Narrative:

Las does not have edge lights on most txwys. This makes night runway turnoffs particularly hazardous. The only lights at A6 are center line lights which end crossing runway 25R and resume on the opposite side. It has been my practice exiting runway 25L on taxiway A6 to track the taxiway center line until approaching 25R, then maneuver to intercept center line lights on taxiway B, opposite side. But all surfaces are irregular and there are no taxiway edge lights, requiring one to proceed by feel. On this flight I started for the center line lights on the far side a little too soon and found the aircraft uncomfortably center lineose to the right double yellow edge line as we crossed runway 25R. The first officer also noticed it and voiced his concern. In the future I will not initiate a turn on taxiway A6 until the aircraft is on the far side of runway 25R. But I feel that las lack of taxiway edge lights is a hazard and pressure should be brought to bear on the airport authority to equipment all runway exits and critical txwys with edge lights. I am very cautious maneuvering on the ground at night, but this one almost bit me. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter considers the las airport to be unsatisfactory as to overall taxiway edge lighting. An associated problem in the incident was that runway 25R is raised above the level of taxiway A6 on either side, thus creating a hump. When taxiing on taxiway a between taxiway a and runway 25R, a taxiing pilot in an md-80 cannot see the other side of the taxiway center line lights as they are flush to the surface. The md-80 sits quite low, thus not affording the crew much of an opportunity to review the taxi area ahead of them. Taxiway edge lights would situation much higher and would be more visible. The reporter also complained that the green center line taxi lights were not all the same color, some being a blue green that was further confusing to the crew. The reporter stated that this condition is legendary within the airline and crews frequently complain of this existing problem of a perceptual illusion. When coming across runway 25R there is a blurry sea of green blue lights that adds nothing to the ability of the crew to plan their taxi route.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD-80 PIC'S REPORT ON THE LACK OF TXWY EDGE LIGHTS THAT IS PROBLEMATIC FOR NIGHT TAXI OPERATIONS ON TXWY A6 AT LAS, NV.

Narrative: LAS DOES NOT HAVE EDGE LIGHTS ON MOST TXWYS. THIS MAKES NIGHT RWY TURNOFFS PARTICULARLY HAZARDOUS. THE ONLY LIGHTS AT A6 ARE CENTER LINE LIGHTS WHICH END CROSSING RWY 25R AND RESUME ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE. IT HAS BEEN MY PRACTICE EXITING RWY 25L ON TXWY A6 TO TRACK THE TXWY CTR LINE UNTIL APPROACHING 25R, THEN MANEUVER TO INTERCEPT CTR LINE LIGHTS ON TXWY B, OPPOSITE SIDE. BUT ALL SURFACES ARE IRREGULAR AND THERE ARE NO TXWY EDGE LIGHTS, REQUIRING ONE TO PROCEED BY FEEL. ON THIS FLT I STARTED FOR THE CTR LINE LIGHTS ON THE FAR SIDE A LITTLE TOO SOON AND FOUND THE ACFT UNCOMFORTABLY CTR LINEOSE TO THE R DOUBLE YELLOW EDGE LINE AS WE CROSSED RWY 25R. THE F/O ALSO NOTICED IT AND VOICED HIS CONCERN. IN THE FUTURE I WILL NOT INITIATE A TURN ON TXWY A6 UNTIL THE ACFT IS ON THE FAR SIDE OF RWY 25R. BUT I FEEL THAT LAS LACK OF TXWY EDGE LIGHTS IS A HAZARD AND PRESSURE SHOULD BE BROUGHT TO BEAR ON THE ARPT AUTHORITY TO EQUIP ALL RWY EXITS AND CRITICAL TXWYS WITH EDGE LIGHTS. I AM VERY CAUTIOUS MANEUVERING ON THE GND AT NIGHT, BUT THIS ONE ALMOST BIT ME. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR CONSIDERS THE LAS ARPT TO BE UNSATISFACTORY AS TO OVERALL TXWY EDGE LIGHTING. AN ASSOCIATED PROB IN THE INCIDENT WAS THAT RWY 25R IS RAISED ABOVE THE LEVEL OF TXWY A6 ON EITHER SIDE, THUS CREATING A HUMP. WHEN TAXIING ON TXWY A BETWEEN TXWY A AND RWY 25R, A TAXIING PLT IN AN MD-80 CANNOT SEE THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TXWY CENTER LINE LIGHTS AS THEY ARE FLUSH TO THE SURFACE. THE MD-80 SITS QUITE LOW, THUS NOT AFFORDING THE CREW MUCH OF AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THE TAXI AREA AHEAD OF THEM. TXWY EDGE LIGHTS WOULD SIT MUCH HIGHER AND WOULD BE MORE VISIBLE. THE RPTR ALSO COMPLAINED THAT THE GREEN CTR LINE TAXI LIGHTS WERE NOT ALL THE SAME COLOR, SOME BEING A BLUE GREEN THAT WAS FURTHER CONFUSING TO THE CREW. THE RPTR STATED THAT THIS CONDITION IS LEGENDARY WITHIN THE AIRLINE AND CREWS FREQUENTLY COMPLAIN OF THIS EXISTING PROB OF A PERCEPTUAL ILLUSION. WHEN COMING ACROSS RWY 25R THERE IS A BLURRY SEA OF GREEN BLUE LIGHTS THAT ADDS NOTHING TO THE ABILITY OF THE CREW TO PLAN THEIR TAXI ROUTE.

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.