Airport taxiway lighting problem taxiway lights OTS and unreliable.

Attributes
ACN	273883
Time
Date	199406
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : tys
State Reference	TN
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Aircraft 1
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : ground
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 6
ASRS Report	273883
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified atc
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

At tys we have had anywhere from 10 to 50 percent of our taxiway lights OTS at a time. Our ATIS sometimes lists more lights out than on. This has been going on for over 4 months. Several aircraft have refused to land in bad WX out of fear of this situation. On jun/X/94 we were told not to use step 3 of the taxiway lights because 'it would blow out more of them.' there seems to be no progress in correcting this problem. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated the problem began a yr ago when the city installed lighted taxiway signs to comply with FAA standards. Reporter believes the reason for taxiway light problem is the same circuits were used for signs and txwys and there is an electrical overload. Reporter informed to report the problem to ado.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARPT TXWY LIGHTING PROB TXWY LIGHTS OTS AND UNRELIABLE.

Narrative: AT TYS WE HAVE HAD ANYWHERE FROM 10 TO 50 PERCENT OF OUR TXWY LIGHTS OTS AT A TIME. OUR ATIS SOMETIMES LISTS MORE LIGHTS OUT THAN ON. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR OVER 4 MONTHS. SEVERAL ACFT HAVE REFUSED TO LAND IN BAD WX OUT OF FEAR OF THIS SIT. ON JUN/X/94 WE WERE TOLD NOT TO USE STEP 3 OF THE TXWY LIGHTS BECAUSE 'IT WOULD BLOW OUT MORE OF THEM.' THERE SEEMS TO BE NO PROGRESS IN CORRECTING THIS PROB. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THE PROB BEGAN A YR AGO WHEN THE CITY INSTALLED LIGHTED TXWY SIGNS TO COMPLY WITH FAA STANDARDS. RPTR BELIEVES THE REASON FOR TXWY LIGHT PROB IS THE SAME CIRCUITS WERE USED FOR SIGNS AND TXWYS AND THERE IS AN ELECTRICAL OVERLOAD. RPTR INFORMED TO RPT THE PROB TO ADO.

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.