HPN CTLR DOCUMENTS TWR AIR CONDITIONS SYS FAILURE OVER THE LAST FIVE YRS AND IMPACT ON WORKFORCE.

Date: 2001-06

Anomalies: other-tower-cab-heating-and-air-condtioning-prob

Synopsis

HPN CTLR DOCUMENTS TWR AIR CONDITIONS SYS FAILURE OVER THE LAST FIVE YRS AND IMPACT ON WORKFORCE.

Narrative

THE HPN TWR AIR CONDITIONING MAIN SYS HAS BEEN INOP FOR 5 YRS. THE SUPPLEMENTAL AIR CONDITIONER BASED ON THE DEHUMIDIFIER PRINCIPLE OF REMOVAL OF MOISTURE IN THE AIR AND RECIRCULATION IS FROM 1980'S. IT FREEZES UP CONTINUALLY BECAUSE IT WAS NEVER DESIGNED TO BE A PRIMARY SOURCE OF COOLING A LARGE GLASS ENCLOSED AREA WITHOUT ANY OTHER OUTSIDE SOURCE OF VENTILATION. AIR CONDITIONER TECHNICIANS CALLED IN TO ATTEMPT TEMPORARY REPAIRS HAVE ADVISED CTLR PERSONNEL THAT THERE ARE NO REPLACEMENT PARTS AVAILABLE IF THEY ARE EVER NEEDED! THESE UNITS BEING SO OLD ARE A HEALTH HAZARD TO CTLR PERSONNEL BECAUSE MOLD; DUST PARTICLES; ETC; ARE A BY-PRODUCT OF CONTINUED USE WITHOUT SUFFICIENT AIR CONDITIONING AVAILABLE. $17000 DOLLARS WAS JUST SPENT ON LANDSCAPING FOR THE FACADE OF THE TWR BUILDING. ACFT SAFETY AND CTLR PERFORMANCE TAKES A 'BACKSEAT' TO APPEARANCES. IF CTLRS ARE HAVING TROUBLE CONCENTRATING ON ACFT SEPARATION AND THE GENERAL CTL OF ARR AND DEPARTING ACFT AN UNSAFE CONDITION EXIST. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR ADVISED THAT MNTNC DID LOOK AT AND PARTIALLY REPAIRED THE AIR CONDITIONING SYS. BUT THE REPAIR DID NOT PROVIDE COOLING INTO THE TWR CAB; WHICH STILL MUST UTILIZE THE DEHUMIDIFIER. THE RPTR WAS TOLD BY ANOTHER CTLR OF BEING ADVISED BY AN AIR CONDITIONING MNTNC PERSON THAT THE DEHUMIDIFIER THEY WERE USING WAS SUBJECT TO MOLD BUILD UP. THE RPTR WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY STANDARD CLEANING OR INSPECTION PROCESS TO CHK FOR MOLD. RECENTLY; AN AF MNTNC PERSON STATED TO THE RPTR THAT HE FINALLY CONSIDERED THE AIR CONDITIONING OUTAGE AS UNACCEPTABLE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 516098: THE TWR CAB IS FILLED WITH HOT STAGNANT AIR. CTLRS BECOME FATIGUED AND COMPLACENT; COMPLAIN OF HEADACHES AND DIFFICULTIES CONCENTRATING ON THE CTL OF AIR TRAFFIC. THIS CONDITION DIRECTLY AFFECTS THE SAFETY OF AIR TRAFFIC AT THE HPN ARPT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 516645: THE ONLY AIR CONDITIONING SOURCE IS A PAIR OF 1980'S ERA SUPPLEMENTAL UNITS; THESE UNITS ALSO SUPPLEMENT THE CAB'S HEATING. IN HOT OR COLD WX THESE SUPPLEMENTAL UNITS FAIL (AS THEY DID IN DAY OF RPT). THE TWR CAB ENVIRONMENT THEN WORSENS. IN THIS CASE THE TWR MAINTAINED A TEMPERATURE OF 87 DEGS AND WAS RISING. THIS INTERFERES WITH THE ABILITY OF ATC TO SAFELY PERFORM THEIR DUTIES. MANY RPT CONCENTRATION PROBS; BREATHING DIFFICULTIES AND HEADACHES.

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