TRACON CTLR STATES THAT HE BECAME ILL WHEN WORKING IN THE CTL ROOM; THE RESULT OF INGESTED ACFT ENG EXHAUST FUMES THROUGH THE FACILITY AIR INTAKE; AIR CONDITIONING SYS.

Date: 1998-12

Anomalies: other-unspecified

Synopsis

TRACON CTLR STATES THAT HE BECAME ILL WHEN WORKING IN THE CTL ROOM; THE RESULT OF INGESTED ACFT ENG EXHAUST FUMES THROUGH THE FACILITY AIR INTAKE; AIR CONDITIONING SYS.

Narrative

DURING A HVY RADAR SESSION ON A COMBINED POS; THE RADAR ROOM WAS FILLED WITH EXHAUST FUMES FOR ABOUT 10 MINS DUE TO AN ACFT WITH ENGS RUNNING PARKED BY OUR BLDG NEAR THE FRESH AIR INTAKES. AFTER A FEW MINS; I FELT DIZZY AND NAUSEOUS AND AFTERWARDS EYE IRRITATION AND HEADACHE. I FEEL THAT MY JUDGEMENT WAS IMPAIRED AND MY ABILITY TO CONCENTRATE COMPROMISED. THIS IS AN ONGOING PROB AT ALB AND MANY PEOPLE ARE BECOMING ILL -- ON POS! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THIS PROB BECAME SERIOUS AND CONSTANT IN EARLY SUMMER; AFTER NEW JETWAYS WERE OPENED. THE MAIN TERMINAL WAS EXPANDED TOWARDS THE TWR/TRACON AND A NEW EXTENDED CONCOURSE WAS ALSO OPENED. THE TWR/TRACON'S FRESH AIR INTAKE VENTS ARE LOCATED AT GND LEVEL; FACING THE NEW CONCOURSE/JETWAYS. AS THE ACFT TAXI TO/FROM THE NEW PARKING AREAS; THEIR EXHAUST IS INGESTED INTO THE TWR/TRACON FRESH AIR VENTS. THE TWR HAD TO BE EVACED. RECENTLY; THE CTL ROOM FUME INCIDENTS HAVE BEEN PUBLICIZED IN THE LCL NEWSPAPER; AND RECENTLY IN A NATIONAL NEWSPAPER. ARPT MGMNT HAS ATTEMPTED TO BLOCK FUMES WITH BARRICADES; BUT WITH NO SATISFACTION. THE RPTR ALSO STATED THAT THE ATIS HAS A STATEMENT REQUESTING ACFT TO TURN ENGS OFF WHEN PARKING; DUE TO EXHAUST FUME INGESTION INTO THE TWR/TRACON. A NEW FACILITY HAS BEEN BUILT; DIAGONALLY ACROSS THE RWYS; NE OF RWY 19 AND RWY 28. OCCUPATION WAS TO BE ACCOMPLISHED MID JAN/99; BUT CERTIFICATION PROBS HAVE BEEN ENCOUNTERED IN THE ETVS SYS -- A KEYBOARD COM PAD SYS -- AND NOW OCCUPATION HAS BEEN DELAYED UNTIL JUL/99. THE RPTR RECENTLY HAD CTLRS LEAVE THE CTL ROOM BECAUSE OF THE FUMES; COMBINING ALL CTL SECTORS TO HIS WITHOUT ASSISTANCE. THE RPTR STATES THAT NEITHER MGMNT; MAINT; NOR THE UNION HAS BEEN ABLE TO RESOLVE THIS CONDITION.

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