<< >> NASA ASRS Report 320480, November 1995

ATC advised pilots of an small aircraft sel of their tail navigation position light not working after takeoff.

Attributes
ACN	320480
Time
Date	199511
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sdl
State Reference	AZ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 250 msl bound upper : 3500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : sdl
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	government other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 6 flight time total : 1691 flight time type : 969
ASRS Report	320480
Person 2
Affiliation	government other
Function	instruction : trainee
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On nov/tue/95 at about XA30 hours MST while on a night (local) proficiency flight from ffz, mesa, az, to sdl, scottsdale, az, thru to phoenix (dut) deer valley, az, and return to ffz, my student and I were advised by scottsdale tower as we departed deer valley that the tower did not see a white position light on the aircraft and to check it after our flight. We acknowledged to do so. We continued to deer valley for a landing and takeoff, then returned direct to ffz. After parking the aircraft, my student and I discussed the situation and agreed it would have been better in the interest of safety to not continue to deer valley, but instead return immediately to ffz. We also think the aircraft should carry spare bulbs for position lights to avoid being stranded at night if the position lights stop working on a long cross country flight. All the position lights were working during the preflight check.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATC ADVISED PLTS OF AN SMA SEL OF THEIR TAIL NAV POS LIGHT NOT WORKING AFTER TKOF.

Narrative: ON NOV/TUE/95 AT ABOUT XA30 HRS MST WHILE ON A NIGHT (LCL) PROFICIENCY FLT FROM FFZ, MESA, AZ, TO SDL, SCOTTSDALE, AZ, THRU TO PHOENIX (DUT) DEER VALLEY, AZ, AND RETURN TO FFZ, MY STUDENT AND I WERE ADVISED BY SCOTTSDALE TWR AS WE DEPARTED DEER VALLEY THAT THE TWR DID NOT SEE A WHITE POS LIGHT ON THE ACFT AND TO CHK IT AFTER OUR FLT. WE ACKNOWLEDGED TO DO SO. WE CONTINUED TO DEER VALLEY FOR A LNDG AND TKOF, THEN RETURNED DIRECT TO FFZ. AFTER PARKING THE ACFT, MY STUDENT AND I DISCUSSED THE SITUATION AND AGREED IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY TO NOT CONTINUE TO DEER VALLEY, BUT INSTEAD RETURN IMMEDIATELY TO FFZ. WE ALSO THINK THE ACFT SHOULD CARRY SPARE BULBS FOR POS LIGHTS TO AVOID BEING STRANDED AT NIGHT IF THE POS LIGHTS STOP WORKING ON A LONG CROSS COUNTRY FLT. ALL THE POS LIGHTS WERE WORKING DURING THE PREFLT CHK.

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.