Narrative:

Radio tower constructed to south of final approach to runway 12. Painted gray, no lights, extends over 4800 ft AGL. During marginal visibility, sunrise with haze makes visual contact almost impossible, even when knowing where tower is and actively looking for it. Tower is not marked on approach plate. Tower is a hazard to aircraft descending to land at hob when attention is diverted to traffic and cockpit duties. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that the tower is still in construction. It now has daytime strobes and red lights at night. However, the gray color still limits visibility until one is quite close, within 1 mi, even when aware of its location. Reporter flies freight and arrives at dawn. He has great difficulty sighting the tower. He is also concerned that smaller aircraft, with less climb capability, could be at the level of the tower during that climb and run right into it when departing from any of the runways since that direction is a common one. The tower is located within the 5 mi ring of the class D airspace. Reporter guesses the tower is currently about 800 ft. It was suggested that reporter contact the FSDO and the FAA hotline. Analyst contacted the obstruction evaluation office who searched the area 10 mi around the hobbs airport. The gentleman was unable to come up with any new construction in that area. It is possible that permission was granted some time ago and the construction delayed. It is also possible for an obstruction to be at least 20000 ft away and less than 200 ft high and not need a permit. This does not sound like the case, however, as the ht seems greater.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C210 CARGO OPERATOR NOTES CONSTRUCTION OF TWR JUST S OF THE APCH TO RWY 12. IT IS PAINTED GRAY, JUST RECENTLY HAS LIGHTING, BUT VERY DIFFICULT TO SIGHT EVEN KNOWING WHERE IT IS LOCATED. IT IS NOT CHARTED.

Narrative: RADIO TOWER CONSTRUCTED TO S OF FINAL APCH TO RWY 12. PAINTED GRAY, NO LIGHTS, EXTENDS OVER 4800 FT AGL. DURING MARGINAL VISIBILITY, SUNRISE WITH HAZE MAKES VISUAL CONTACT ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE, EVEN WHEN KNOWING WHERE TOWER IS AND ACTIVELY LOOKING FOR IT. TOWER IS NOT MARKED ON APCH PLATE. TOWER IS A HAZARD TO ACFT DSNDING TO LAND AT HOB WHEN ATTN IS DIVERTED TO TFC AND COCKPIT DUTIES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THE TOWER IS STILL IN CONSTRUCTION. IT NOW HAS DAYTIME STROBES AND RED LIGHTS AT NIGHT. HOWEVER, THE GRAY COLOR STILL LIMITS VISIBILITY UNTIL ONE IS QUITE CLOSE, WITHIN 1 MI, EVEN WHEN AWARE OF ITS LOCATION. RPTR FLIES FREIGHT AND ARRIVES AT DAWN. HE HAS GREAT DIFFICULTY SIGHTING THE TOWER. HE IS ALSO CONCERNED THAT SMALLER ACFT, WITH LESS CLB CAPABILITY, COULD BE AT THE LEVEL OF THE TOWER DURING THAT CLB AND RUN RIGHT INTO IT WHEN DEPARTING FROM ANY OF THE RWYS SINCE THAT DIRECTION IS A COMMON ONE. THE TOWER IS LOCATED WITHIN THE 5 MI RING OF THE CLASS D AIRSPACE. RPTR GUESSES THE TOWER IS CURRENTLY ABOUT 800 FT. IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT RPTR CONTACT THE FSDO AND THE FAA HOTLINE. ANALYST CONTACTED THE OBSTRUCTION EVALUATION OFFICE WHO SEARCHED THE AREA 10 MI AROUND THE HOBBS ARPT. THE GENTLEMAN WAS UNABLE TO COME UP WITH ANY NEW CONSTRUCTION IN THAT AREA. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT PERMISSION WAS GRANTED SOME TIME AGO AND THE CONSTRUCTION DELAYED. IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE FOR AN OBSTRUCTION TO BE AT LEAST 20000 FT AWAY AND LESS THAN 200 FT HIGH AND NOT NEED A PERMIT. THIS DOES NOT SOUND LIKE THE CASE, HOWEVER, AS THE HT SEEMS GREATER.

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.