Narrative:

I have been operating a flight that arrives in cha every sun night. I have noticed that there are very distracting ground lights on the ILS approach to runway 20 at cha. The lights originate from 2 automobile dealerships that are located just left (east) of the final approach to ILS 20 at cha. The lights are rather close to the airport on short final. The lights cover a large area, are bright white and are not shielded. The lights are very bright--much brighter than the runway or approach lights. The lights present a hazard as they could easily be mistaken for approach lights under reduced visibility conditions. In VFR conditions, the bright lights tend to destroy your night vision on short final. With the runway edge lights on step 3 and approach lights on step 2, the dealership lights totally wash the runway lights. Cha tower reported that they have had at least 1 incident where they felt that the lights were a factor in a below G/south incident that occurred during poor visibility conditions. This is an accident waiting to happen! On a night when there is high humidity or moisture content in the air, the lights from this automatic row filter up and create a glare that obscures the runway. One must pay strict attention to the G/south indicator to prevent starting an approach on the lights and/or losing sight of the runway lights. The lights are to the left of the ILS but reflect into the cockpit until cockpit lights must be turned up to high.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GND LIGHTS FROM AUTO ROW TO LEFT ON ILS APCH TO RWY 20 AT CHA OBSCURE RWY LIGHTS.

Narrative: I HAVE BEEN OPERATING A FLT THAT ARRIVES IN CHA EVERY SUN NIGHT. I HAVE NOTICED THAT THERE ARE VERY DISTRACTING GND LIGHTS ON THE ILS APCH TO RWY 20 AT CHA. THE LIGHTS ORIGINATE FROM 2 AUTOMOBILE DEALERSHIPS THAT ARE LOCATED JUST LEFT (E) OF THE FINAL APCH TO ILS 20 AT CHA. THE LIGHTS ARE RATHER CLOSE TO THE ARPT ON SHORT FINAL. THE LIGHTS COVER A LARGE AREA, ARE BRIGHT WHITE AND ARE NOT SHIELDED. THE LIGHTS ARE VERY BRIGHT--MUCH BRIGHTER THAN THE RWY OR APCH LIGHTS. THE LIGHTS PRESENT A HAZARD AS THEY COULD EASILY BE MISTAKEN FOR APCH LIGHTS UNDER REDUCED VISIBILITY CONDITIONS. IN VFR CONDITIONS, THE BRIGHT LIGHTS TEND TO DESTROY YOUR NIGHT VISION ON SHORT FINAL. WITH THE RWY EDGE LIGHTS ON STEP 3 AND APCH LIGHTS ON STEP 2, THE DEALERSHIP LIGHTS TOTALLY WASH THE RWY LIGHTS. CHA TWR RPTED THAT THEY HAVE HAD AT LEAST 1 INCIDENT WHERE THEY FELT THAT THE LIGHTS WERE A FACTOR IN A BELOW G/S INCIDENT THAT OCCURRED DURING POOR VISIBILITY CONDITIONS. THIS IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN! ON A NIGHT WHEN THERE IS HIGH HUMIDITY OR MOISTURE CONTENT IN THE AIR, THE LIGHTS FROM THIS AUTO ROW FILTER UP AND CREATE A GLARE THAT OBSCURES THE RWY. ONE MUST PAY STRICT ATTN TO THE G/S INDICATOR TO PREVENT STARTING AN APCH ON THE LIGHTS AND/OR LOSING SIGHT OF THE RWY LIGHTS. THE LIGHTS ARE TO THE LEFT OF THE ILS BUT REFLECT INTO THE COCKPIT UNTIL COCKPIT LIGHTS MUST BE TURNED UP TO HIGH.

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.