B767 crew blinded and concerned over high intensity strobes on fuel trucks at tus.

Attributes
ACN	460121
Time
Date	200001
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : tus.airport
State Reference	AZ
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B767 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	460121
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited adverse environment
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airport
Primary Problem	Airport

Narrative:

While doing preflight walk around, I had to shade my eyes from a very bright yellow strobe. This strobe was on top of the fuel truck, about head level high. All the fuel trucks have them and they cannot be turned off. The ramp agents were also blinded by the brilliant flash and had to walk with their heads turned away to avoid being blinded / disoriented by the flash. This could cause 'flicker vertigo,' nausea, or temporary blindness. The ramp area around aircraft is the most dangerous on the airport and this is a potentially very bad addition to the danger. I asked the driver and he said he could not turn off the strobe. I can only imagine the effect if it were a propeller aircraft. This is an unnecessary danger. It does not enhance safety, in fact detracts from it. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter reiterates the potential hazard of the too bright high intensity strobe lights on the fueling truck. He also cannot understand why these lights are not able to be controlled by the fuel vehicle driver. He states that the temporary blindness and disorientation caused by the lights is 'an accident waiting to happen.' all fueling vehicles have the same bright strobes.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767 CREW BLINDED AND CONCERNED OVER HIGH INTENSITY STROBES ON FUEL TRUCKS AT TUS.

Narrative: WHILE DOING PREFLT WALK AROUND, I HAD TO SHADE MY EYES FROM A VERY BRIGHT YELLOW STROBE. THIS STROBE WAS ON TOP OF THE FUEL TRUCK, ABOUT HEAD LEVEL HIGH. ALL THE FUEL TRUCKS HAVE THEM AND THEY CANNOT BE TURNED OFF. THE RAMP AGENTS WERE ALSO BLINDED BY THE BRILLIANT FLASH AND HAD TO WALK WITH THEIR HEADS TURNED AWAY TO AVOID BEING BLINDED / DISORIENTED BY THE FLASH. THIS COULD CAUSE 'FLICKER VERTIGO,' NAUSEA, OR TEMPORARY BLINDNESS. THE RAMP AREA AROUND ACFT IS THE MOST DANGEROUS ON THE ARPT AND THIS IS A POTENTIALLY VERY BAD ADDITION TO THE DANGER. I ASKED THE DRIVER AND HE SAID HE COULD NOT TURN OFF THE STROBE. I CAN ONLY IMAGINE THE EFFECT IF IT WERE A PROP ACFT. THIS IS AN UNNECESSARY DANGER. IT DOES NOT ENHANCE SAFETY, IN FACT DETRACTS FROM IT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR REITERATES THE POTENTIAL HAZARD OF THE TOO BRIGHT HIGH INTENSITY STROBE LIGHTS ON THE FUELING TRUCK. HE ALSO CANNOT UNDERSTAND WHY THESE LIGHTS ARE NOT ABLE TO BE CONTROLLED BY THE FUEL VEHICLE DRIVER. HE STATES THAT THE TEMPORARY BLINDNESS AND DISORIENTATION CAUSED BY THE LIGHTS IS 'AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN.' ALL FUELING VEHICLES HAVE THE SAME BRIGHT STROBES.

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.