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An air carrier flight crew addressed their concerns regarding the location and intensity of illumination of the jumbo sized scoreboard installed in the soon to be completed new stadium. The stadium is located about 2.5 statute miles from the departure end of the 30L and right runway complex at sjc and the scoreboard is situated almost directly in the flight crew's line of sight on final approach; the takeoff roll and initial departure.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 1157739 |
| Time | |
| Date | 201403 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801-2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | SJC.Airport |
| State Reference | CA |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | Takeoff |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Function | First Officer |
| Experience | Flight Crew Last 90 Days 250 Flight Crew Type 7000 |
| Person 2 | |
| Function | Captain |
| Qualification | Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP) |
| Experience | Flight Crew Last 90 Days 237 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | Other Unwanted Situation |
Narrative:
While descending into sjc about 50 NM out; we noticed a bright illumination just north of the airport. We figured out as we got closer that it was the new scoreboard/jumbotron on the new stadium approximately 3 NM north of the airport. (It was twilight/dusk not fully dark yet.) we mentioned to each other how bright it was and how distracting it was becoming as we got closer to the airport to land on [runway] 30L.when we landed; taxied clear of the runways; and headed into our gate; we asked what exactly the bright light was and ground confirmed it was the new scoreboard on the new stadium. We told ground that it is very bright and it is a big distraction as it washes out the lights of the runway environment. Another aircraft on frequency said; 'we concur.'when we departed 35 minutes later it was fully night time conditions. We were cleared to line up and wait on runway 30R. As we lined up we noticed how much brighter the scoreboard was in the full night time conditions. The illumination from the scoreboard was so bright that it washed out part of the runway lighting as the scoreboard sits just right of the centerline lights. It is a very distracting condition especially in that phase of flight where it is critical to have your full concentration on your scan and maintain centerline. The scoreboard illumination at this time was in a solid color. If it was active; with the screen changing and blinking; it would definitely increase the distraction.as we climbed out we could still see the effects to about 1;000 AGL. As we turned on the departure and headed south; we mentioned it to departure control and let him know it was a very bright distraction. We both discussed it and feel it is without a doubt a safety concern as it is right in the view of the runway lighting and visual picture and that is so bright it distracts you in the most critical phase of flight and could compound an emergency situation.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: An air carrier flight crew addressed their concerns regarding the location and intensity of illumination of the jumbo sized scoreboard installed in the soon to be completed new stadium. The stadium is located about 2.5 statute miles from the departure end of the 30L and R runway complex at SJC and the scoreboard is situated almost directly in the flight crew's line of sight on final approach; the takeoff roll and initial departure.
Narrative: While descending into SJC about 50 NM out; we noticed a bright illumination just north of the airport. We figured out as we got closer that it was the new scoreboard/jumbotron on the new Stadium approximately 3 NM north of the airport. (It was twilight/dusk not fully dark yet.) We mentioned to each other how bright it was and how distracting it was becoming as we got closer to the airport to land on [Runway] 30L.When we landed; taxied clear of the runways; and headed into our gate; we asked what exactly the bright light was and Ground confirmed it was the new scoreboard on the new stadium. We told Ground that it is very bright and it is a big distraction as it washes out the lights of the runway environment. Another aircraft on frequency said; 'We concur.'When we departed 35 minutes later it was fully night time conditions. We were cleared to line up and wait on Runway 30R. As we lined up we noticed how much brighter the scoreboard was in the full night time conditions. The illumination from the scoreboard was so bright that it washed out part of the runway lighting as the scoreboard sits just right of the centerline lights. It is a very distracting condition especially in that phase of flight where it is critical to have your full concentration on your scan and maintain centerline. The scoreboard illumination at this time was in a solid color. If it was active; with the screen changing and blinking; it would definitely increase the distraction.As we climbed out we could still see the effects to about 1;000 AGL. As we turned on the departure and headed south; we mentioned it to Departure Control and let him know it was a very bright distraction. We both discussed it and feel it is without a doubt a safety concern as it is right in the view of the runway lighting and visual picture and that is so bright it distracts you in the most critical phase of flight and could compound an emergency situation.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.