A TWR CTLR AT MBS EXPRESSES CONCERN OVER THE PRESENCE AND OP OF FARM EQUIP NEAR RWYS; IN PARTICULAR; THE ILS CRITICAL AREA DURING IFR OPS.

Date: 2002-10 · Aircraft: Commercial Fixed Wing · Phase: approach

Anomalies: conflict-ground-conflict|critical|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-other-unknown|other-unauthorized-vehicles-operating-near-rwys-farming-or-cutting-grass-attracting-bird-flocks

Synopsis

A TWR CTLR AT MBS EXPRESSES CONCERN OVER THE PRESENCE AND OP OF FARM EQUIP NEAR RWYS; IN PARTICULAR; THE ILS CRITICAL AREA DURING IFR OPS.

Narrative

I WAS WORKING LCL/GND/CLRNC POS COMBINED AT NIGHT ON OCT/FRI/02 WHEN I NOTICED A VEHICLE (PICK-UP TRUCK) DRIVING NEXT TO THE ACTIVE RWY 5. IT WAS VFR AT THE TIME AND I HAD AN INBOUND ACR TO RWY 5. THE VEHICLE TURNED AT THE INTXN OF RWY 5 AND RWY 14 AND PROCEEDED SE NEXT TO RWY 14. I CALLED OUR ARPT SECURITY ON THE GND CTL FREQ AND SECURITY INTERCEPTED THE PICK-UP TRUCK WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE A FARMER; WHO WAS WORKING WITH SEVERAL COMBINES ON ARPT PROPERTY. OUR SECURITY INFORMED THE FARMER TO REMAIN CLR OF THE RWYS AND HAVE AN AMBER ROTATING BEACON ON TOP OF HIS TRUCK TURNED ON. I ASKED OUR SECURITY WHY WE (ATC) AREN'T NOTIFIED WHEN FARMERS WILL BE ON ARPT PROPERTY WORKING NEXT TO RWYS. OUR SECURITY ADVISED ME THEY (SECURITY) DO NOT KNOW WHEN THE FARMERS WILL BE THERE EITHER. THE NEXT MORNING THE WX WAS AT OR BELOW MINIMUMS FOR THE ILS APCH TO RWY 5. AS THE WX CAME TO MINIMUMS FOR SHOOTING THE APCH (1/4 MI) WE BEGAN USING THE ILS RWY 5 APCH. AS THE VISIBILITY GOT TO 3/4 MI WE NOTICED SEVERAL LARGE PIECES OF FARM EQUIP PARKED IN AND NEAR THE LOC CRITICAL AREA. WE THEN BEGAN ADVISING ACFT ON THE ILS APCH THAT THE LOC MAY NOT BE RELIABLE. THIS FARMING ON ARPT PROPERTY IS UNSAFE AND WE AS ATC CANNOT BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR VEHICLES ON THE ARPT PROPERTY WE DO NOT EVEN KNOW WILL BE THERE; OR WHEN OR WHO IS AUTH. THERE ARE NO WRITTEN LOA'S OR PROCS FOR THESE OPS. THIS FARMING ALSO ATTRACTS NUMEROUS FLOCKS OF BIRDS IN THE SUMMER GETTING WORMS FROM THE FRESHLY PLOWED FIELDS. WE HAVE HAD NUMEROUS BIRD STRIKES AND A DC9 LOST AN ENG ON TKOF DUE TO BIRD INGESTION. 1) WHY ARE FARMERS ALLOWED ON ARPT PROPERTY? 2) WHY ARE WE (ATC) LEFT OUT OF THIS LOOP AND NOT NOTIFIED; WHEN; WHO WHERE? 3) WHY DOES OUR ARPT SECURITY PEOPLE NOT KNOW WHO; WHAT; WHEN; WHERE? 4) WHO IS GOING TO BE HELD RESPONSIBLE WHEN A PLANE CRASHES DUE TO BIRD STRIKES; OR UNAUTH VEHICLES CAUSING A RWY INCURSION? 5) WHY ARE THERE NO WRITTEN OR VERBAL PROCS FOR THIS? 6) THIS IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN; THAT SOMEONE NEEDS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY TO PREVENT. 7) WHY IS THERE NO COM BTWN PARTIES? 8) WHAT KIND OF SECURITY IS THIS? CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: A CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THAT; INDEED; FARMING IS CONDUCTED ON ARPT PROPERTY. UNSPECIFIC AS TO THE CROP GROWN HE DID DESCRIBE THE EQUIP USED AS BEING; TRUCKS AND COMBINES. AS MENTIONED IN THE ORIGINAL RPT; HIS MAIN CONCERN WAS NOT BEING ADVISED OF THEIR PRESENCE ON THE ARPT! SUPPLEMENTAL INFO: A CONVERSATION WITH MBS ARPT MGMNT SHED ADDITIONAL LIGHT ON THE ASPECT OF FARMING ON ARPT PROPERTY. APPARENTLY; OF THE 3000 ACRES THAT COMPRISES THE ARPT; A CERTAIN PORTION OF THAT ACREAGE IS ALLOTTED TO THE FARMING OF 'SOYA BEANS;' A NO TILL CROP. THE DESIGNATED FARM AREAS ARE CONSIDERED OUTSIDE ANY CRITICAL AREA AND ARE INSIDE A BUFFER AREA THAT IS MAINTAINED BY ARPT PERSONNEL. THE FARMERS INVOLVED HAVE SECURITY CLRNCS REQUIRING THE DISPLAY OF AN IDENT BADGE. THE INCIDENT IN QUESTION WAS DESCRIBED AS; EARLY MORNING FOG ENGULFING THE EQUIP OPERATORS WITHOUT WARNING; REQUIRING SHUTDOWN OF THE EQUIP FOR FEAR OF INTRUDING ONTO AN UNAUTH AREA. IT WAS ACKNOWLEDGED BY ARPT MGMNT THAT ATC AND ARPT SECURITY SHOULD BE GIVEN PRIOR NOTICE WHEN SUCH FARMING ACTIVITY IS TO TAKE PLACE.

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