<< >> NASA ASRS Report 329617, February 1996

Air carrier captain reports that phl airport has no operating taxiway edge lights. This situation makes it difficult to judge the width of the taxiway in low visibility or when snow covered. The centerline lights are operating.

Attributes
ACN	329617
Time
Date	199602
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : phl
State Reference	PA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 6000
ASRS Report	329617
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

Phl has taxiway centerline lights and no side lights. It is very difficult to see these taxiway centerline lights in a snowstorm. They should have taxiway edge lights like everywhere else. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter said that none of the taxiway edge lights (blue) on the airport are functional. The ground controller said that the controllers are frustrated about the situation also. The reporter said that he has seen a DC8 with its nosewheel in the dirt fairly recently. It is difficult to judge the width of the taxiway in good visibility, but practically impossible at night with snow or poor visibility.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR CAPT RPTS THAT PHL ARPT HAS NO OPERATING TXWY EDGE LIGHTS. THIS SIT MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO JUDGE THE WIDTH OF THE TXWY IN LOW VISIBILITY OR WHEN SNOW COVERED. THE CTRLINE LIGHTS ARE OPERATING.

Narrative: PHL HAS TXWY CTRLINE LIGHTS AND NO SIDE LIGHTS. IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE THESE TXWY CTRLINE LIGHTS IN A SNOWSTORM. THEY SHOULD HAVE TXWY EDGE LIGHTS LIKE EVERYWHERE ELSE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR SAID THAT NONE OF THE TXWY EDGE LIGHTS (BLUE) ON THE ARPT ARE FUNCTIONAL. THE GND CTLR SAID THAT THE CTLRS ARE FRUSTRATED ABOUT THE SIT ALSO. THE RPTR SAID THAT HE HAS SEEN A DC8 WITH ITS NOSEWHEEL IN THE DIRT FAIRLY RECENTLY. IT IS DIFFICULT TO JUDGE THE WIDTH OF THE TXWY IN GOOD VISIBILITY, BUT PRACTICALLY IMPOSSIBLE AT NIGHT WITH SNOW OR POOR VISIBILITY.

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.