Narrative:

The recent accident at lax proves once again (re: recent runway collisions) that it is extremely difficult to see an aircraft on the runway at night when it is illuminated only with navigation lights and rotating beacons. In this accident, even the controller in the tower was unable to see the aircraft on the runway. This accident has been waiting for a place to happen ever since the airline industry embraced the procedure of not turning the landing lights and strobe lights on (when cleared into position and hold) until receiving a clearance to takeoff, which sometimes is several mins after taking the runway. Allegedly, the benefit is saving money on lights, traffic crossing downfield and comfort for pilots awaiting their turn while holding short of the runway. The problem with this is the tremendous erosion of safety. It is extremely difficult to see any aircraft (regardless of size) on the runway at night if it does not have landing lights and strobe lights on. It is challenging enough for a crew on an approach to land to remain situationally aware west/O having aircraft on the runway hiding in the T/D zone lighting when the use of landing and strobe lights would make its position obvious. Yrs ago you could not receive a clearance to land until you were #1 to land, and the runway was clear of other aircraft an vehs. Now in order to increase traffic flows, you not only receive a clearance to land with an aircraft still on the runway, but one of more aircraft in front of you also has a clearance to land, or an aircraft could be cleared onto the runway for takeoff (or position and hold, first). We've experienced an erosion of safety because of these changes. I believe it is time to reverse the process. Whenever an aircraft is cleared onto a runway, the landing lights and strobe lights should be turned on (even though a clearance to takeoff has not been received). The tower should not issue a clearance to land to an airborne aircraft if there is another aircraft on the runway (holding in position or on landing rollout), or another aircraft in flight has a clearance to land (on the same runway).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REPORTER RECOMMENDS SEVERAL CHANGES TO PRESENT ACCEPTED PROCS REGARDING ACFT LIGHTS AND LNDG CLRNCS.

Narrative: THE RECENT ACCIDENT AT LAX PROVES ONCE AGAIN (RE: RECENT RWY COLLISIONS) THAT IT IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO SEE AN ACFT ON THE RWY AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS ILLUMINATED ONLY WITH NAV LIGHTS AND ROTATING BEACONS. IN THIS ACCIDENT, EVEN THE CTLR IN THE TWR WAS UNABLE TO SEE THE ACFT ON THE RWY. THIS ACCIDENT HAS BEEN WAITING FOR A PLACE TO HAPPEN EVER SINCE THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY EMBRACED THE PROC OF NOT TURNING THE LNDG LIGHTS AND STROBE LIGHTS ON (WHEN CLRED INTO POS AND HOLD) UNTIL RECEIVING A CLRNC TO TKOF, WHICH SOMETIMES IS SEVERAL MINS AFTER TAKING THE RWY. ALLEGEDLY, THE BENEFIT IS SAVING MONEY ON LIGHTS, TFC XING DOWNFIELD AND COMFORT FOR PLTS AWAITING THEIR TURN WHILE HOLDING SHORT OF THE RWY. THE PROB WITH THIS IS THE TREMENDOUS EROSION OF SAFETY. IT IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO SEE ANY ACFT (REGARDLESS OF SIZE) ON THE RWY AT NIGHT IF IT DOES NOT HAVE LNDG LIGHTS AND STROBE LIGHTS ON. IT IS CHALLENGING ENOUGH FOR A CREW ON AN APCH TO LAND TO REMAIN SITUATIONALLY AWARE W/O HAVING ACFT ON THE RWY HIDING IN THE T/D ZONE LIGHTING WHEN THE USE OF LNDG AND STROBE LIGHTS WOULD MAKE ITS POS OBVIOUS. YRS AGO YOU COULD NOT RECEIVE A CLRNC TO LAND UNTIL YOU WERE #1 TO LAND, AND THE RWY WAS CLR OF OTHER ACFT AN VEHS. NOW IN ORDER TO INCREASE TFC FLOWS, YOU NOT ONLY RECEIVE A CLRNC TO LAND WITH AN ACFT STILL ON THE RWY, BUT ONE OF MORE ACFT IN FRONT OF YOU ALSO HAS A CLRNC TO LAND, OR AN ACFT COULD BE CLRED ONTO THE RWY FOR TKOF (OR POS AND HOLD, FIRST). WE'VE EXPERIENCED AN EROSION OF SAFETY BECAUSE OF THESE CHANGES. I BELIEVE IT IS TIME TO REVERSE THE PROCESS. WHENEVER AN ACFT IS CLRED ONTO A RWY, THE LNDG LIGHTS AND STROBE LIGHTS SHOULD BE TURNED ON (EVEN THOUGH A CLRNC TO TKOF HAS NOT BEEN RECEIVED). THE TWR SHOULD NOT ISSUE A CLRNC TO LAND TO AN AIRBORNE ACFT IF THERE IS ANOTHER ACFT ON THE RWY (HOLDING IN POS OR ON LNDG ROLLOUT), OR ANOTHER ACFT IN FLT HAS A CLRNC TO LAND (ON THE SAME RWY).

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.