Flight crew report about pilot controlled lighting problem at mhk.

Attributes
ACN	100760
Time
Date	198811
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mhk
State Reference	KS
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 8300 flight time type : 1100
ASRS Report	100760
Person 2
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

Approaching mhk I keyed pilot controlled lighting 7 times to turn runway lights on high. Immediately some other pilot keyed same frequency 3 times back to low. This happened 3 times. At same time an light transport B was arriving lawrence, ks, also utilizing pilot controlled lighting on same frequency. I believe the light transport B may have been on final and perhaps my keying the mhk lights to high to locate the runway may have blinded the light transport B pilot and it was he who repeatedly turned the lights back down. I would have done the same. This is a very dangerous situation. What if the WX had been IMC and we were on apches, or during flare and the lights suddenly flared blindingly bright, or perhaps suddenly dimmed causing loss of visibility approach clues? Pilot controlled lighting lighting frequencys should be more specific to each airport within a reasonable radius. Any pilot who can read a chart should be able to read a pilot controlled lighting note on the plate pertaining to the particular frequency.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW REPORT ABOUT PLT CONTROLLED LIGHTING PROBLEM AT MHK.

Narrative: APCHING MHK I KEYED PCL 7 TIMES TO TURN RWY LIGHTS ON HIGH. IMMEDIATELY SOME OTHER PLT KEYED SAME FREQ 3 TIMES BACK TO LOW. THIS HAPPENED 3 TIMES. AT SAME TIME AN LTT B WAS ARRIVING LAWRENCE, KS, ALSO UTILIZING PCL ON SAME FREQ. I BELIEVE THE LTT B MAY HAVE BEEN ON FINAL AND PERHAPS MY KEYING THE MHK LIGHTS TO HIGH TO LOCATE THE RWY MAY HAVE BLINDED THE LTT B PLT AND IT WAS HE WHO REPEATEDLY TURNED THE LIGHTS BACK DOWN. I WOULD HAVE DONE THE SAME. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. WHAT IF THE WX HAD BEEN IMC AND WE WERE ON APCHES, OR DURING FLARE AND THE LIGHTS SUDDENLY FLARED BLINDINGLY BRIGHT, OR PERHAPS SUDDENLY DIMMED CAUSING LOSS OF VIS APCH CLUES? PCL LIGHTING FREQS SHOULD BE MORE SPECIFIC TO EACH ARPT WITHIN A REASONABLE RADIUS. ANY PLT WHO CAN READ A CHART SHOULD BE ABLE TO READ A PCL NOTE ON THE PLATE PERTAINING TO THE PARTICULAR FREQ.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.