Narrative:

WX at eri was indefinite ceiling 100-300 ft with 3/4 mi visibility with fog. ILS runway 24 was in use. Runway lights and MALSR lights were on high setting. Fog was not very deep as tower advised the sun was visible occasionally. Aircraft executing the ILS runway 24 approach were 4 aircraft, all missed approach. The 5TH aircraft was an small transport who landed and advised the MALSR's were not operating. FAA airways facility technicians were immediately notified and quickly rectified the situation. All the above aircraft subsequently landed when the MALSR's were returned to service. The failure of MALSR was due to microprocessor decoder lockup. The ALS system control panels in towers have no monitor capability as to actual operation, control settings or system failure. Unless the WX is such that approach lights are visible from tower there is no way for the tower to assure the operation of the system. An FAA unsatisfactory conditions report is being submitted on this problem also. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that this is still a problem. No response received yet on the ucr filed. Everyone seems to be aware of problem, but either do not feel that safety is involved or not a high priority item. System was installed in tower when they opened it in 1988/89. Reporter would like to see a lighting panel that indicated when the lights are normal or green, and red to indicate an outage. Panel has an off switch and 3 settings, plus a strobe light on and off switch, and a ground/ground for controller activated, and air/ground for pilot activated. Panel is about 18 inches wide and 14 inches high. No serious incidents reported to the reporter's knowledge.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CTLR CLAIMS THAT APCH LIGHTING PANEL DOES NOT INDICATE IF LIGHTS ARE ON OR OFF, AND WHAT SETTING THEY ARE ON. 4 ACFT MADE MISS APCH.

Narrative: WX AT ERI WAS INDEFINITE CEILING 100-300 FT WITH 3/4 MI VISIBILITY WITH FOG. ILS RWY 24 WAS IN USE. RWY LIGHTS AND MALSR LIGHTS WERE ON HIGH SETTING. FOG WAS NOT VERY DEEP AS TWR ADVISED THE SUN WAS VISIBLE OCCASIONALLY. ACFT EXECUTING THE ILS RWY 24 APCH WERE 4 ACFT, ALL MISSED APCH. THE 5TH ACFT WAS AN SMT WHO LANDED AND ADVISED THE MALSR'S WERE NOT OPERATING. FAA AIRWAYS FACILITY TECHNICIANS WERE IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED AND QUICKLY RECTIFIED THE SIT. ALL THE ABOVE ACFT SUBSEQUENTLY LANDED WHEN THE MALSR'S WERE RETURNED TO SVC. THE FAILURE OF MALSR WAS DUE TO MICROPROCESSOR DECODER LOCKUP. THE ALS SYS CTL PANELS IN TWRS HAVE NO MONITOR CAPABILITY AS TO ACTUAL OP, CTL SETTINGS OR SYS FAILURE. UNLESS THE WX IS SUCH THAT APCH LIGHTS ARE VISIBLE FROM TWR THERE IS NO WAY FOR THE TWR TO ASSURE THE OP OF THE SYS. AN FAA UNSATISFACTORY CONDITIONS RPT IS BEING SUBMITTED ON THIS PROB ALSO. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THIS IS STILL A PROB. NO RESPONSE RECEIVED YET ON THE UCR FILED. EVERYONE SEEMS TO BE AWARE OF PROB, BUT EITHER DO NOT FEEL THAT SAFETY IS INVOLVED OR NOT A HIGH PRIORITY ITEM. SYS WAS INSTALLED IN TWR WHEN THEY OPENED IT IN 1988/89. RPTR WOULD LIKE TO SEE A LIGHTING PANEL THAT INDICATED WHEN THE LIGHTS ARE NORMAL OR GREEN, AND RED TO INDICATE AN OUTAGE. PANEL HAS AN OFF SWITCH AND 3 SETTINGS, PLUS A STROBE LIGHT ON AND OFF SWITCH, AND A GND/GND FOR CTLR ACTIVATED, AND AIR/GND FOR PLT ACTIVATED. PANEL IS ABOUT 18 INCHES WIDE AND 14 INCHES HIGH. NO SERIOUS INCIDENTS RPTED TO THE RPTR'S KNOWLEDGE.

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.