Reporter complaint of exceeding scheduled on duty time due to airport problem standards.

Attributes
ACN	242346
Time
Date	199305
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : faj
State Reference	VI
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, High Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 2000 flight time type : 1100
ASRS Report	242346
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

Departing sju encountered ceilings of 1500 ft/2000 ft, diverting from a direct course to avoid rain showers en route to faj, where it landed to pick up passenger, planning to continue on to vqs and then on to stx. After landing at faj it was unable to continue as scheduled due to WX and darkness combining to provide insufficient visibility to continue. Neighboring hills lack obstruction clearance lights and airport lacks any instrument approach/departure procedure or facility. Crew had gone on duty at AM45 may/ab/93 and finally got off duty at stx at AM20 may/AC/93 after waiting out the storm at faj for 5 hours, due to the WX delay, lack of facilities and localized flooding. Duty time was 17 hours 35 mins, not meeting the 8 hours rest in 24 hours as described in far 135.265, but caused by WX conditions. The hill tops off the ends of both runway 7 and runway 25 are unmarked and in low visibility a hazard to flight, not to mention the hazard posed to nay night flight into or out of faj. (VASI lights at faj and vqs are also needed.) obstruction clearance lights are needed on the hills. An instrument facility like an NDB and accompanying approach and departure procedure would also help.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR COMPLAINT OF EXCEEDING SCHEDULED ON DUTY TIME DUE TO ARPT PROB STANDARDS.

Narrative: DEPARTING SJU ENCOUNTERED CEILINGS OF 1500 FT/2000 FT, DIVERTING FROM A DIRECT COURSE TO AVOID RAIN SHOWERS ENRTE TO FAJ, WHERE IT LANDED TO PICK UP PAX, PLANNING TO CONTINUE ON TO VQS AND THEN ON TO STX. AFTER LNDG AT FAJ IT WAS UNABLE TO CONTINUE AS SCHEDULED DUE TO WX AND DARKNESS COMBINING TO PROVIDE INSUFFICIENT VISIBILITY TO CONTINUE. NEIGHBORING HILLS LACK OBSTRUCTION CLRNC LIGHTS AND ARPT LACKS ANY INST APCH/DEP PROC OR FACILITY. CREW HAD GONE ON DUTY AT AM45 MAY/AB/93 AND FINALLY GOT OFF DUTY AT STX AT AM20 MAY/AC/93 AFTER WAITING OUT THE STORM AT FAJ FOR 5 HRS, DUE TO THE WX DELAY, LACK OF FACILITIES AND LOCALIZED FLOODING. DUTY TIME WAS 17 HRS 35 MINS, NOT MEETING THE 8 HRS REST IN 24 HRS AS DESCRIBED IN FAR 135.265, BUT CAUSED BY WX CONDITIONS. THE HILL TOPS OFF THE ENDS OF BOTH RWY 7 AND RWY 25 ARE UNMARKED AND IN LOW VISIBILITY A HAZARD TO FLT, NOT TO MENTION THE HAZARD POSED TO NAY NIGHT FLT INTO OR OUT OF FAJ. (VASI LIGHTS AT FAJ AND VQS ARE ALSO NEEDED.) OBSTRUCTION CLRNC LIGHTS ARE NEEDED ON THE HILLS. AN INST FACILITY LIKE AN NDB AND ACCOMPANYING APCH AND DEP PROC WOULD ALSO HELP.

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.