Narrative:

The problem began on the night of may/xx/93. At that time, the primary runway edge lights began to go out on their own. Our primary runway is 9/27 and is 9000 ft long. The only other runway available is runway 3/21 and it is only 4010 ft long. Most air taxies are not able to use this runway, especially at night. Anyway, the runway 9/27 edge lights began to go off on their own. Only the east 4500 ft would turn off, the west 4500 ft would stay on, but this still presented a problem to all air taxies and acrs. When the lights first began to turn off, we could recycle them and get them back on. After a couple of nights, this would not work anymore. Airport authority was notified but the word didn't get passed until a week later to the right people. Our manager contacted them and they have continued to say they are working on them but don't know what the problem is. We (tower controllers) have given control of these lights to airport authority upon their request and do not have control of them. This presented a problem on the night of may/xx/93 when the WX deteriorated to IFR conditions. Airport authority could not raise the runway lights to step 4 as prescribed in our FAA regulations. The tower controller had to issue 'landing will be at own risk' to all aircraft, which caused confusion to pilots and controllers. On several occasions, pilots have elected to 'go around' because the lights have gone out when they were on short final. On may/xx/93 an small aircraft and an air taxi decided to go around because of the lights. This affected the sequence that approach set and confusion resulted between controllers. On may/xx/93, an air taxi had to abort because the lights went out after he had started takeoff roll. In my opinion, this shouldn't have been allowed to continue this long. It is an unsafe and hazardous situation. A situation that could attribute to an accident or incident if not taken care of soon. It began on may/xx/93 and still continues at the writing of this -- may/xy/93. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that the runway lighting problem has been taken care of. Reporter stated that an airline representative got involved and called the airport manager. Shortly thereafter, the lighting problem was found and repaired. This was sometime in june. They have not had any problems since then with the main runway. They do have a similar problem with the shorter runway, but it hasn't caused an inconvenience yet.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RWY LIGHTING INTERMITTENTLY OTS AND HAVING AN IMPACT ON TFC.

Narrative: THE PROB BEGAN ON THE NIGHT OF MAY/XX/93. AT THAT TIME, THE PRIMARY RWY EDGE LIGHTS BEGAN TO GO OUT ON THEIR OWN. OUR PRIMARY RWY IS 9/27 AND IS 9000 FT LONG. THE ONLY OTHER RWY AVAILABLE IS RWY 3/21 AND IT IS ONLY 4010 FT LONG. MOST AIR TAXIES ARE NOT ABLE TO USE THIS RWY, ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT. ANYWAY, THE RWY 9/27 EDGE LIGHTS BEGAN TO GO OFF ON THEIR OWN. ONLY THE E 4500 FT WOULD TURN OFF, THE W 4500 FT WOULD STAY ON, BUT THIS STILL PRESENTED A PROB TO ALL AIR TAXIES AND ACRS. WHEN THE LIGHTS FIRST BEGAN TO TURN OFF, WE COULD RECYCLE THEM AND GET THEM BACK ON. AFTER A COUPLE OF NIGHTS, THIS WOULD NOT WORK ANYMORE. ARPT AUTHORITY WAS NOTIFIED BUT THE WORD DIDN'T GET PASSED UNTIL A WK LATER TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE. OUR MGR CONTACTED THEM AND THEY HAVE CONTINUED TO SAY THEY ARE WORKING ON THEM BUT DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROB IS. WE (TWR CTLRS) HAVE GIVEN CTL OF THESE LIGHTS TO ARPT AUTHORITY UPON THEIR REQUEST AND DO NOT HAVE CTL OF THEM. THIS PRESENTED A PROB ON THE NIGHT OF MAY/XX/93 WHEN THE WX DETERIORATED TO IFR CONDITIONS. ARPT AUTHORITY COULD NOT RAISE THE RWY LIGHTS TO STEP 4 AS PRESCRIBED IN OUR FAA REGS. THE TWR CTLR HAD TO ISSUE 'LNDG WILL BE AT OWN RISK' TO ALL ACFT, WHICH CAUSED CONFUSION TO PLTS AND CTLRS. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, PLTS HAVE ELECTED TO 'GAR' BECAUSE THE LIGHTS HAVE GONE OUT WHEN THEY WERE ON SHORT FINAL. ON MAY/XX/93 AN SMA AND AN AIR TAXI DECIDED TO GAR BECAUSE OF THE LIGHTS. THIS AFFECTED THE SEQUENCE THAT APCH SET AND CONFUSION RESULTED BTWN CTLRS. ON MAY/XX/93, AN AIR TAXI HAD TO ABORT BECAUSE THE LIGHTS WENT OUT AFTER HE HAD STARTED TKOF ROLL. IN MY OPINION, THIS SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO CONTINUE THIS LONG. IT IS AN UNSAFE AND HAZARDOUS SIT. A SIT THAT COULD ATTRIBUTE TO AN ACCIDENT OR INCIDENT IF NOT TAKEN CARE OF SOON. IT BEGAN ON MAY/XX/93 AND STILL CONTINUES AT THE WRITING OF THIS -- MAY/XY/93. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THE RWY LIGHTING PROB HAS BEEN TAKEN CARE OF. RPTR STATED THAT AN AIRLINE REPRESENTATIVE GOT INVOLVED AND CALLED THE ARPT MGR. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE LIGHTING PROB WAS FOUND AND REPAIRED. THIS WAS SOMETIME IN JUNE. THEY HAVE NOT HAD ANY PROBS SINCE THEN WITH THE MAIN RWY. THEY DO HAVE A SIMILAR PROB WITH THE SHORTER RWY, BUT IT HASN'T CAUSED AN INCONVENIENCE YET.

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.