Narrative:

Galena, ak is a joint civilian and military airport with 3 arresting cables on the runway which are sometimes in use. Before landing, on an extended final, I asked the other crew member about the status of the cables. He checked the tower. They advised they were up. I planned to land past the 2 cables on the approach end of runway 25 before the one on the far end. I had landed on 25 before, but not at night or in 'dusk' conditions, not that I can recall with the cables up on that end. Still, I didn't think they would be hard to see, as I assumed they would be well marked with lights, which in my opinion they definitely are not. Before landing, I verified with the other pilot where the cables were that I needed to cross before landing and he explained where they were, but I misunderstood him. As I mistook the first one for the second had to roll across the second cable after landing. After shutdown, we could see immediately that a brake line was broken on the left main, and a few minutes later that one of the 4 brake duck assemblies was missing. I feel that one of the biggest causes of my landing in front of one of those cables was the lack of adequate lighting marking the cable location, and the poor quality of the lights that are there. All there is right now to mark the cable location at night is one very dim yellow light on either side of the runway, outside the 1000' markers for 'distance remaining'. You don't see the cables at all until your aircraft landing lights shine on them or the white paint beneath them. I think some other form of lighting is necessary. The distance from the VASI to the middle cable should be listed on the approach charts and the airport diagram.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR TURBOPROP SMT DAMAGES ASSEMBLY WHILE LNDG AT JOINT CIVIL MILITARY ARPT.

Narrative: GALENA, AK IS A JOINT CIVILIAN AND MIL ARPT WITH 3 ARRESTING CABLES ON THE RWY WHICH ARE SOMETIMES IN USE. BEFORE LNDG, ON AN EXTENDED FINAL, I ASKED THE OTHER CREW MEMBER ABOUT THE STATUS OF THE CABLES. HE CHECKED THE TWR. THEY ADVISED THEY WERE UP. I PLANNED TO LAND PAST THE 2 CABLES ON THE APCH END OF RWY 25 BEFORE THE ONE ON THE FAR END. I HAD LANDED ON 25 BEFORE, BUT NOT AT NIGHT OR IN 'DUSK' CONDITIONS, NOT THAT I CAN RECALL WITH THE CABLES UP ON THAT END. STILL, I DIDN'T THINK THEY WOULD BE HARD TO SEE, AS I ASSUMED THEY WOULD BE WELL MARKED WITH LIGHTS, WHICH IN MY OPINION THEY DEFINITELY ARE NOT. BEFORE LNDG, I VERIFIED WITH THE OTHER PLT WHERE THE CABLES WERE THAT I NEEDED TO CROSS BEFORE LNDG AND HE EXPLAINED WHERE THEY WERE, BUT I MISUNDERSTOOD HIM. AS I MISTOOK THE FIRST ONE FOR THE SECOND HAD TO ROLL ACROSS THE SECOND CABLE AFTER LNDG. AFTER SHUTDOWN, WE COULD SEE IMMEDIATELY THAT A BRAKE LINE WAS BROKEN ON THE LEFT MAIN, AND A FEW MINUTES LATER THAT ONE OF THE 4 BRAKE DUCK ASSEMBLIES WAS MISSING. I FEEL THAT ONE OF THE BIGGEST CAUSES OF MY LNDG IN FRONT OF ONE OF THOSE CABLES WAS THE LACK OF ADEQUATE LIGHTING MARKING THE CABLE LOCATION, AND THE POOR QUALITY OF THE LIGHTS THAT ARE THERE. ALL THERE IS RIGHT NOW TO MARK THE CABLE LOCATION AT NIGHT IS ONE VERY DIM YELLOW LIGHT ON EITHER SIDE OF THE RWY, OUTSIDE THE 1000' MARKERS FOR 'DISTANCE REMAINING'. YOU DON'T SEE THE CABLES AT ALL UNTIL YOUR ACFT LNDG LIGHTS SHINE ON THEM OR THE WHITE PAINT BENEATH THEM. I THINK SOME OTHER FORM OF LIGHTING IS NECESSARY. THE DISTANCE FROM THE VASI TO THE MIDDLE CABLE SHOULD BE LISTED ON THE APCH CHARTS AND THE ARPT DIAGRAM.

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.