER ABRUPTLY CHANGED THE SCENARIO SO THAT THE PROB SEEMED TO BE WITH THE RPTR RATHER THAN THE CTLR. THIS HAS CREATED A GREAT DEAL OF 'HEAT' FOR THE CTLR SINCE HE HAS A REPUTATION FOR BEING A PROB CTLR. RPTR HAD TALKED TO THE TWR CHIEF PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT; AND THE CHIEF INDICATED MR X IS A PROB IN THE TWR. OTHER CTLRS HAVE STATED THEY JUST WISH HE WOULD RETIRE. HE IS APPARENTLY ELIGIBLE TO DO SO. HE HAS BEEN A CTLR FOR A GOOD MANY YEARS AND CAN BE QUITE CAPABLE; BUT SEEMS TO SUFFER FROM BURN OUT. THIS TWR HAS CHANGED FROM FAA TO A CONTRACT TWR AND THE CHIEF STATES THAT HE CAN'T DO MUCH ABOUT THE SIT UNLESS HE HAS DOCUMENTATION. RPTR STATES THERE IS PLENTY OF DOCUMENTATION. THERE WERE 3 PEOPLE WHO WITNESSED THE INCIDENT IN QUESTION AND CONFIRM RPTR'S COMMENTS ON THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS. THE RPTR DOES NOT WANT THE CTLR TO LOSE HIS JOB IN DISGRACE. HE WOULD AGREE THAT IT WOULD BE BEST IF HE COULD JUST RETIRE. RPTR WAS ADVISED OF THE HOTLINE NUMBER TO USE IF HE CHOOSES.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.