Narrative:

The frequent assignment of a downwind, visual approach to runway 19L at las is a potentially hazardous operation. Without electronic guidance and an inadequate visual aid (plasi) available, lights everywhere, but on the field, and increased vigilance required for terrain and obstructions cockpit workload is extreme to try to establish a stabilized approach on an appropriate visual GS. The chances of a high sink rate landing are increased due to this lack of guidance and high density altitude. Some casino money needs to be spent installing an ILS to runway 19L and a VASI or PAPI aligned with the runway as well as an offset VASI or PAPI for use on the downwind and base legs of visual approach. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter is an air carrier B727-200 captain who has made several recent night visual approachs to runway 19L at las. The captain said that the general arrival path has been a vector from the south of the airport to a downwind that parallels runway 19L to the west of the airport with a turn to base and final approach just to the north of the newest and brightest casinos. He said that the only approach slope guidance for this runway is a plasi system which he feels is inadequate because of the surrounding casino lights. These lights are so bright and so colorful and so many of these lights also pulse that the reporter said he has lost the plasi indications for a portion of each approach. He stressed that he expects that most pilots will have difficulty using the plasi on this runway at night and believes that an ILS system is the best solution. He said that any system using lights will have the same interference from the casino lighting as the plasi has at present.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE RPTR, AN ACR B727 CAPT, SAYS THAT A NIGHT VISUAL APCH TO RWY 19L IS PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT AT LAS BECAUSE OF THE BRIGHT LIGHTS OF THE CASINOS WHICH INTERFERE WITH THE AVAILABLE LIGHTING SYS INCLUDING THE PLASI SLOPE INDICATOR. THIS IS THE USUAL APCH RWY THAT THIS FLC HAS BEEN ASSIGNED ON THEIR RECENT NIGHT ARRS.

Narrative: THE FREQUENT ASSIGNMENT OF A DOWNWIND, VISUAL APCH TO RWY 19L AT LAS IS A POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS OP. WITHOUT ELECTRONIC GUIDANCE AND AN INADEQUATE VISUAL AID (PLASI) AVAILABLE, LIGHTS EVERYWHERE, BUT ON THE FIELD, AND INCREASED VIGILANCE REQUIRED FOR TERRAIN AND OBSTRUCTIONS COCKPIT WORKLOAD IS EXTREME TO TRY TO ESTABLISH A STABILIZED APCH ON AN APPROPRIATE VISUAL GS. THE CHANCES OF A HIGH SINK RATE LNDG ARE INCREASED DUE TO THIS LACK OF GUIDANCE AND HIGH DENSITY ALT. SOME CASINO MONEY NEEDS TO BE SPENT INSTALLING AN ILS TO RWY 19L AND A VASI OR PAPI ALIGNED WITH THE RWY AS WELL AS AN OFFSET VASI OR PAPI FOR USE ON THE DOWNWIND AND BASE LEGS OF VISUAL APCH. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR IS AN ACR B727-200 CAPT WHO HAS MADE SEVERAL RECENT NIGHT VISUAL APCHS TO RWY 19L AT LAS. THE CAPT SAID THAT THE GENERAL ARR PATH HAS BEEN A VECTOR FROM THE S OF THE ARPT TO A DOWNWIND THAT PARALLELS RWY 19L TO THE W OF THE ARPT WITH A TURN TO BASE AND FINAL APCH JUST TO THE N OF THE NEWEST AND BRIGHTEST CASINOS. HE SAID THAT THE ONLY APCH SLOPE GUIDANCE FOR THIS RWY IS A PLASI SYS WHICH HE FEELS IS INADEQUATE BECAUSE OF THE SURROUNDING CASINO LIGHTS. THESE LIGHTS ARE SO BRIGHT AND SO COLORFUL AND SO MANY OF THESE LIGHTS ALSO PULSE THAT THE RPTR SAID HE HAS LOST THE PLASI INDICATIONS FOR A PORTION OF EACH APCH. HE STRESSED THAT HE EXPECTS THAT MOST PLTS WILL HAVE DIFFICULTY USING THE PLASI ON THIS RWY AT NIGHT AND BELIEVES THAT AN ILS SYS IS THE BEST SOLUTION. HE SAID THAT ANY SYS USING LIGHTS WILL HAVE THE SAME INTERFERENCE FROM THE CASINO LIGHTING AS THE PLASI HAS AT PRESENT.

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.