Narrative:

Location: left base to final runway 36L hsv. On visual approach to runway 36L, cloudless night with good visibility and 1/2 moon illumination, we were hit and then subsequently tracked by a very strong spotlight from a boat or watercraft of some type that was on the tennessee river south of the airfield. This, needless to say, is very distracting and possibly disorienting at any time, but particularly so during a 'black-hole' approach at low altitude at night. Due to the fact that I, PF, had participated in the military early night-vision experiments flying nap of the earth, it was annoying, but presents a clear and present danger to air navigation and needs to be addressed somehow to prevent its occurrence in the future.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR TRACKED WITH GND SPOT LIGHT AT HSV.

Narrative: LOCATION: L BASE TO FINAL RWY 36L HSV. ON VISUAL APCH TO RWY 36L, CLOUDLESS NIGHT WITH GOOD VISIBILITY AND 1/2 MOON ILLUMINATION, WE WERE HIT AND THEN SUBSEQUENTLY TRACKED BY A VERY STRONG SPOTLIGHT FROM A BOAT OR WATERCRAFT OF SOME TYPE THAT WAS ON THE TENNESSEE RIVER S OF THE AIRFIELD. THIS, NEEDLESS TO SAY, IS VERY DISTRACTING AND POSSIBLY DISORIENTING AT ANY TIME, BUT PARTICULARLY SO DURING A 'BLACK-HOLE' APCH AT LOW ALT AT NIGHT. DUE TO THE FACT THAT I, PF, HAD PARTICIPATED IN THE MIL EARLY NIGHT-VISION EXPERIMENTS FLYING NAP OF THE EARTH, IT WAS ANNOYING, BUT PRESENTS A CLR AND PRESENT DANGER TO AIR NAV AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED SOMEHOW TO PREVENT ITS OCCURRENCE IN THE FUTURE.

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.