2005-02 · NASA ASRS report 648876
C182 PLT EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING ATC SERVICES AND STAFFING AT WHP.
I WAS MAKING A SERIES OF LNDG CIRCUITS AT WHP. AS IS THE CUSTOM AT WHP; THE TWR OPERATOR WAS HANDLING GND CTL; CLRNC DELIVERY; AND AIR TFC. I WAS ON MY SECOND LNDG CIRCUIT AND HAD JUST TURNED DOWNWIND. TWO ACFT CALLED ON GND FREQ FOR TAXI CLRNC TO THE RWY AND AN IFR CLRNC WAS BEING READ TO AN AWAITING ACFT. I WAS ABLE TO SQUEEZE A 'ACFT X ABEAM' BUT THAT WAS ALL. THE TWR CONTINUED TO DEAL WITH GND BASED ACFT. WHEN I REACHED THE 118 FREEWAY; OUR NORMAL BASE LEG TURNING POINT AND THE FIRST QUIET AIR TIME; I CALLED; 'ACFT X TURNING BASE AT THE 118.' THE TWR WAS UNHAPPY THAT I TURNED BASE WITHOUT CLRNC AND LET ME KNOW IT. THERE WAS NEVER ANY CONFLICT WITH ANY OTHER TFC. I WAS THE ONLY ACFT IN THE CLASS D TALKING TO THE TWR. NO ACFT CALLED FOR TKOF CLRNC OR WERE EVEN WAITING FOR TKOF. I BELIEVE WHP HAS A SAFETY ISSUE WITH THE MANNER IN WHICH THE TWR IS MANNED AND RUN ON A DAY TO DAY BASIS. HAD THE SECOND MAN IN THE CAB HANDLED THE GND AND CLRNC DUTIES; THE TWR CTLR WOULD HAVE BEEN TALKING TO ME AND MY 'ABEAM' CALL WOULD HAVE BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED. IF IT HAD NOT BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED; I WOULD HAVE HAD PLENTY OF TIME TO CALL AGAIN. THOSE OF US BASED AT WHP HAVE COMPLAINED TO THE CONTRACT OPERATOR ABOUT THE 'ONE MAN BAND' TWR SAFETY ASPECT. NONE OF US UNDERSTAND WHY THEY REFUSE TO USE BOTH MEN (AT TIMES THREE). IMAGINE AN ARPT WITH ABOUT 700 BASED ACFT AND THE TWR OPERATOR GIVING TAXI AND IFR CLEARANCES ON A WEEKEND DAY WHEN THE 'FLEET' IS COMING HOME TO ROOST. SINCE A STRAIGHT IN APCH FROM NEWHALL PASS IS THE NORM; IT CAN GET PRETTY CROWDED OUT THERE ON A SATURDAY AFTERNOON. ANOTHER POINT IS; WHO IS WATCHING THE RWY ENVIRONMENT. TWO MONTHS AGO A CESSNA 152 CRASHED UPON LNDG. AN ACFT WAITING TO TKOF ASKED THE TWR IF THE ARPT WAS GOING TO BE CLOSED. THE TWR ASKED; 'WHY?' THE ACFT TOLD THE TWR AN ACFT HAD CRASHED ON A BOTCHED LNDG ATTEMPT. ANOTHER PAIR OF EYES COULD GO A LONG WAY IN KEEPING A SAFE ARPT ENVIRONMENT.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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