Amateur built small aircraft private pilot is temporarily blinded during a night approach and landin...

Attributes
ACN	535592
Time
Date	200201
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
State Reference	AZ
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Amateur (Home) Built
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : initial descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 28 flight time total : 508 flight time type : 360
ASRS Report	535592
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter other non adherence other other anomaly other non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Environmental Factor Company Airspace Structure Airport
Primary Problem	Environmental Factor

Narrative:

This unsafe condition is the result of lights blinding and/or disorienting pilots on short final to touch down. This condition was created with a private airpark adjacent to an indian reservation. The airpark has 50 plus aircraft. The yavapai-apache built a casino on the reservation with no ill affects to the nation or the airpark. In 2001 the nation installed a rotating beacon of lights on the roof of the casino. These approximately twelve beacons are in the shape of a cone that rotate and are directed over the runway of the airpark. The lights are directed at a highway on a hill approximately five miles away. Due to the dry air of arizona the beacons viewed from the side are virtually invisible. The rotating beams of light are not seen until turning from base to final then are viewed directly into the beam. Conversation with the casino manager met with little cooperation in redirecting or extinguishing the lights. The lights are on from the onset of darkness until around 3:00 am. It is recognized that the reservation is a sovereign nation and not subject to the laws of the united states or the state of arizona. But, once these light beams cross the property line they are no longer on the sovereign nation but in federal aviation airspace.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AMATEUR BUILT SMA PRIVATE PLT IS TEMPORARILY BLINDED DURING A NIGHT APCH AND LNDG AT A PRIVATE ARPT DUE TO FLOODS LIGHTS SHINING INTO HIS EYES FROM AN INDIAN OWNED CASINO ADJACENT TO THE AIRFIELD.

Narrative: THIS UNSAFE CONDITION IS THE RESULT OF LIGHTS BLINDING AND/OR DISORIENTING PLTS ON SHORT FINAL TO TOUCH DOWN. THIS CONDITION WAS CREATED WITH A PRIVATE AIRPARK ADJACENT TO AN INDIAN RESERVATION. THE AIRPARK HAS 50 PLUS ACFT. THE YAVAPAI-APACHE BUILT A CASINO ON THE RESERVATION WITH NO ILL AFFECTS TO THE NATION OR THE AIRPARK. IN 2001 THE NATION INSTALLED A ROTATING BEACON OF LIGHTS ON THE ROOF OF THE CASINO. THESE APPROX TWELVE BEACONS ARE IN THE SHAPE OF A CONE THAT ROTATE AND ARE DIRECTED OVER THE RWY OF THE AIRPARK. THE LIGHTS ARE DIRECTED AT A HIGHWAY ON A HILL APPROX FIVE MILES AWAY. DUE TO THE DRY AIR OF ARIZONA THE BEACONS VIEWED FROM THE SIDE ARE VIRTUALLY INVISIBLE. THE ROTATING BEAMS OF LIGHT ARE NOT SEEN UNTIL TURNING FROM BASE TO FINAL THEN ARE VIEWED DIRECTLY INTO THE BEAM. CONVERSATION WITH THE CASINO MANAGER MET WITH LITTLE COOPERATION IN REDIRECTING OR EXTINGUISHING THE LIGHTS. THE LIGHTS ARE ON FROM THE ONSET OF DARKNESS UNTIL AROUND 3:00 AM. IT IS RECOGNIZED THAT THE RESERVATION IS A SOVEREIGN NATION AND NOT SUBJECT TO THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES OR THE STATE OF ARIZONA. BUT, ONCE THESE LIGHT BEAMS CROSS THE PROPERTY LINE THEY ARE NO LONGER ON THE SOVEREIGN NATION BUT IN FEDERAL AVIATION AIRSPACE.

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.

Amateur built small aircraft private pilot is temporarily blinded during a night approach and landing at a private airport due to floods lights shining into his eyes from an indian owned casino adjacent to the airfield.