Narrative:

Subject: unsafe night taxi and parking at bhm. This report in no way is to imply that any of the ground personnel at bhm is to be held in any blame. Rather, it is to make aware, and hopefully correct, an unsafe and possibly life-threatening condition. When an aircraft is assigned to park in what is referred to as the 'remote,' at night, the aircraft, crew, and ground personnel is put at risk of injury and possible death. This area is not labeled on the airport taxi diagram of the chart. Crews cannot orient themselves to this location. Several of the txwys are not lighted or well marked for safe night operations. They also appear to be in a state of bad repair. The sides of 1 taxiway is crumbling and has tall weeds growing up through the asphalt. At night this causes flcs to question if in fact they are on an open, safe taxiway. The main entrance used to enter the 'remote' is unlighted, and unmarked by either signs or ground markings that show at night. This main entrance is also directly 90 degrees off of an active runway. Since it is unsafe to stay located on an active runway for extended periods of time, when not taking off or landing, flcs not being able to quickly and positively identify this turn off, are forced to take unacceptable risk. The 'remote' is totally unlighted, and is in what appears to be a bad state of repair. The asphalt is cracked, with tall weeds growing over much of the area. Since flcs must rely on marshalling to keep the aircraft safe, the aircraft taxi light cannot be used in fear of blinding the marshalls, who may then issue unsafe taxi commands that could cause the aircraft to contact ground personnel, causing possible death. It is my recommendation that this taxi and parking operation be terminated immediately. Until at a time changes allow this to be a safe and non life-threatening operation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLC COMPLAINS OF CONDITIONS REF LIGHTING AND SIGNAGE IN 'REMOTE' PARKING AREA.

Narrative: SUBJECT: UNSAFE NIGHT TAXI AND PARKING AT BHM. THIS RPT IN NO WAY IS TO IMPLY THAT ANY OF THE GND PERSONNEL AT BHM IS TO BE HELD IN ANY BLAME. RATHER, IT IS TO MAKE AWARE, AND HOPEFULLY CORRECT, AN UNSAFE AND POSSIBLY LIFE-THREATENING CONDITION. WHEN AN ACFT IS ASSIGNED TO PARK IN WHAT IS REFERRED TO AS THE 'REMOTE,' AT NIGHT, THE ACFT, CREW, AND GND PERSONNEL IS PUT AT RISK OF INJURY AND POSSIBLE DEATH. THIS AREA IS NOT LABELED ON THE ARPT TAXI DIAGRAM OF THE CHART. CREWS CANNOT ORIENT THEMSELVES TO THIS LOCATION. SEVERAL OF THE TXWYS ARE NOT LIGHTED OR WELL MARKED FOR SAFE NIGHT OPS. THEY ALSO APPEAR TO BE IN A STATE OF BAD REPAIR. THE SIDES OF 1 TXWY IS CRUMBLING AND HAS TALL WEEDS GROWING UP THROUGH THE ASPHALT. AT NIGHT THIS CAUSES FLCS TO QUESTION IF IN FACT THEY ARE ON AN OPEN, SAFE TXWY. THE MAIN ENTRANCE USED TO ENTER THE 'REMOTE' IS UNLIGHTED, AND UNMARKED BY EITHER SIGNS OR GND MARKINGS THAT SHOW AT NIGHT. THIS MAIN ENTRANCE IS ALSO DIRECTLY 90 DEGS OFF OF AN ACTIVE RWY. SINCE IT IS UNSAFE TO STAY LOCATED ON AN ACTIVE RWY FOR EXTENDED PERIODS OF TIME, WHEN NOT TAKING OFF OR LNDG, FLCS NOT BEING ABLE TO QUICKLY AND POSITIVELY IDENT THIS TURN OFF, ARE FORCED TO TAKE UNACCEPTABLE RISK. THE 'REMOTE' IS TOTALLY UNLIGHTED, AND IS IN WHAT APPEARS TO BE A BAD STATE OF REPAIR. THE ASPHALT IS CRACKED, WITH TALL WEEDS GROWING OVER MUCH OF THE AREA. SINCE FLCS MUST RELY ON MARSHALLING TO KEEP THE ACFT SAFE, THE ACFT TAXI LIGHT CANNOT BE USED IN FEAR OF BLINDING THE MARSHALLS, WHO MAY THEN ISSUE UNSAFE TAXI COMMANDS THAT COULD CAUSE THE ACFT TO CONTACT GND PERSONNEL, CAUSING POSSIBLE DEATH. IT IS MY RECOMMENDATION THAT THIS TAXI AND PARKING OP BE TERMINATED IMMEDIATELY. UNTIL AT A TIME CHANGES ALLOW THIS TO BE A SAFE AND NON LIFE-THREATENING OP.

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.