Narrative:

Instruments from abq conditions cleared west of st johns. Flight conditions good. Center handed off to palm springs approach. Set for -- vectored to 13 DME fix. Turned runway lights on by 5 clicks on 122.8 at fix. At flair out runway lights went out. There was no light from any source. Total blackness at flair out. No time to change frequency and click microphone for light. Nose light of aircraft gave limited orientation to runway direction and limitations. Plane was stopped safely. Problem seems that helicopters and light aircraft put runway lights on for orientation to their location. When multi clicks occur system breaks down and shuts everything off. This night this is what happened as was related to me while putting plane away. I cannot understand how an airport can have a published approach and have a lighting system that any aircraft within 30 plus mi can turn on and off for any reason. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter states helicopters use runway lights to identify position relative to the airport. It is very dark in this area and there is not much to identify location. They frequently turn lights on then off. Bigger problem is local pilots who think it a great thrill to see the lights go on and off and simply play with the system. 5 clicks turn lights on, 6TH click will turn lights off. When this happens a few times in sequence the relay will hang up and cannot turn on again for a while. Reporter feels there should not be such a condition when instrument approach is available at the airport. In inclement WX this could pose a more serious problem than he experienced, which was bad enough.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT ON INST APCH HAS RWY LIGHTS TURNED OFF AS HE IS ABOUT TO FLAIR. NO TIME TO SWITCH FREQ TO RECYCLE LIGHTS.

Narrative: INSTS FROM ABQ CONDITIONS CLRED W OF ST JOHNS. FLT CONDITIONS GOOD. CTR HANDED OFF TO PALM SPRINGS APCH. SET FOR -- VECTORED TO 13 DME FIX. TURNED RWY LIGHTS ON BY 5 CLICKS ON 122.8 AT FIX. AT FLAIR OUT RWY LIGHTS WENT OUT. THERE WAS NO LIGHT FROM ANY SOURCE. TOTAL BLACKNESS AT FLAIR OUT. NO TIME TO CHANGE FREQ AND CLICK MIKE FOR LIGHT. NOSE LIGHT OF ACFT GAVE LIMITED ORIENTATION TO RWY DIRECTION AND LIMITATIONS. PLANE WAS STOPPED SAFELY. PROBLEM SEEMS THAT HELIS AND LIGHT ACFT PUT RWY LIGHTS ON FOR ORIENTATION TO THEIR LOCATION. WHEN MULTI CLICKS OCCUR SYS BREAKS DOWN AND SHUTS EVERYTHING OFF. THIS NIGHT THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED AS WAS RELATED TO ME WHILE PUTTING PLANE AWAY. I CANNOT UNDERSTAND HOW AN ARPT CAN HAVE A PUBLISHED APCH AND HAVE A LIGHTING SYS THAT ANY ACFT WITHIN 30 PLUS MI CAN TURN ON AND OFF FOR ANY REASON. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR STATES HELIS USE RWY LIGHTS TO IDENT POS RELATIVE TO THE ARPT. IT IS VERY DARK IN THIS AREA AND THERE IS NOT MUCH TO IDENT LOCATION. THEY FREQUENTLY TURN LIGHTS ON THEN OFF. BIGGER PROBLEM IS LCL PLTS WHO THINK IT A GREAT THRILL TO SEE THE LIGHTS GO ON AND OFF AND SIMPLY PLAY WITH THE SYS. 5 CLICKS TURN LIGHTS ON, 6TH CLICK WILL TURN LIGHTS OFF. WHEN THIS HAPPENS A FEW TIMES IN SEQUENCE THE RELAY WILL HANG UP AND CANNOT TURN ON AGAIN FOR A WHILE. RPTR FEELS THERE SHOULD NOT BE SUCH A CONDITION WHEN INST APCH IS AVAILABLE AT THE ARPT. IN INCLEMENT WX THIS COULD POSE A MORE SERIOUS PROBLEM THAN HE EXPERIENCED, WHICH WAS BAD ENOUGH.

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.