 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
ATCT local controller reports that numerous pilots have difficulty locating the gtf airport because airport beacon is obscured by high intensity ramp lighting.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 128383 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198911 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : gtf |
| State Reference | MT |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 8000 msl bound upper : 25000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach descent other landing other |
| Route In Use | approach : visual |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : local |
| Qualification | controller : non radar |
| Experience | controller non radar : 2 controller radar : 1 |
| ASRS Report | 128383 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Airport |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
| Situations | |
| Airport | other physical facility |
Narrative:
High intensity ramp lighting installed just below the rotating beacon frequently prevents or delays airborne pilot sighting of the beacon. Because malmstrom AFB is nearby pilots often see the beacon there and think it is gtf with the resulting confusion. The pilot of the above described aircraft was able to see the beacon at malmstrom from a distance of 40 mi but could not pick out gtf until on the close downwind. The ramp lights need to be shielded or redirected to allow the beacon's tower intensity to be more visible.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ATCT LCL CTLR REPORTS THAT NUMEROUS PLTS HAVE DIFFICULTY LOCATING THE GTF ARPT BECAUSE ARPT BEACON IS OBSCURED BY HIGH INTENSITY RAMP LIGHTING.
Narrative: HIGH INTENSITY RAMP LIGHTING INSTALLED JUST BELOW THE ROTATING BEACON FREQUENTLY PREVENTS OR DELAYS AIRBORNE PLT SIGHTING OF THE BEACON. BECAUSE MALMSTROM AFB IS NEARBY PLTS OFTEN SEE THE BEACON THERE AND THINK IT IS GTF WITH THE RESULTING CONFUSION. THE PLT OF THE ABOVE DESCRIBED ACFT WAS ABLE TO SEE THE BEACON AT MALMSTROM FROM A DISTANCE OF 40 MI BUT COULD NOT PICK OUT GTF UNTIL ON THE CLOSE DOWNWIND. THE RAMP LIGHTS NEED TO BE SHIELDED OR REDIRECTED TO ALLOW THE BEACON'S TWR INTENSITY TO BE MORE VISIBLE.
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.