Narrative:

Abq night approach to a visibility runway 26 from the southwest. Approach control gave us a vector towards the mountain and switched us over to tower on downwind. Tower asked us to 'extend our downwind' (again towards the hills at night) and then after we began our base turn, he asked us to 'square our base' for traffic. Normal descent was begun on base runway in sight. Shortly thereafter a hill came into view from landing lights 12 O'clock 'slightly high'!! A pull up and power increase were required to clear the ground! Because of poor (or no) lighting on the 3 hills that extended west from the mountains just east of the airport, they are 'invisible' at night. Had we not had our landing lights on, we would have impacted the hill! Visibility apches to this runway at night (especially from the south) are dangerous! Right traffic only or at least close monitoring by approach and tower would make these apches safer. ATC should assist in terrain avoidance not promote it. Also the 'caution' that is printed on the approach plates is misleading because terrain is well over 6300' just beyond 4.6 NM from airport and is not depicted on chart. Recommend a special procedure be drafted for night operations to runway 26 and perhaps putting lights on those 3 peaks.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF MLG ON VISUAL APCH TO ABQ ENCOUNTERED TERRAIN EAST OF ARPT APCH FOR RWY 26.

Narrative: ABQ NIGHT APCH TO A VIS RWY 26 FROM THE SW. APCH CTL GAVE US A VECTOR TOWARDS THE MOUNTAIN AND SWITCHED US OVER TO TWR ON DOWNWIND. TWR ASKED US TO 'EXTEND OUR DOWNWIND' (AGAIN TOWARDS THE HILLS AT NIGHT) AND THEN AFTER WE BEGAN OUR BASE TURN, HE ASKED US TO 'SQUARE OUR BASE' FOR TFC. NORMAL DSNT WAS BEGUN ON BASE RWY IN SIGHT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER A HILL CAME INTO VIEW FROM LNDG LIGHTS 12 O'CLOCK 'SLIGHTLY HIGH'!! A PULL UP AND PWR INCREASE WERE REQUIRED TO CLR THE GND! BECAUSE OF POOR (OR NO) LIGHTING ON THE 3 HILLS THAT EXTENDED W FROM THE MOUNTAINS JUST E OF THE ARPT, THEY ARE 'INVISIBLE' AT NIGHT. HAD WE NOT HAD OUR LNDG LIGHTS ON, WE WOULD HAVE IMPACTED THE HILL! VIS APCHES TO THIS RWY AT NIGHT (ESPECIALLY FROM THE S) ARE DANGEROUS! RIGHT TFC ONLY OR AT LEAST CLOSE MONITORING BY APCH AND TWR WOULD MAKE THESE APCHES SAFER. ATC SHOULD ASSIST IN TERRAIN AVOIDANCE NOT PROMOTE IT. ALSO THE 'CAUTION' THAT IS PRINTED ON THE APCH PLATES IS MISLEADING BECAUSE TERRAIN IS WELL OVER 6300' JUST BEYOND 4.6 NM FROM ARPT AND IS NOT DEPICTED ON CHART. RECOMMEND A SPECIAL PROC BE DRAFTED FOR NIGHT OPS TO RWY 26 AND PERHAPS PUTTING LIGHTS ON THOSE 3 PEAKS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.