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Atx light transport takeoff aborted when flashing lights observed on far end of runway during a night operation.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 235668 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199303 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : phx |
| State Reference | AZ |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
| Make Model Name | Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | climbout : takeoff other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 11800 flight time type : 2100 |
| ASRS Report | 235668 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : rejected takeoff |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
During a night takeoff from phx runway 26L I (PNF) observed bright flashing red and blue lights on the runway. I called this to the attention of PF and we aborted the takeoff. We were able to exit the runway quickly and the landing traffic was not delayed. As we exited the runway I contacted ground and they asked me why we aborted. I told them I saw bright lights appearing to be on the runway. They told me it was 'a cop car on 24TH street.' the police car had apparently stopped a motorist and pulled him over right at the end of the runway. I could not judge well enough, quick enough to determine whether or not it was an aircraft on the runway or a different type of lights away from the runway, so we discontinued the takeoff. Maybe a good moral to this story would be to instruct police departments not to run their 'reds' in the vicinity of an active runway, or take the motorist to a place where pilot might not mistake their lights for the lights of an aircraft on the runway.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ATX LTT TKOF ABORTED WHEN FLASHING LIGHTS OBSERVED ON FAR END OF RWY DURING A NIGHT OP.
Narrative: DURING A NIGHT TKOF FROM PHX RWY 26L I (PNF) OBSERVED BRIGHT FLASHING RED AND BLUE LIGHTS ON THE RWY. I CALLED THIS TO THE ATTN OF PF AND WE ABORTED THE TKOF. WE WERE ABLE TO EXIT THE RWY QUICKLY AND THE LNDG TFC WAS NOT DELAYED. AS WE EXITED THE RWY I CONTACTED GND AND THEY ASKED ME WHY WE ABORTED. I TOLD THEM I SAW BRIGHT LIGHTS APPEARING TO BE ON THE RWY. THEY TOLD ME IT WAS 'A COP CAR ON 24TH STREET.' THE POLICE CAR HAD APPARENTLY STOPPED A MOTORIST AND PULLED HIM OVER RIGHT AT THE END OF THE RWY. I COULD NOT JUDGE WELL ENOUGH, QUICK ENOUGH TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT IT WAS AN ACFT ON THE RWY OR A DIFFERENT TYPE OF LIGHTS AWAY FROM THE RWY, SO WE DISCONTINUED THE TKOF. MAYBE A GOOD MORAL TO THIS STORY WOULD BE TO INSTRUCT POLICE DEPTS NOT TO RUN THEIR 'REDS' IN THE VICINITY OF AN ACTIVE RWY, OR TAKE THE MOTORIST TO A PLACE WHERE PLT MIGHT NOT MISTAKE THEIR LIGHTS FOR THE LIGHTS OF AN ACFT ON THE 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.