Narrative:

I am a 20 year captain with over 30,000 hours of flight time. I have had the opportunity to fly to many aprts and experience many different things. I hope that this experience brings weight and credibility to my concerns. I want to communicate several important issues that are not being addressed properly by either my company or detroit metropolitan airport or possibly both. It is my strong opinion that the operators of detroit metropolitan aprt are clearly not responsible stewards in running a safe aprt. The runway and taxiway safety zones are rarely maintained and have ruts and sometimes large areas of pooling water. It is more than a little unsettling to think 'god forbid' if my aircraft left the runway I would experience a less than satisfactory safety zone. In addition, these large expanse pools of water are drawing geese and ducks dangerously close to the runways! I have already been involved in one bird strike at dtw a little over a year ago. If that is not enough, the aprt seems to have a difficult time keeping the lights and signs lit on the airfield. Nothing in my experience even comes close to the condition of this aprt with an exception to some third world facilities! It is beyond me why this aprt cannot be maintained to the same or comparable level as ord, msp or sea. I have on more than one occasion communicated safety concerns to our operations center and I never see any improvement. I cannot speak to what actions have or have not been done except the bottom line is that conditions are often dangerous at this facility.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AIR CARRIER PILOT COMPLAINS OF POOR CONDITION OF THE TXWYS, OVERRUNS AND STANDING WATER THAT RESULTS IN BIRD HAZARDS AT DTW, MI. APRT.

Narrative: I AM A 20 YEAR CAPT WITH OVER 30,000 HOURS OF FLIGHT TIME. I HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO FLY TO MANY APRTS AND EXPERIENCE MANY DIFFERENT THINGS. I HOPE THAT THIS EXPERIENCE BRINGS WEIGHT AND CREDIBILITY TO MY CONCERNS. I WANT TO COMMUNICATE SEVERAL IMPORTANT ISSUES THAT ARE NOT BEING ADDRESSED PROPERLY BY EITHER MY COMPANY OR DETROIT METROPOLITAN AIRPORT OR POSSIBLY BOTH. IT IS MY STRONG OPINION THAT THE OPERATORS OF DETROIT METRO APRT ARE CLEARLY NOT RESPONSIBLE STEWARDS IN RUNNING A SAFE APRT. THE RWY AND TXWY SAFETY ZONES ARE RARELY MAINTAINED AND HAVE RUTS AND SOMETIMES LARGE AREAS OF POOLING WATER. IT IS MORE THAN A LITTLE UNSETTLING TO THINK 'GOD FORBID' IF MY ACFT LEFT THE RWY I WOULD EXPERIENCE A LESS THAN SATISFACTORY SAFETY ZONE. IN ADDITION, THESE LARGE EXPANSE POOLS OF WATER ARE DRAWING GEESE AND DUCKS DANGEROUSLY CLOSE TO THE RWYS! I HAVE ALREADY BEEN INVOLVED IN ONE BIRD STRIKE AT DTW A LITTLE OVER A YEAR AGO. IF THAT IS NOT ENOUGH, THE APRT SEEMS TO HAVE A DIFFICULT TIME KEEPING THE LIGHTS AND SIGNS LIT ON THE AIRFIELD. NOTHING IN MY EXPERIENCE EVEN COMES CLOSE TO THE CONDITION OF THIS APRT WITH AN EXCEPTION TO SOME THIRD WORLD FACILITIES! IT IS BEYOND ME WHY THIS APRT CANNOT BE MAINTAINED TO THE SAME OR COMPARABLE LEVEL AS ORD, MSP OR SEA. I HAVE ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION COMMUNICATED SAFETY CONCERNS TO OUR OPERATIONS CENTER AND I NEVER SEE ANY IMPROVEMENT. I CANNOT SPEAK TO WHAT ACTIONS HAVE OR HAVE NOT BEEN DONE EXCEPT THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT CONDITIONS ARE OFTEN DANGEROUS AT THIS FACILITY.

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.