Narrative:

The following report is on the sanford-lee country airport located near sanford, nc. The FAA identifier is W77. Enclosed are several photos of extensive soil erosion at the above airport. Of particular interest are the photos of exposed drain catch basins and the long deep trenches where drain pipes have leaked and allowed the cover soil to be sucked into the pipe. These eroded areas are obscured by grass and weed cover. They are located in a flat grassed area about 80 ft southeast of and parallel to the runway. In the past, this area has been used as a turf landing strip, even though it is not so designated. If an aircraft should roll into one of these pits, fatal injuries could be expected for its occupants. The drainage system needs to be repaired and the pits filled. Note the extensive grass growth around the runway and taxi lights. The grass growth is high enough to obscure the lights at night. While walking down the centerline of the runway at night, it is impossible to distinctly identify more than 4 consecutive runway lights at any given time. In fact, throughout most of the length of the runway, only 1 light is visible on each side. Of the 6 runway threshold/termination lights installed on each end of the runway, only 1 is operational at the approach end of runway 3, and 4 on the approach end of runway 21. The combination of obscured runway lights and malfunctioning termination lights makes the chances of a runway overshoot very likely. Visual references are almost nonexistent at night during VFR conditions. There are a minimum of 31 non- functioning runway and taxiway lights at this airport. The obstruction light on the rotating beacon is out. 1 PAPI is inoperative on the approach end of runway 21, and a bulb is out on 1 unit on the approach end of runway 3. The reils have been inoperative for several months, but have been notamed. The runway centerline and edge markings are almost completely worn away. The centerline markings are only barely discernable. This airport does not meet minimum night VFR requirements, yet it is served by 2 non-precision approachs: a VOR/DME and an NDB approach. During periods of reduced visibility, this airport presents a serious hazard to flight operations. Both non-precision approachs need to be decommissioned until all of the deficiencies of this airport are corrected. Night operations are extremely risky. All inoperative equipment needs to be notamed OTS, and the grass needs to be cut along the edges of the runway and taxiway so that the lighting is visible. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the grass has been cut down and light bulbs replaced after his complaint to the airport manager. However, the airport markings need to be repainted and the airport management is waiting for the county highway department to do that. Also, the drainage ditch will be fixed after a determination of how to best take care of the problem. Much of the problem he states is due to the inter-policies between the county and the airport manager, and where the funds will come from.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT COMPLAINT OF AN SMA ARPT CONDITION.

Narrative: THE FOLLOWING RPT IS ON THE SANFORD-LEE COUNTRY ARPT LOCATED NEAR SANFORD, NC. THE FAA IDENTIFIER IS W77. ENCLOSED ARE SEVERAL PHOTOS OF EXTENSIVE SOIL EROSION AT THE ABOVE ARPT. OF PARTICULAR INTEREST ARE THE PHOTOS OF EXPOSED DRAIN CATCH BASINS AND THE LONG DEEP TRENCHES WHERE DRAIN PIPES HAVE LEAKED AND ALLOWED THE COVER SOIL TO BE SUCKED INTO THE PIPE. THESE ERODED AREAS ARE OBSCURED BY GRASS AND WEED COVER. THEY ARE LOCATED IN A FLAT GRASSED AREA ABOUT 80 FT SE OF AND PARALLEL TO THE RWY. IN THE PAST, THIS AREA HAS BEEN USED AS A TURF LNDG STRIP, EVEN THOUGH IT IS NOT SO DESIGNATED. IF AN ACFT SHOULD ROLL INTO ONE OF THESE PITS, FATAL INJURIES COULD BE EXPECTED FOR ITS OCCUPANTS. THE DRAINAGE SYS NEEDS TO BE REPAIRED AND THE PITS FILLED. NOTE THE EXTENSIVE GRASS GROWTH AROUND THE RWY AND TAXI LIGHTS. THE GRASS GROWTH IS HIGH ENOUGH TO OBSCURE THE LIGHTS AT NIGHT. WHILE WALKING DOWN THE CTRLINE OF THE RWY AT NIGHT, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO DISTINCTLY IDENT MORE THAN 4 CONSECUTIVE RWY LIGHTS AT ANY GIVEN TIME. IN FACT, THROUGHOUT MOST OF THE LENGTH OF THE RWY, ONLY 1 LIGHT IS VISIBLE ON EACH SIDE. OF THE 6 RWY THRESHOLD/TERMINATION LIGHTS INSTALLED ON EACH END OF THE RWY, ONLY 1 IS OPERATIONAL AT THE APCH END OF RWY 3, AND 4 ON THE APCH END OF RWY 21. THE COMBINATION OF OBSCURED RWY LIGHTS AND MALFUNCTIONING TERMINATION LIGHTS MAKES THE CHANCES OF A RWY OVERSHOOT VERY LIKELY. VISUAL REFS ARE ALMOST NONEXISTENT AT NIGHT DURING VFR CONDITIONS. THERE ARE A MINIMUM OF 31 NON- FUNCTIONING RWY AND TXWY LIGHTS AT THIS ARPT. THE OBSTRUCTION LIGHT ON THE ROTATING BEACON IS OUT. 1 PAPI IS INOPERATIVE ON THE APCH END OF RWY 21, AND A BULB IS OUT ON 1 UNIT ON THE APCH END OF RWY 3. THE REILS HAVE BEEN INOPERATIVE FOR SEVERAL MONTHS, BUT HAVE BEEN NOTAMED. THE RWY CTRLINE AND EDGE MARKINGS ARE ALMOST COMPLETELY WORN AWAY. THE CTRLINE MARKINGS ARE ONLY BARELY DISCERNABLE. THIS ARPT DOES NOT MEET MINIMUM NIGHT VFR REQUIREMENTS, YET IT IS SERVED BY 2 NON-PRECISION APCHS: A VOR/DME AND AN NDB APCH. DURING PERIODS OF REDUCED VISIBILITY, THIS ARPT PRESENTS A SERIOUS HAZARD TO FLT OPS. BOTH NON-PRECISION APCHS NEED TO BE DECOMMISSIONED UNTIL ALL OF THE DEFICIENCIES OF THIS ARPT ARE CORRECTED. NIGHT OPS ARE EXTREMELY RISKY. ALL INOPERATIVE EQUIP NEEDS TO BE NOTAMED OTS, AND THE GRASS NEEDS TO BE CUT ALONG THE EDGES OF THE RWY AND TXWY SO THAT THE LIGHTING IS VISIBLE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE GRASS HAS BEEN CUT DOWN AND LIGHT BULBS REPLACED AFTER HIS COMPLAINT TO THE ARPT MGR. HOWEVER, THE ARPT MARKINGS NEED TO BE REPAINTED AND THE ARPT MGMNT IS WAITING FOR THE COUNTY HWY DEPT TO DO THAT. ALSO, THE DRAINAGE DITCH WILL BE FIXED AFTER A DETERMINATION OF HOW TO BEST TAKE CARE OF THE PROB. MUCH OF THE PROB HE STATES IS DUE TO THE INTER-POLICIES BTWN THE COUNTY AND THE ARPT MGR, AND WHERE THE FUNDS WILL COME FROM.

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.