Light Transport; Low Wing; 2 Turbojet Eng
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 7
Time Pressure; Distraction; Communication Breakdown; Workload
ATC Issue All Types; Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Flight Crew Became Reoriented
ATC Equipment / Nav Facility / Buildings; Procedure
Aircraft X was instructed to LUAW (Line Up and Wait) on RWY 10L. The crew acknowledged the instruction. The flight was then cleared for takeoff on RWY 10L. There was no acknowledgement and the aircraft didn't move. The instruction was issued again and again no response. Flight was then told to cancel takeoff clearance and hold in position. There was no response. We switched to the Standby Transmitter and told the crew to hold in position and ask how they heard and they reported loud and clear. There is a frequency dead zone on RWY 10L and portions of TWY S2 [and] S for aircraft of a certain height (Learjets; Challengers; Citations; etc.) where they are unable to receive the main transmitter for either LC or GC frequencies. This is a recurring problem at SFO. Move the main transmitters so that all aircraft receive the frequency at all points of the airfield. Especially on active runways.
SFO Local Controller reported that certain aircraft which taxi low to the ground have difficulty receiving transmissions in a Runway 10L dead zone along portions of Taxiways S and S2. Antenna location seems to be the problem.