Controller finds the approach lights to be out of service at sat, tx, runway 12R, when he is told by...

Attributes
ACN	401604
Time
Date	199805
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sat
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Experience	controller military : 6 controller radar : 10
ASRS Report	401604
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	oversight : airport manager
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	other physical facility
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

On 5/xa/98 at approximately XA52, the approach lighting panel for runway 12R was logged out of service. The outage was carried over on the next day's log meaning it hadn't been fixed, or was not even looked at. On 5/xb/98 at approximately XA45 the WX was indefinite ceiling 100 with less than 1/4 mi visibility the RVR for runway 12R was down to 100 ft. The approach light panel was still not indicating whether or not they were on, and we could increase the intensity to step five. Since we were down to CAT ii minimums we had the airport operations do a CAT ii check of the runway lights. It was at this point when we discovered the approach lighting system was not even working properly. At least three aircraft made the approach without being notified the approach lights were out of service. My complaint is that the outage was reported and after 24 hours nothing had been done. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that from the tower he could not tell which step the approach lights were set on. The warning buzzer was also inoperative. He was upset when 3 aircraft lnded in low visibility conditions, evidently because they identified the sequence flasher lights that led them to the airport. There is no way to know if approach lights are working except for a visual inspection. Reporter would like some type of warning system available in the tower to annunciate when approach lights are not functioning properly. Inspections of the approach lights are made twice per night and once per day by a ground maintenance crew. Also the controller had no way of knowing that step 5 of light intensity was not available.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR FINDS THE APCH LIGHTS TO BE OUT OF SERVICE AT SAT, TX, RWY 12R, WHEN HE IS TOLD BY GND INSPECTOR. CTLR WANTS SOME OTHER SYSTEM TO INDICATE WHEN APCH LIGHTS ARE NOT OPERATIONAL.

Narrative: ON 5/XA/98 AT APPROXIMATELY XA52, THE APCH LIGHTING PANEL FOR RWY 12R WAS LOGGED OUT OF SERVICE. THE OUTAGE WAS CARRIED OVER ON THE NEXT DAY'S LOG MEANING IT HADN'T BEEN FIXED, OR WAS NOT EVEN LOOKED AT. ON 5/XB/98 AT APPROX XA45 THE WX WAS INDEFINITE CEILING 100 WITH LESS THAN 1/4 MI VISIBILITY THE RVR FOR RWY 12R WAS DOWN TO 100 FT. THE APCH LIGHT PANEL WAS STILL NOT INDICATING WHETHER OR NOT THEY WERE ON, AND WE COULD INCREASE THE INTENSITY TO STEP FIVE. SINCE WE WERE DOWN TO CAT II MINIMUMS WE HAD THE ARPT OPS DO A CAT II CHECK OF THE RWY LIGHTS. IT WAS AT THIS POINT WHEN WE DISCOVERED THE APCH LIGHTING SYS WAS NOT EVEN WORKING PROPERLY. AT LEAST THREE ACFT MADE THE APCH WITHOUT BEING NOTIFIED THE APCH LIGHTS WERE OUT OF SERVICE. MY COMPLAINT IS THAT THE OUTAGE WAS RPTED AND AFTER 24 HRS NOTHING HAD BEEN DONE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT FROM THE TWR HE COULD NOT TELL WHICH STEP THE APCH LIGHTS WERE SET ON. THE WARNING BUZZER WAS ALSO INOP. HE WAS UPSET WHEN 3 ACFT LNDED IN LOW VISIBILITY CONDITIONS, EVIDENTLY BECAUSE THEY IDENTIFIED THE SEQUENCE FLASHER LIGHTS THAT LED THEM TO THE ARPT. THERE IS NO WAY TO KNOW IF APCH LIGHTS ARE WORKING EXCEPT FOR A VISUAL INSPECTION. RPTR WOULD LIKE SOME TYPE OF WARNING SYSTEM AVAILABLE IN THE TWR TO ANNUNCIATE WHEN APCH LIGHTS ARE NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. INSPECTIONS OF THE APCH LIGHTS ARE MADE TWICE PER NIGHT AND ONCE PER DAY BY A GND MAINT CREW. ALSO THE CTLR HAD NO WAY OF KNOWING THAT STEP 5 OF LIGHT INTENSITY WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

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.

Controller finds the approach lights to be out of service at sat, tx, runway 12R, when he is told by ground inspector. Controller wants some other system to indicate when approach lights are not operational.