Narrative:

Due to the age of wiring in the runway 6/24 HIRL, numerous outages have hampered aircraft over 12500 pounds arriving and departing erie airport. Mar/xa/01 at XA20 failed, returned to service. Mar/xd/01 at XD55Z out for maintenance, returned to service. Jun/xa/01 failed XA50Z, returned to service jun/xc/01 at XB01Z. Jun/xd/01 failed XB00Z, returned to service at XC35Z. Jun/xe/01 failed at XA03Z, returned to service jun/xf/01 at XC10Z. The airport authority/authorized received an emergency authority/authorized for funding a rewiring project for runway 6/24 HIRL's. They received $75,000 for project. The rewiring was accepted at $50,000. The plan is to just wire the lights -- no monitoring system in the plan. There are monitoring system for airport lighting that will monitor the insulation on wiring (the problem at erie was the condition of wire insulation) by transmitting a set damage through the system and resistance readings are produced that determine the condition of insulation. These system identify deteriorating wire insulation before it is a problem. Xyz company manufacturers the insulation resistance monitoring system which accomplished the above mentioned procedure. The cost is around $3,500. We feel a system such as this can save the airlines ten-fold in cost revenue from airport closures. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter advised of no change in airport authority/authorized decision in a recent meeting with all airport effected organizations about adding the wire resistance monitoring equipment. A tower specialist advised that the tower had the standard on/off select runway/taxiway lighting panel. The specialist was aware of the additionally proposed monitor panel. The proposed monitoring system would be located at an airport maintenance station, along with existing electrical monitoring system.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ERI CTLR CONCERNED THAT THE RWY 6-24 HIRL LIGHTS REWIRING PROJECT SHOULD HAVE A DIRECT RESISTANT MONITORING SYS THAT MONITORS THE WIRE INSULATION STATUS, WHICH PRESENTLY IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE PROJECT. RECENT HIRL OUTAGES HAVE BEEN TRACED TO WIRE INSULATION BREAKDOWN.

Narrative: DUE TO THE AGE OF WIRING IN THE RWY 6/24 HIRL, NUMEROUS OUTAGES HAVE HAMPERED ACFT OVER 12500 LBS ARRIVING AND DEPARTING ERIE ARPT. MAR/XA/01 AT XA20 FAILED, RETURNED TO SVC. MAR/XD/01 AT XD55Z OUT FOR MAINT, RETURNED TO SVC. JUN/XA/01 FAILED XA50Z, RETURNED TO SVC JUN/XC/01 AT XB01Z. JUN/XD/01 FAILED XB00Z, RETURNED TO SVC AT XC35Z. JUN/XE/01 FAILED AT XA03Z, RETURNED TO SVC JUN/XF/01 AT XC10Z. THE ARPT AUTH RECEIVED AN EMER AUTH FOR FUNDING A REWIRING PROJECT FOR RWY 6/24 HIRL'S. THEY RECEIVED $75,000 FOR PROJECT. THE REWIRING WAS ACCEPTED AT $50,000. THE PLAN IS TO JUST WIRE THE LIGHTS -- NO MONITORING SYS IN THE PLAN. THERE ARE MONITORING SYS FOR ARPT LIGHTING THAT WILL MONITOR THE INSULATION ON WIRING (THE PROB AT ERIE WAS THE CONDITION OF WIRE INSULATION) BY XMITTING A SET DAMAGE THROUGH THE SYS AND RESISTANCE READINGS ARE PRODUCED THAT DETERMINE THE CONDITION OF INSULATION. THESE SYS IDENT DETERIORATING WIRE INSULATION BEFORE IT IS A PROB. XYZ COMPANY MANUFACTURERS THE INSULATION RESISTANCE MONITORING SYS WHICH ACCOMPLISHED THE ABOVE MENTIONED PROC. THE COST IS AROUND $3,500. WE FEEL A SYS SUCH AS THIS CAN SAVE THE AIRLINES TEN-FOLD IN COST REVENUE FROM ARPT CLOSURES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR ADVISED OF NO CHANGE IN ARPT AUTH DECISION IN A RECENT MEETING WITH ALL ARPT EFFECTED ORGANIZATIONS ABOUT ADDING THE WIRE RESISTANCE MONITORING EQUIP. A TWR SPECIALIST ADVISED THAT THE TWR HAD THE STANDARD ON/OFF SELECT RWY/TXWY LIGHTING PANEL. THE SPECIALIST WAS AWARE OF THE ADDITIONALLY PROPOSED MONITOR PANEL. THE PROPOSED MONITORING SYS WOULD BE LOCATED AT AN ARPT MAINT STATION, ALONG WITH EXISTING ELECTRICAL MONITORING SYS.

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.