Narrative:

On approach to jzp airport (pickens county, GA) in VMC conditions, the unicom activated lights did not work. After trying several times in pattern altitude of the airport, I had to land at an adjacent county airport because jzp is very dark and located in a mountainous area. This is at least the third time this has happened to me. Airport is poorly run with little upkeep. I believe this is extremely dangerous. Lighting and VASI lights are erratic at best. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that this is rural country and a very poor county which has only 1 commissioner. There is no actual airport commission. There are a couple of cpr aircraft that use the airport and about 18 GA aircraft based there. The airport is in poor repair. The grass is not cut and is the home of many birds which are in conflict with aircraft frequently. The grass is growing through the runway. There was once an instrument approach but that has been removed, so it is difficult during poor WX conditions. The erratic lighting situation is the final aspect to make this a very hazardous situation. The airport is located in mountainous terrain and it is not safe to be flying to a secondary airport with darkness and low fuel due to having to divert. This is really a twofold issue -- the erratic lighting and the bird problem. Reference acn 417961.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A C210 AT A NON TWR ARPT WITH PLT ACTIVATED LIGHTING FINDS THE LIGHTS INOP ON APCH. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME PLT HAS EXPERIENCED THIS PROB.

Narrative: ON APCH TO JZP ARPT (PICKENS COUNTY, GA) IN VMC CONDITIONS, THE UNICOM ACTIVATED LIGHTS DID NOT WORK. AFTER TRYING SEVERAL TIMES IN PATTERN ALT OF THE ARPT, I HAD TO LAND AT AN ADJACENT COUNTY ARPT BECAUSE JZP IS VERY DARK AND LOCATED IN A MOUNTAINOUS AREA. THIS IS AT LEAST THE THIRD TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME. ARPT IS POORLY RUN WITH LITTLE UPKEEP. I BELIEVE THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. LIGHTING AND VASI LIGHTS ARE ERRATIC AT BEST. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THIS IS RURAL COUNTRY AND A VERY POOR COUNTY WHICH HAS ONLY 1 COMMISSIONER. THERE IS NO ACTUAL ARPT COMMISSION. THERE ARE A COUPLE OF CPR ACFT THAT USE THE ARPT AND ABOUT 18 GA ACFT BASED THERE. THE ARPT IS IN POOR REPAIR. THE GRASS IS NOT CUT AND IS THE HOME OF MANY BIRDS WHICH ARE IN CONFLICT WITH ACFT FREQUENTLY. THE GRASS IS GROWING THROUGH THE RWY. THERE WAS ONCE AN INST APCH BUT THAT HAS BEEN REMOVED, SO IT IS DIFFICULT DURING POOR WX CONDITIONS. THE ERRATIC LIGHTING SIT IS THE FINAL ASPECT TO MAKE THIS A VERY HAZARDOUS SIT. THE ARPT IS LOCATED IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN AND IT IS NOT SAFE TO BE FLYING TO A SECONDARY ARPT WITH DARKNESS AND LOW FUEL DUE TO HAVING TO DIVERT. THIS IS REALLY A TWOFOLD ISSUE -- THE ERRATIC LIGHTING AND THE BIRD PROB. REF ACN 417961.

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.