Narrative:

The acy airport runway 31 has no VASI/PAPI or other vertical guidance. It is a black hole approach at night. The south jersey transportation authority/authorized who operates the airport has not been able to get a PAPI system installed for over 1 yr. As part of runway reconstruction that was to be finished 1 yr ago october or november. Because of massive mismgmnt, the project was not completed until this august. Part of the project was to install PAPI's. The FAA regional airways office at acy obtained a different make/model of PAPI than planned. Contractor refused to install them without a rebid. Installation is now stalled because of contractor/authority/authorized engineering can't agree on price. They have completely forgotten about safety. The authority/authorized's only desire is to make money from the airport. Safety has taken a back seat on several of those projects of this type. Several capts who fly regularly from acy are starting to refuse this runway even when it is preferred because of this lack of guidance. Someone needs to stop this type of management -- with auths that don't have aviation backgnd and don't understand the safety measures involved. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that since mailing his report, he learned installation of the PAPI has started and is expected to be completed in about a month. He said acy has approximately 15 air carrier flts each day and the military uses the airport with fighter and transport type aircraft. He believes most of the problems with the airport are due to heavy political involvement. When asked about an airport advisory board, the reporter stated it was ineffective.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR CLAIMS THAT THE INSTALLATION OF A PAPI SYS ON RWY 31 AT ACY ARPT HAS BEEN DELAYED FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS AND STRONGLY BELIEVES IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE.

Narrative: THE ACY ARPT RWY 31 HAS NO VASI/PAPI OR OTHER VERT GUIDANCE. IT IS A BLACK HOLE APCH AT NIGHT. THE SOUTH JERSEY TRANSPORTATION AUTH WHO OPERATES THE ARPT HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET A PAPI SYS INSTALLED FOR OVER 1 YR. AS PART OF RWY RECONSTRUCTION THAT WAS TO BE FINISHED 1 YR AGO OCTOBER OR NOVEMBER. BECAUSE OF MASSIVE MISMGMNT, THE PROJECT WAS NOT COMPLETED UNTIL THIS AUGUST. PART OF THE PROJECT WAS TO INSTALL PAPI'S. THE FAA REGIONAL AIRWAYS OFFICE AT ACY OBTAINED A DIFFERENT MAKE/MODEL OF PAPI THAN PLANNED. CONTRACTOR REFUSED TO INSTALL THEM WITHOUT A REBID. INSTALLATION IS NOW STALLED BECAUSE OF CONTRACTOR/AUTH ENGINEERING CAN'T AGREE ON PRICE. THEY HAVE COMPLETELY FORGOTTEN ABOUT SAFETY. THE AUTH'S ONLY DESIRE IS TO MAKE MONEY FROM THE ARPT. SAFETY HAS TAKEN A BACK SEAT ON SEVERAL OF THOSE PROJECTS OF THIS TYPE. SEVERAL CAPTS WHO FLY REGULARLY FROM ACY ARE STARTING TO REFUSE THIS RWY EVEN WHEN IT IS PREFERRED BECAUSE OF THIS LACK OF GUIDANCE. SOMEONE NEEDS TO STOP THIS TYPE OF MGMNT -- WITH AUTHS THAT DON'T HAVE AVIATION BACKGND AND DON'T UNDERSTAND THE SAFETY MEASURES INVOLVED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT SINCE MAILING HIS RPT, HE LEARNED INSTALLATION OF THE PAPI HAS STARTED AND IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED IN ABOUT A MONTH. HE SAID ACY HAS APPROX 15 ACR FLTS EACH DAY AND THE MIL USES THE ARPT WITH FIGHTER AND TRANSPORT TYPE ACFT. HE BELIEVES MOST OF THE PROBS WITH THE ARPT ARE DUE TO HVY POLITICAL INVOLVEMENT. WHEN ASKED ABOUT AN ARPT ADVISORY BOARD, THE RPTR STATED IT WAS INEFFECTIVE.

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.