Charter aircraft has difficulty locating airport due to inoperative rotating beacon. NDB approach wa...

Attributes
ACN	344189
Time
Date	199608
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cki
State Reference	SC
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	IAI1123 Westwind
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	landing other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 6700 flight time type : 1600
ASRS Report	344189
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

At night, proceeding to cki airport via NDB on field, had difficulty finding airport visually. Rotating beacon not operating. No NOTAM saying it was inoperative. Also, runway lights are obstructed by thick growth of weeds and grass, that upon landing, runway lights are no longer visible. On takeoff, only aircraft lights lit up the runway, runway lights could not be seen. Very dangerous if aircraft has landing light problems. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that he did not speak to anyone about the problem, but his company did send a facsimile to the airport manager. They have received no response. Reporter flew in again recently and the grass which had been 2-3 ft high was mowed and the lights were at least visible. This was a daytime flight so he is not aware of the rotating beacon, but believes it is still inoperative. This time the NDB was inoperative with no NOTAM. 2 other aircraft making the approach also stated they were not receiving the NDB. The main runway was closed for a period of time to strengthen it so that 30000 pound aircraft can now use the runway. Reporter aircraft was a westwind.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CHARTER ACFT HAS DIFFICULTY LOCATING ARPT DUE TO INOP ROTATING BEACON. NDB APCH WAS THE ONLY SOLUTION. AFTER LNDG, RWY LIGHTS WERE NOT VISIBLE DUE TO HIGH GRASS BLOCKING THE LIGHTS.

Narrative: AT NIGHT, PROCEEDING TO CKI ARPT VIA NDB ON FIELD, HAD DIFFICULTY FINDING ARPT VISUALLY. ROTATING BEACON NOT OPERATING. NO NOTAM SAYING IT WAS INOP. ALSO, RWY LIGHTS ARE OBSTRUCTED BY THICK GROWTH OF WEEDS AND GRASS, THAT UPON LNDG, RWY LIGHTS ARE NO LONGER VISIBLE. ON TKOF, ONLY ACFT LIGHTS LIT UP THE RWY, RWY LIGHTS COULD NOT BE SEEN. VERY DANGEROUS IF ACFT HAS LNDG LIGHT PROBS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT HE DID NOT SPEAK TO ANYONE ABOUT THE PROB, BUT HIS COMPANY DID SEND A FAX TO THE ARPT MGR. THEY HAVE RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. RPTR FLEW IN AGAIN RECENTLY AND THE GRASS WHICH HAD BEEN 2-3 FT HIGH WAS MOWED AND THE LIGHTS WERE AT LEAST VISIBLE. THIS WAS A DAYTIME FLT SO HE IS NOT AWARE OF THE ROTATING BEACON, BUT BELIEVES IT IS STILL INOP. THIS TIME THE NDB WAS INOP WITH NO NOTAM. 2 OTHER ACFT MAKING THE APCH ALSO STATED THEY WERE NOT RECEIVING THE NDB. THE MAIN RWY WAS CLOSED FOR A PERIOD OF TIME TO STRENGTHEN IT SO THAT 30000 LB ACFT CAN NOW USE THE RWY. RPTR ACFT WAS A WESTWIND.

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.

Charter aircraft has difficulty locating airport due to inoperative rotating beacon. NDB approach was the only solution. After landing, runway lights were not visible due to high grass blocking the lights.