Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance
Human Factors
I was working Ground and CIC combined; training was being conducted on Local 2; newly certified CPC on Local 1. Runway 12/30 and West Ramp were NOTAMed closed for Forest Service helicopter parking. Local 1 would normally APREQ direct into/out of West Ramp from/to fire to the south with Local 2 and Ground over Runway 12/30 and across Runway 21L/3R. I was watching Local 1 as best I could while working Ground position. I had been on position over 3.5 hours at time of unsafe event so training could be accomplished. A Cessna requested LAHSO on Runway 21L when he was on a 5 mile final to allow for his landing and so a flight of 2 Skycranes could cross down field. The Local 1 Controller issued the Cessna the LAHSO clearance and got the read back. As the first Skycrane was crossing Runway 21L; a P2 fixed wing tanker called ready for departure from Runway 21L at D6. Local 1 immediately issued 'go around' to the Cessna who was on very short final. I yelled 'no; clear him to land again with LAHSO' to which the Local 1 Controller replied 'I have to send him around because the tanker called ready for departure'. I said that they were using LAHSO because traffic was still crossing down field and to issue the landing instructions again. During this time I realized the Local 1 Controller must not have coordinated with Local 2 because there was an R22 helicopter on upwind for Runway 21R heading for the Skycranes which were still a few hundred feet AGL. I told Local 2 to turn their helicopter immediately and they said they couldn't because they had traffic on the downwind. I told them again to turn them immediately and pointed to the Skycrane passing the Tower. As the controller turned to issue the clearance the R22 pilot must have seen the Skycrane because they made a hard turn to the downwind just behind and below the Cessna on downwind. The Cessna took the second landing clearance and exited Runway 21L at C4. The controller should not have been certified as he/she lacks understanding of the basic concepts of air traffic control and struggles with anything that hasn't been learned as a rote response and soon this person will be certified on CIC. I shouldn't have combined CIC at Ground to accomplish training; I should have waited for a day with better staffing. The Cessna saved this from becoming a possible midair or accident. The pilot had excellent situational awareness and piloting abilities and was able to communicate and fly very well at low speed and altitude. Strong headwind also helped the pilot be able to land and still do LAHSO after having begun a go around.
PRC Controller described a developing conflict event involving a LAHSO operation; a flight of two Skycranes overflying the airport; a departure firefighting aircraft and downwind traffic all involved; the reporter claiming the excellent pilotage of the landing aircraft prevented a possible mid air.