Small aircraft pilot reports that vkx NOTAM for PAPI lights references unusability beyond three degr...

Attributes
ACN	1161759
Time
Date	201404
Local Time Of Day	1801-2400
Place
Locale Reference	VKX.Airport
State Reference	MD
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	Landing
Route In Use	Visual Approach
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Function	Instructor Pilot Not Flying
Qualification	Flight Crew Flight Instructor Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP) Flight Crew Instrument Flight Crew Multiengine
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 20 Flight Crew Total 8000 Flight Crew Type 10
Events
Anomaly	No Specific Anomaly Occurred All Types

Narrative:

While landing on runways at vkx at night; the PAPI on each runway (in this case; runway 6; but runway 24 has the same problem) is unreliable. For example; coming on runway 6 the NOTAM says; 'dca 03/236 vkx runway 6 PAPI unusable 3 degree left or right of course 1403131725-perm.' however; there is only one light on the P2L PAPI that changes from white to red as you get too low. The aim says there should be two lights. Most pilots at the airport are skeptical of the PAPI; so they don't use it. This 'communal' knowledge tends to work out because the vkx airport is in the dc-frz; so there are few (if any) visitors to the airport. However; the NOTAM and maintenance system needs to be upgraded to better disseminate this information.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: Small aircraft pilot reports that VKX NOTAM for PAPI lights references unusability beyond three degrees left or right of center; but no mention of lights being out; which there appear to be.

Narrative: While landing on runways at VKX at night; the PAPI on each runway (in this case; Runway 6; but Runway 24 has the same problem) is unreliable. For example; coming on Runway 6 the NOTAM says; 'DCA 03/236 VKX RWY 6 PAPI UNUSABLE 3 DEG LEFT OR RIGHT OF COURSE 1403131725-PERM.' However; there is only one light on the P2L PAPI that changes from White to Red as you get too low. The AIM says there should be two lights. Most pilots at the airport are skeptical of the PAPI; so they don't use it. This 'communal' knowledge tends to work out because the VKX airport is in the DC-FRZ; so there are few (if any) visitors to the airport. However; the NOTAM and maintenance system needs to be upgraded to better disseminate this information.

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.

Small aircraft pilot reports that vkx NOTAM for PAPI lights references unusability beyond three degrees left or right of center; but no mention of lights being out; which there appear to be.