Pilot on approach to land has multiple bird strikes when lights illuminate the high grass in which t...

Attributes
ACN	418348
Time
Date	199808
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : jzp
State Reference	GA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 50
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cessna 210 Centurion / Turbo Centurion 210C, 210D
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 17000 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	418348
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

On approach (visual) to jzp, dickens county airport, jasper, GA, I had multiple bird strikes on short final due to the fact the grass along the runway is extremely long, rarely cut and is a haven for birds. The county run airport is poorly run and has no plan or staff to cut the grass. Contributing factor is numerous lights do not work on the left side of runway 34, so birds were startled by my strobes and landing lights. The aircraft sustained multiple hits and killed several birds from the propeller. Aircraft was a bloody mess. Airport is poorly run with very little upkeep. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that other pilots have complained about this problem, too. He has spoken to the city and county officials regarding the situation and does not seem to get much response. Federal monies have been allocated for widening the runway and all seems to be on hold until that process can get started. But this has been the excuse for about 5-6 yrs. Reporter feels this is really an emergency situation and someone is going to get hurt. Just cutting the grass would be helpful because the birds would not be so inclined to nest there and the lights which do work would be visible when they can be turned on. Most pilots who are based here are afraid the tie-down rates will be raised if they complain. Reporter aircraft is a C210.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT ON APCH TO LAND HAS MULTIPLE BIRD STRIKES WHEN LIGHTS ILLUMINATE THE HIGH GRASS IN WHICH THE BIRDS HOUSE THEMSELVES. ALLEGEDLY, ARPT IS POORLY RUN AND HAS MANY TXWY AND RWY LIGHTS OTS.

Narrative: ON APCH (VISUAL) TO JZP, DICKENS COUNTY ARPT, JASPER, GA, I HAD MULTIPLE BIRD STRIKES ON SHORT FINAL DUE TO THE FACT THE GRASS ALONG THE RWY IS EXTREMELY LONG, RARELY CUT AND IS A HAVEN FOR BIRDS. THE COUNTY RUN ARPT IS POORLY RUN AND HAS NO PLAN OR STAFF TO CUT THE GRASS. CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IS NUMEROUS LIGHTS DO NOT WORK ON THE L SIDE OF RWY 34, SO BIRDS WERE STARTLED BY MY STROBES AND LNDG LIGHTS. THE ACFT SUSTAINED MULTIPLE HITS AND KILLED SEVERAL BIRDS FROM THE PROP. ACFT WAS A BLOODY MESS. ARPT IS POORLY RUN WITH VERY LITTLE UPKEEP. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT OTHER PLTS HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS PROB, TOO. HE HAS SPOKEN TO THE CITY AND COUNTY OFFICIALS REGARDING THE SIT AND DOES NOT SEEM TO GET MUCH RESPONSE. FEDERAL MONIES HAVE BEEN ALLOCATED FOR WIDENING THE RWY AND ALL SEEMS TO BE ON HOLD UNTIL THAT PROCESS CAN GET STARTED. BUT THIS HAS BEEN THE EXCUSE FOR ABOUT 5-6 YRS. RPTR FEELS THIS IS REALLY AN EMER SIT AND SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET HURT. JUST CUTTING THE GRASS WOULD BE HELPFUL BECAUSE THE BIRDS WOULD NOT BE SO INCLINED TO NEST THERE AND THE LIGHTS WHICH DO WORK WOULD BE VISIBLE WHEN THEY CAN BE TURNED ON. MOST PLTS WHO ARE BASED HERE ARE AFRAID THE TIE-DOWN RATES WILL BE RAISED IF THEY COMPLAIN. RPTR ACFT IS A C210.

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.

Pilot on approach to land has multiple bird strikes when lights illuminate the high grass in which the birds house themselves. Allegedly, airport is poorly run and has many taxiway and runway lights OTS.