Narrative:

On oct/fri/96 an air traffic notice was issued by erie tower (changing the SOP's) mandating the turning on of the runway 2/20 edge lights when the tower was closing for the night. The request came from the erie municipal airport authority/authorized because a mistake occurred when electrical wiring was performed on the parallel taxiway for the instrument runway (runway 6/24), taxiway a. Some of the signs on taxiway a were wired into the runway 2/20 wiring scheme. When the runway 2/20 edge lights were turned off some of the signs for taxiway a would not light. This did not seem to be a problem until runway 2/20 became notamed closed due to standing snow on the runway. Controllers closing the tower for the night did not turn on the runway 2/20 lights due to FAA 7110.65J (paragraph 3-4-9.east) and FAA 7210.3M (paragraphs 12-6-2.B and 12-6-3.B). A memorandum was issued on nov/mon/96 from the erie air traffic manager advising the tower to leave the runway 2/20 lights on even if a NOTAM closing that runway existed. The contention of erie municipal airport authority/authorized and erie air traffic manager was that it was the pilot's responsibility to acquire NOTAMS for an airport. No regard for overflt aircraft not intending to land at eri (who would not have NOTAMS for eri) who may encounter difficulties and need to land at eri after the tower was closed. The runway was lit with numerous inches of snow on the landing surface. This contradiction to the 2 FAA manuals regarding this action has been brought to the attention of the air traffic manager.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATCT CTLR COMPLAINT ABOUT RWY EDGE LIGHTS BEING LEFT ON RWY 2-20 AFTER TWR IS CLOSED AND WHILE RWY IS NOTAMED CLOSED, WHICH IS CONTRARY TO FAA HANDBOOKS. RPTR SAYS FACILITY MGR HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THIS PROB.

Narrative: ON OCT/FRI/96 AN AIR TFC NOTICE WAS ISSUED BY ERIE TWR (CHANGING THE SOP'S) MANDATING THE TURNING ON OF THE RWY 2/20 EDGE LIGHTS WHEN THE TWR WAS CLOSING FOR THE NIGHT. THE REQUEST CAME FROM THE ERIE MUNICIPAL ARPT AUTH BECAUSE A MISTAKE OCCURRED WHEN ELECTRICAL WIRING WAS PERFORMED ON THE PARALLEL TXWY FOR THE INST RWY (RWY 6/24), TXWY A. SOME OF THE SIGNS ON TXWY A WERE WIRED INTO THE RWY 2/20 WIRING SCHEME. WHEN THE RWY 2/20 EDGE LIGHTS WERE TURNED OFF SOME OF THE SIGNS FOR TXWY A WOULD NOT LIGHT. THIS DID NOT SEEM TO BE A PROB UNTIL RWY 2/20 BECAME NOTAMED CLOSED DUE TO STANDING SNOW ON THE RWY. CTLRS CLOSING THE TWR FOR THE NIGHT DID NOT TURN ON THE RWY 2/20 LIGHTS DUE TO FAA 7110.65J (PARAGRAPH 3-4-9.E) AND FAA 7210.3M (PARAGRAPHS 12-6-2.B AND 12-6-3.B). A MEMORANDUM WAS ISSUED ON NOV/MON/96 FROM THE ERIE AIR TFC MGR ADVISING THE TWR TO LEAVE THE RWY 2/20 LIGHTS ON EVEN IF A NOTAM CLOSING THAT RWY EXISTED. THE CONTENTION OF ERIE MUNICIPAL ARPT AUTH AND ERIE AIR TFC MGR WAS THAT IT WAS THE PLT'S RESPONSIBILITY TO ACQUIRE NOTAMS FOR AN ARPT. NO REGARD FOR OVERFLT ACFT NOT INTENDING TO LAND AT ERI (WHO WOULD NOT HAVE NOTAMS FOR ERI) WHO MAY ENCOUNTER DIFFICULTIES AND NEED TO LAND AT ERI AFTER THE TWR WAS CLOSED. THE RWY WAS LIT WITH NUMEROUS INCHES OF SNOW ON THE LNDG SURFACE. THIS CONTRADICTION TO THE 2 FAA MANUALS REGARDING THIS ACTION HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO THE ATTN OF THE AIR TFC MGR.

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.