Narrative:

We were on an approximately 4 mi wide left base turn for runway 25R at phoenix sky harbor. We were told to follow a B737 at our 1 O'clock position to runway 25R. From our position we could not determine the alignment of the jet as it approached short final, due to numerous city lights. 2 runways were lit up. As we were cleared for the right we lined up with the right. After (approximately) 10 seconds of being established on the right the controller came back to us and said 'confirm established on runway 25R.' (I don't recall the exact transmission...he may have said 'it appears that you're lined with runway 26R...(slight pause) make an immediate left turn for runway 25R.') in my mind, I was now cleared to land on the right runway, but was aligned with the left. I verbalized this discrepancy to the controller. He told me I was aligned with the correct runway. I later called the phoenix sky harbor control tower manager, and discussed the incredibly unsafe condition. He explained to me the lights (runway lights) on runway 25L are being worked on and 'the city' said they'd try to have them operational maybe monday or tuesday but that was up in the air. He also mentioned there had been other very serious problems arise prior to our arrival including a flight that had to go around 4 times due to the seeming contradictory statement 'you're cleared to land on runway 25R' and visually seeing only 2 runways...one left...one right. This is an accident waiting to happen. I suggested to modify the robotic-like and lengthy ATIS to begin it with some kind of statement alerting pilots unfamiliar with sky harbor's problem to this contradictory issue and have the controller take more of a humanistic view of the situation than hiding behind the fact that pilot should figure it out. This is a visual problem regardless of what some NOTAM on page 4 may say.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A GA INSTRUCTOR PLT GETS CONFUSED OVER LNDG CLRNC RELATING TO RWY 25R WHILE LINED UP WITH RWY 26 DURING A NIGHT OP 3 MI E OF PHX, AZ.

Narrative: WE WERE ON AN APPROX 4 MI WIDE L BASE TURN FOR RWY 25R AT PHOENIX SKY HARBOR. WE WERE TOLD TO FOLLOW A B737 AT OUR 1 O'CLOCK POS TO RWY 25R. FROM OUR POS WE COULD NOT DETERMINE THE ALIGNMENT OF THE JET AS IT APCHED SHORT FINAL, DUE TO NUMEROUS CITY LIGHTS. 2 RWYS WERE LIT UP. AS WE WERE CLRED FOR THE R WE LINED UP WITH THE R. AFTER (APPROX) 10 SECONDS OF BEING ESTABLISHED ON THE R THE CTLR CAME BACK TO US AND SAID 'CONFIRM ESTABLISHED ON RWY 25R.' (I DON'T RECALL THE EXACT XMISSION...HE MAY HAVE SAID 'IT APPEARS THAT YOU'RE LINED WITH RWY 26R...(SLIGHT PAUSE) MAKE AN IMMEDIATE L TURN FOR RWY 25R.') IN MY MIND, I WAS NOW CLRED TO LAND ON THE R RWY, BUT WAS ALIGNED WITH THE L. I VERBALIZED THIS DISCREPANCY TO THE CTLR. HE TOLD ME I WAS ALIGNED WITH THE CORRECT RWY. I LATER CALLED THE PHOENIX SKY HARBOR CTL TWR MGR, AND DISCUSSED THE INCREDIBLY UNSAFE CONDITION. HE EXPLAINED TO ME THE LIGHTS (RWY LIGHTS) ON RWY 25L ARE BEING WORKED ON AND 'THE CITY' SAID THEY'D TRY TO HAVE THEM OPERATIONAL MAYBE MONDAY OR TUESDAY BUT THAT WAS UP IN THE AIR. HE ALSO MENTIONED THERE HAD BEEN OTHER VERY SERIOUS PROBS ARISE PRIOR TO OUR ARR INCLUDING A FLT THAT HAD TO GO AROUND 4 TIMES DUE TO THE SEEMING CONTRADICTORY STATEMENT 'YOU'RE CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 25R' AND VISUALLY SEEING ONLY 2 RWYS...ONE L...ONE R. THIS IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. I SUGGESTED TO MODIFY THE ROBOTIC-LIKE AND LENGTHY ATIS TO BEGIN IT WITH SOME KIND OF STATEMENT ALERTING PLTS UNFAMILIAR WITH SKY HARBOR'S PROB TO THIS CONTRADICTORY ISSUE AND HAVE THE CTLR TAKE MORE OF A HUMANISTIC VIEW OF THE SIT THAN HIDING BEHIND THE FACT THAT PLT SHOULD FIGURE IT OUT. THIS IS A VISUAL PROB REGARDLESS OF WHAT SOME NOTAM ON PAGE 4 MAY SAY.

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.