Cga attempting to land during adverse WX conditions made a go around due to runway lighting problems...

Attributes
ACN	117246
Time
Date	198907
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : elp
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : elp
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Light Transport
Flight Phase	landing : go around landing other
Route In Use	approach : visual arrival other
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Route In Use	departure other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller non radar : 6 controller radar : 4 flight time last 90 days : 5 flight time total : 1500
ASRS Report	117246
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	other physical facility

Narrative:

Approach and departure control were combined in the cabin attendant. I was working all positions with thunderstorms moving onto field from the north. 2 arrivals for visual approach (cga X and another cga, and cga Y) taxiing for departure. Cga X encountered a portion of storm not depicted on radar. I had circular polarization on and minimum receiver gain selected because of WX. Canopy was fogged. I attempted to vector cga X to visual approach first to runway 22, then to runway 8R because of deteriorating WX on runway 22 final. I turned runway lights on runway 8R to step 5 to help cga X see the runway. Shortly afterward, I cleared cga Y for takeoff on runway 8R. When he was approximately 2000' down the runway, I switched runway lights to step 4 because cga X reported runway in sight. All runway lights failed. Cga Y appeared to decelerate, then changed his mind and resumed takeoff. While I was trying to reset the runway lights, I thought cga Y would run out of runway before getting airborne, and no lights to tell him he was running out of room. Cga X went around. Cga Y got airborne ok. I tried to vector cga X to runway 4 now, but runway lights won't go above step 3, and cga X can't see runway (canopy still fogged). Meanwhile, I discovered reils on runway 8R were OTS, and approach lights runway 22 OTS. Half of runway and approach lights for entire airport don't work right. Also, situation was complicated by fact that 2 20' BRITE radar screens for cabin attendant were OTS. I was working all this on 12' BRITE I that is older than I am. Definition and focus sucks. I can't see targets, can barely see tags. The WX was now over the airport. I had to vector cga X visually from cabin attendant windows. This is not good at night because no depth perception. The controller coming on duty tried to switch facility to engine generator to prevent power surges from lightning. The ARTS scattered, all facility lights were flickering, and radar was unusable.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CGA ATTEMPTING TO LAND DURING ADVERSE WX CONDITIONS MADE A GO AROUND DUE TO RWY LIGHTING PROBLEMS.

Narrative: APCH AND DEP CTL WERE COMBINED IN THE CAB. I WAS WORKING ALL POSITIONS WITH TSTMS MOVING ONTO FIELD FROM THE NORTH. 2 ARRIVALS FOR VISUAL APCH (CGA X AND ANOTHER CGA, AND CGA Y) TAXIING FOR DEP. CGA X ENCOUNTERED A PORTION OF STORM NOT DEPICTED ON RADAR. I HAD CIRCULAR POLARIZATION ON AND MINIMUM RECEIVER GAIN SELECTED BECAUSE OF WX. CANOPY WAS FOGGED. I ATTEMPTED TO VECTOR CGA X TO VISUAL APCH FIRST TO RWY 22, THEN TO RWY 8R BECAUSE OF DETERIORATING WX ON RWY 22 FINAL. I TURNED RWY LIGHTS ON RWY 8R TO STEP 5 TO HELP CGA X SEE THE RWY. SHORTLY AFTERWARD, I CLRED CGA Y FOR TKOF ON RWY 8R. WHEN HE WAS APPROX 2000' DOWN THE RWY, I SWITCHED RWY LIGHTS TO STEP 4 BECAUSE CGA X REPORTED RWY IN SIGHT. ALL RWY LIGHTS FAILED. CGA Y APPEARED TO DECELERATE, THEN CHANGED HIS MIND AND RESUMED TKOF. WHILE I WAS TRYING TO RESET THE RWY LIGHTS, I THOUGHT CGA Y WOULD RUN OUT OF RWY BEFORE GETTING AIRBORNE, AND NO LIGHTS TO TELL HIM HE WAS RUNNING OUT OF ROOM. CGA X WENT AROUND. CGA Y GOT AIRBORNE OK. I TRIED TO VECTOR CGA X TO RWY 4 NOW, BUT RWY LIGHTS WON'T GO ABOVE STEP 3, AND CGA X CAN'T SEE RWY (CANOPY STILL FOGGED). MEANWHILE, I DISCOVERED REILS ON RWY 8R WERE OTS, AND APCH LIGHTS RWY 22 OTS. HALF OF RWY AND APCH LIGHTS FOR ENTIRE ARPT DON'T WORK RIGHT. ALSO, SITUATION WAS COMPLICATED BY FACT THAT 2 20' BRITE RADAR SCREENS FOR CAB WERE OTS. I WAS WORKING ALL THIS ON 12' BRITE I THAT IS OLDER THAN I AM. DEFINITION AND FOCUS SUCKS. I CAN'T SEE TARGETS, CAN BARELY SEE TAGS. THE WX WAS NOW OVER THE ARPT. I HAD TO VECTOR CGA X VISUALLY FROM CAB WINDOWS. THIS IS NOT GOOD AT NIGHT BECAUSE NO DEPTH PERCEPTION. THE CTLR COMING ON DUTY TRIED TO SWITCH FACILITY TO ENGINE GENERATOR TO PREVENT POWER SURGES FROM LIGHTNING. THE ARTS SCATTERED, ALL FACILITY LIGHTS WERE FLICKERING, AND RADAR WAS UNUSABLE.

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.