Tower controller states that obstruction lights on light poles at a race track just north of the air...

Attributes
ACN	387210
Time
Date	199712
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dab
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 100 agl bound upper : 100
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : ewr
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller military : 5 controller non radar : 11 controller radar : 4
ASRS Report	387210
Person 2
Affiliation	government other
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Daytona beach international spdway (a race track) sits on the northwest boundary of dab airport. The spdway has recently installed lights on poles for nighttime racing. These light poles have changing obstruction lights, flashing white during the day to flashing red at night. A section of these lights (on the back straightaway) are in a row and give the appearance of 'rabbits.' the local government helicopter crew member based at dab stated that they give a mistaken appearance of the approach lights into dab. The pilot also stated that in reduced visibility (fog, rain, etc) that a pilot might line up on the obstruction lights instead of the approach lights (MALSR). This could lead to a possible fatal accident. The spdway is in the process of building a higher stand area (about 180 ft) just east of those lights. A possible solution to this problem would be to keep the lights red 24 hours a day.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TWR CTLR STATES THAT OBSTRUCTION LIGHTS ON LIGHT POLES AT A RACE TRACK JUST N OF THE ARPT COULD POSSIBLY BE MISTAKEN FOR APCH LIGHTS. A LCL GOV HELI CREW MEMBER TOLD RPTR THAT A PLT MIGHT LINE UP ON THESE VERSUS THE MALSR.

Narrative: DAYTONA BEACH INTL SPDWAY (A RACE TRACK) SITS ON THE NW BOUNDARY OF DAB ARPT. THE SPDWAY HAS RECENTLY INSTALLED LIGHTS ON POLES FOR NIGHTTIME RACING. THESE LIGHT POLES HAVE CHANGING OBSTRUCTION LIGHTS, FLASHING WHITE DURING THE DAY TO FLASHING RED AT NIGHT. A SECTION OF THESE LIGHTS (ON THE BACK STRAIGHTAWAY) ARE IN A ROW AND GIVE THE APPEARANCE OF 'RABBITS.' THE LCL GOV HELI CREW MEMBER BASED AT DAB STATED THAT THEY GIVE A MISTAKEN APPEARANCE OF THE APCH LIGHTS INTO DAB. THE PLT ALSO STATED THAT IN REDUCED VISIBILITY (FOG, RAIN, ETC) THAT A PLT MIGHT LINE UP ON THE OBSTRUCTION LIGHTS INSTEAD OF THE APCH LIGHTS (MALSR). THIS COULD LEAD TO A POSSIBLE FATAL ACCIDENT. THE SPDWAY IS IN THE PROCESS OF BUILDING A HIGHER STAND AREA (ABOUT 180 FT) JUST E OF THOSE LIGHTS. A POSSIBLE SOLUTION TO THIS PROB WOULD BE TO KEEP THE LIGHTS RED 24 HRS A DAY.

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.

Tower controller states that obstruction lights on light poles at a race track just north of the airport could possibly be mistaken for approach lights. A local government helicopter crew member told reporter that a pilot might line up on these versus the MALSR.