Narrative:

Place: madison airport/bruce campbell field (mbo). Unsafe conditions: at mbo, runway lighting is not working the full length of the runway, lights are out, broken along sides of runway, runway end identifier lights are out or broken, VASI light system is not working, trees extend upwards into the flight path of the aircraft on a normal approach. Runway markings are bad, taxiway identify stripes are virtually non-existent. No taxiway identify markers at north or south ends, runway conditions is in very deteriorated condition, south taxiway is in horrible condition, taxiway marking stripe lines are very hard to see at night. No taxiway lights or reflectors. The tie downs on the ramp can be pulled approximately 2-3 ft high when aircraft are tied to them. (This will allow someone to trip across them, possibly into a turning propeller). The rotating beacon needs aiming and pointing to the horizon. It can't be seen in the surrounding lights of the area very well. VOR receiver chkpoint has been paved over and the sign has been knocked down and taken away. I believe this airport should be maintained to safety standards set forth by the airports commission. Numerous complaints by all pilots have been brought to the attention of the airport manager and the mayor but have fallen on deaf ears. Please help! Before someone gets hurt. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter returned call and said that conditions at mbo, madison airport, bruce campbell field were still as they were reported. The reporter is an FAA accident prevention counselor as well as participating in corporate flying in a citation ii. They do a lot of night flying at this airport and that is one of his concerns. He doesn't know if the field conditions preclude a legal night operation or not. He stated that an aircraft had hit trees at the end of one of the runways. Following that, a mechanic had taken the lights out of the non standard VASI system as they found that aircraft were actually following those lights into the trees. Those trees, by the way, need cutting down. He said that what runway lights are left act as a semi VASI because the pilots know they are too low when the lights are seen through the trees, which make the lights appear to flicker, so they then make a missed approach, being too low. He stated that the lady mayor doesn't want the airport in operation in the area and wants it moved. The catch to that is that there isn't money for that move. The reporter complained that the city has taken the government money that was earmarked for improvements for the ramp area. The city has not matched those funds and failed to ever seal the ramp which has now fallen on bad times. The tie down wires on the ramp are a real threat to anyone crossing that ramp and may cause a person to trip and fall into a rotating propeller.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARPT PROB.

Narrative: PLACE: MADISON ARPT/BRUCE CAMPBELL FIELD (MBO). UNSAFE CONDITIONS: AT MBO, RWY LIGHTING IS NOT WORKING THE FULL LENGTH OF THE RWY, LIGHTS ARE OUT, BROKEN ALONG SIDES OF RWY, RWY END IDENTIFIER LIGHTS ARE OUT OR BROKEN, VASI LIGHT SYS IS NOT WORKING, TREES EXTEND UPWARDS INTO THE FLT PATH OF THE ACFT ON A NORMAL APCH. RWY MARKINGS ARE BAD, TXWY IDENT STRIPES ARE VIRTUALLY NON-EXISTENT. NO TXWY IDENT MARKERS AT N OR S ENDS, RWY CONDITIONS IS IN VERY DETERIORATED CONDITION, S TXWY IS IN HORRIBLE CONDITION, TXWY MARKING STRIPE LINES ARE VERY HARD TO SEE AT NIGHT. NO TXWY LIGHTS OR REFLECTORS. THE TIE DOWNS ON THE RAMP CAN BE PULLED APPROX 2-3 FT HIGH WHEN ACFT ARE TIED TO THEM. (THIS WILL ALLOW SOMEONE TO TRIP ACROSS THEM, POSSIBLY INTO A TURNING PROP). THE ROTATING BEACON NEEDS AIMING AND POINTING TO THE HORIZON. IT CAN'T BE SEEN IN THE SURROUNDING LIGHTS OF THE AREA VERY WELL. VOR RECEIVER CHKPOINT HAS BEEN PAVED OVER AND THE SIGN HAS BEEN KNOCKED DOWN AND TAKEN AWAY. I BELIEVE THIS ARPT SHOULD BE MAINTAINED TO SAFETY STANDARDS SET FORTH BY THE ARPTS COMMISSION. NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS BY ALL PLTS HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO THE ATTN OF THE ARPT MGR AND THE MAYOR BUT HAVE FALLEN ON DEAF EARS. PLEASE HELP! BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR RETURNED CALL AND SAID THAT CONDITIONS AT MBO, MADISON ARPT, BRUCE CAMPBELL FIELD WERE STILL AS THEY WERE RPTED. THE RPTR IS AN FAA ACCIDENT PREVENTION COUNSELOR AS WELL AS PARTICIPATING IN CORPORATE FLYING IN A CITATION II. THEY DO A LOT OF NIGHT FLYING AT THIS ARPT AND THAT IS ONE OF HIS CONCERNS. HE DOESN'T KNOW IF THE FIELD CONDITIONS PRECLUDE A LEGAL NIGHT OP OR NOT. HE STATED THAT AN ACFT HAD HIT TREES AT THE END OF ONE OF THE RWYS. FOLLOWING THAT, A MECH HAD TAKEN THE LIGHTS OUT OF THE NON STANDARD VASI SYS AS THEY FOUND THAT ACFT WERE ACTUALLY FOLLOWING THOSE LIGHTS INTO THE TREES. THOSE TREES, BY THE WAY, NEED CUTTING DOWN. HE SAID THAT WHAT RWY LIGHTS ARE LEFT ACT AS A SEMI VASI BECAUSE THE PLTS KNOW THEY ARE TOO LOW WHEN THE LIGHTS ARE SEEN THROUGH THE TREES, WHICH MAKE THE LIGHTS APPEAR TO FLICKER, SO THEY THEN MAKE A MISSED APCH, BEING TOO LOW. HE STATED THAT THE LADY MAYOR DOESN'T WANT THE ARPT IN OP IN THE AREA AND WANTS IT MOVED. THE CATCH TO THAT IS THAT THERE ISN'T MONEY FOR THAT MOVE. THE RPTR COMPLAINED THAT THE CITY HAS TAKEN THE GOV MONEY THAT WAS EARMARKED FOR IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE RAMP AREA. THE CITY HAS NOT MATCHED THOSE FUNDS AND FAILED TO EVER SEAL THE RAMP WHICH HAS NOW FALLEN ON BAD TIMES. THE TIE DOWN WIRES ON THE RAMP ARE A REAL THREAT TO ANYONE XING THAT RAMP AND MAY CAUSE A PERSON TO TRIP AND FALL INTO A ROTATING PROP.

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.