Narrative:

The rotating beacon at the sulphur springs municipal airport has been inoperative for several weeks. The light shines, but the beacon does not rotate. Last summer, it was also similarly inoperative for several weeks as were the runway lights inoperative for several weeks. It seems the city of sulphur springs may not be placing as high a priority as they should in seeing that the beacon stays operational. Be advised this is not an old, worn-out beacon nor is it one of the small, almost useless types. The city should give top priority to seeing that the beacon is kept in good working order at all times. If it 'goes down,' get it fixed immediately! We are very fortunate to have a large airport beacon. Even with the sophisticated, electronic navaids that are available to most pilots today, a night visual aid can be of significant importance. As a pilot, I can speak from experience. I am enclosing a copy of an article which I believe greatly exemplifies what I'm talking about. Finally, the beacon should be relocated back to its original site on the airport which is several feet higher in elevation than its present location. Every ft of elevation helps in the distance that the beacon is visible. The current beacon was installed at the present location a few yrs ago when a new runway was constructed and new lights installed. The old beacon was moved to the mt pleasant municipal airport. No one has ever been found that will accept responsibility for not having the new beacon installed on the site of the old one. I have enclosed a copy of an airport layout which shows the present position of the beacon as well as the original location. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states he has not talked to anyone at the airport this time because all he got was a run around last summer when he tried to get some action. The airport manager is an employee of the city. He reports to the city and has no power beyond that. Last summer the beacon was out for about 3 weeks. This time is almost a month already with no action. The old site of the beacon is about 10 ft higher than its present position. Analyst referred him to the FAA hotline for further action on his part.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR CONCERN REGARDING MALFUNCTION OF ARPT BEACON AT NON TWR ARPT.

Narrative: THE ROTATING BEACON AT THE SULPHUR SPRINGS MUNICIPAL ARPT HAS BEEN INOP FOR SEVERAL WKS. THE LIGHT SHINES, BUT THE BEACON DOES NOT ROTATE. LAST SUMMER, IT WAS ALSO SIMILARLY INOP FOR SEVERAL WKS AS WERE THE RWY LIGHTS INOP FOR SEVERAL WKS. IT SEEMS THE CITY OF SULPHUR SPRINGS MAY NOT BE PLACING AS HIGH A PRIORITY AS THEY SHOULD IN SEEING THAT THE BEACON STAYS OPERATIONAL. BE ADVISED THIS IS NOT AN OLD, WORN-OUT BEACON NOR IS IT ONE OF THE SMALL, ALMOST USELESS TYPES. THE CITY SHOULD GIVE TOP PRIORITY TO SEEING THAT THE BEACON IS KEPT IN GOOD WORKING ORDER AT ALL TIMES. IF IT 'GOES DOWN,' GET IT FIXED IMMEDIATELY! WE ARE VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE A LARGE ARPT BEACON. EVEN WITH THE SOPHISTICATED, ELECTRONIC NAVAIDS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO MOST PLTS TODAY, A NIGHT VISUAL AID CAN BE OF SIGNIFICANT IMPORTANCE. AS A PLT, I CAN SPEAK FROM EXPERIENCE. I AM ENCLOSING A COPY OF AN ARTICLE WHICH I BELIEVE GREATLY EXEMPLIFIES WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. FINALLY, THE BEACON SHOULD BE RELOCATED BACK TO ITS ORIGINAL SITE ON THE ARPT WHICH IS SEVERAL FEET HIGHER IN ELEVATION THAN ITS PRESENT LOCATION. EVERY FT OF ELEVATION HELPS IN THE DISTANCE THAT THE BEACON IS VISIBLE. THE CURRENT BEACON WAS INSTALLED AT THE PRESENT LOCATION A FEW YRS AGO WHEN A NEW RWY WAS CONSTRUCTED AND NEW LIGHTS INSTALLED. THE OLD BEACON WAS MOVED TO THE MT PLEASANT MUNICIPAL ARPT. NO ONE HAS EVER BEEN FOUND THAT WILL ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR NOT HAVING THE NEW BEACON INSTALLED ON THE SITE OF THE OLD ONE. I HAVE ENCLOSED A COPY OF AN ARPT LAYOUT WHICH SHOWS THE PRESENT POS OF THE BEACON AS WELL AS THE ORIGINAL LOCATION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES HE HAS NOT TALKED TO ANYONE AT THE ARPT THIS TIME BECAUSE ALL HE GOT WAS A RUN AROUND LAST SUMMER WHEN HE TRIED TO GET SOME ACTION. THE ARPT MGR IS AN EMPLOYEE OF THE CITY. HE RPTS TO THE CITY AND HAS NO PWR BEYOND THAT. LAST SUMMER THE BEACON WAS OUT FOR ABOUT 3 WKS. THIS TIME IS ALMOST A MONTH ALREADY WITH NO ACTION. THE OLD SITE OF THE BEACON IS ABOUT 10 FT HIGHER THAN ITS PRESENT POS. ANALYST REFERRED HIM TO THE FAA HOTLINE FOR FURTHER ACTION ON HIS PART.

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.