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C310 pilot, en route IFR night approaching destination airport, was unable to find airport beacon lights or runway lights.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 399671 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199804 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : 49a |
| State Reference | GA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 4100 msl bound upper : 4100 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : ztl tower : 1k1 |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Cessna 310/T310C |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other other |
| Route In Use | enroute other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 1100 flight time type : 300 |
| ASRS Report | 399671 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Airport |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
| Situations | |
| Airport | other physical facility procedure or policy : unspecified |
Narrative:
On apr/xx/98 conducted a flight from dab, IFR, to pdk, then on to 49A, final destination. WX was good, broken cloud base from 3800 ft MSL to 7500 ft MSL along most of the route. After fueling up at pdk, we filed another flight plan (IFR) to 49A. During preflight planning we looked in pilot group's airport directory and flight guides (eastern) books for hours for beacon and lights. Beacon was listed, but no hours posted in either book. During planning we also decided to use jzp for an alternate, being it had an NDB approach. NOTAMS were checked and had none for our route. As we approached and flew over jzp we noticed that the NDB was not working. We continued on, being that we had GPS backup aboard. As we approached 49A around XA00Z, ZTL said we were 1 mi from airport and to remain at 4100 ft MSL for IFR terrain clearance. We tried to locate the beacon and use MIRL lights, as indicated in both directories and nothing seemed to work. We contacted ZTL and told them we could not locate the beacon. They tried to call the airport and no one answered. Our connecting party on the ground could hear us circling above and was standing on the door steps of the airport caretaker's home listening to the phone ringing while people were there. They never answered. ZTL, finally tired of us, decided to hand us off to cha approach and we diverted to dnn which we found and landed with no problems. I think small airports should put their hours for beacons and runway lights in these pubs. This was a very trying trip and ZTL did a great job trying to get us in there.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: C310 PLT, ENRTE IFR NIGHT APCHING DEST ARPT, WAS UNABLE TO FIND ARPT BEACON LIGHTS OR RWY LIGHTS.
Narrative: ON APR/XX/98 CONDUCTED A FLT FROM DAB, IFR, TO PDK, THEN ON TO 49A, FINAL DEST. WX WAS GOOD, BROKEN CLOUD BASE FROM 3800 FT MSL TO 7500 FT MSL ALONG MOST OF THE RTE. AFTER FUELING UP AT PDK, WE FILED ANOTHER FLT PLAN (IFR) TO 49A. DURING PREFLT PLANNING WE LOOKED IN PLT GROUP'S ARPT DIRECTORY AND FLT GUIDES (EASTERN) BOOKS FOR HRS FOR BEACON AND LIGHTS. BEACON WAS LISTED, BUT NO HRS POSTED IN EITHER BOOK. DURING PLANNING WE ALSO DECIDED TO USE JZP FOR AN ALTERNATE, BEING IT HAD AN NDB APCH. NOTAMS WERE CHKED AND HAD NONE FOR OUR RTE. AS WE APCHED AND FLEW OVER JZP WE NOTICED THAT THE NDB WAS NOT WORKING. WE CONTINUED ON, BEING THAT WE HAD GPS BACKUP ABOARD. AS WE APCHED 49A AROUND XA00Z, ZTL SAID WE WERE 1 MI FROM ARPT AND TO REMAIN AT 4100 FT MSL FOR IFR TERRAIN CLRNC. WE TRIED TO LOCATE THE BEACON AND USE MIRL LIGHTS, AS INDICATED IN BOTH DIRECTORIES AND NOTHING SEEMED TO WORK. WE CONTACTED ZTL AND TOLD THEM WE COULD NOT LOCATE THE BEACON. THEY TRIED TO CALL THE ARPT AND NO ONE ANSWERED. OUR CONNECTING PARTY ON THE GND COULD HEAR US CIRCLING ABOVE AND WAS STANDING ON THE DOOR STEPS OF THE ARPT CARETAKER'S HOME LISTENING TO THE PHONE RINGING WHILE PEOPLE WERE THERE. THEY NEVER ANSWERED. ZTL, FINALLY TIRED OF US, DECIDED TO HAND US OFF TO CHA APCH AND WE DIVERTED TO DNN WHICH WE FOUND AND LANDED WITH NO PROBS. I THINK SMALL ARPTS SHOULD PUT THEIR HRS FOR BEACONS AND RWY LIGHTS IN THESE PUBS. THIS WAS A VERY TRYING TRIP AND ZTL DID A GREAT JOB TRYING TO GET US IN THERE.
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.