Narrative:

During descent for landing at bfl while passing through 8000', approximately 19 NM southeast of airport and on the localizer, we observed what appeared to be while random alternating unsequenced flashes of light that appeared northwest of bfl and resembling the flash of ground based explosions. As we inquired with approach control as to what they were, the pattern of lights shifted in an erratic manner as in an artillery barrage. Within micro seconds the lights moved from a stationary point on the wind screen and FLIP-flopped to the left. An objective then came into view when the left landing light illuminated an airplane (small high wing or low wing in a bank, light colored) between the left wing and the fuselage abeam captain's window. The airplane appeared to be doing an acrobatic maneuver. Further complicating the identification of the white unsequenced flashes of light as coming from an aircraft was the absence of red/green wing lights, rotating beacon, random unsequenced STAR-like nature of the lights, and their appearance as explosions on the ground miles ahead. Discussions with bfl ground personnel revealed the existence of an experimental aircraft group that flies in that area and has a reputation for 'doing what they please when they please, and where they please.' certainly, there is nothing to connect this group with this midair near miss. However, something needs to be done to alert other crews to this bfl hazard and to inform/reiterate to local/all pilots the proper procedures, place, and requirements for acrobatic flight. We were lucky, the next night not be so fortunate!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LGT ON DESCENT INTO BFL HAD NMAC WITH UNIDENTIFIED SMA. AT NIGHT, UNUSUAL STROBE LIGHTS CAUSED IDENTIFICATION CONFUSION.

Narrative: DURING DSCNT FOR LNDG AT BFL WHILE PASSING THROUGH 8000', APPROX 19 NM SE OF ARPT AND ON THE LOC, WE OBSERVED WHAT APPEARED TO BE WHILE RANDOM ALTERNATING UNSEQUENCED FLASHES OF LIGHT THAT APPEARED NW OF BFL AND RESEMBLING THE FLASH OF GND BASED EXPLOSIONS. AS WE INQUIRED WITH APCH CTL AS TO WHAT THEY WERE, THE PATTERN OF LIGHTS SHIFTED IN AN ERRATIC MANNER AS IN AN ARTILLERY BARRAGE. WITHIN MICRO SECONDS THE LIGHTS MOVED FROM A STATIONARY POINT ON THE WIND SCREEN AND FLIP-FLOPPED TO THE LEFT. AN OBJECTIVE THEN CAME INTO VIEW WHEN THE LEFT LNDG LIGHT ILLUMINATED AN AIRPLANE (SMALL HIGH WING OR LOW WING IN A BANK, LIGHT COLORED) BETWEEN THE LEFT WING AND THE FUSELAGE ABEAM CAPT'S WINDOW. THE AIRPLANE APPEARED TO BE DOING AN ACROBATIC MANEUVER. FURTHER COMPLICATING THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE WHITE UNSEQUENCED FLASHES OF LIGHT AS COMING FROM AN ACFT WAS THE ABSENCE OF RED/GREEN WING LIGHTS, ROTATING BEACON, RANDOM UNSEQUENCED STAR-LIKE NATURE OF THE LIGHTS, AND THEIR APPEARANCE AS EXPLOSIONS ON THE GND MILES AHEAD. DISCUSSIONS WITH BFL GND PERSONNEL REVEALED THE EXISTENCE OF AN EXPERIMENTAL ACFT GROUP THAT FLIES IN THAT AREA AND HAS A REPUTATION FOR 'DOING WHAT THEY PLEASE WHEN THEY PLEASE, AND WHERE THEY PLEASE.' CERTAINLY, THERE IS NOTHING TO CONNECT THIS GROUP WITH THIS MIDAIR NEAR MISS. HOWEVER, SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE TO ALERT OTHER CREWS TO THIS BFL HAZARD AND TO INFORM/REITERATE TO LOCAL/ALL PLTS THE PROPER PROCS, PLACE, AND REQUIREMENTS FOR ACROBATIC FLT. WE WERE LUCKY, THE NEXT NIGHT NOT BE SO FORTUNATE!

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.