Narrative:

The PAPI left at aruba is difficult to interpret. When you are high you can see some shades of red and white in all the PAPI lights. When you are low you also see shades of red and white. The darn thing is difficult to interpret. On top of that the WX was bad enough that we had to shoot the entire ILS DME runway 11 approach and to our surprise, as we turned inbound on final we determined that the glide slope was not working. No NOTAMS, nothing in the ATIS, and approach control/tower said they have no way of knowing if the GS is working. I think we need an immediate message in the flight plan messages for aua, followed by permanent note in the air carrier pages for aua saying the PAPI left for runway 11 is difficult to interpret and the glideslope for the ILS DME runway 11 may be out, without any warning for notification. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter comments mirror those contained in his original report. He has not returned to tnca nor has he spoken to anyone who has, so no current status reports regarding the ILS or 'PAPI' at aruba are available. Suggested light intensity of the 'PAPI' may have caused the visual distortion.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737 CREW, ON APCH TO ARUBA, (TNCA) DISCOVERED THE ILS GLIDE SLOPE WAS INOP AND THAT THE 'PAPI' TO RWY 11 WAS DIFFICULT TO INTERPRET.

Narrative: THE PAPI L AT ARUBA IS DIFFICULT TO INTERPRET. WHEN YOU ARE HIGH YOU CAN SEE SOME SHADES OF RED AND WHITE IN ALL THE PAPI LIGHTS. WHEN YOU ARE LOW YOU ALSO SEE SHADES OF RED AND WHITE. THE DARN THING IS DIFFICULT TO INTERPRET. ON TOP OF THAT THE WX WAS BAD ENOUGH THAT WE HAD TO SHOOT THE ENTIRE ILS DME RWY 11 APCH AND TO OUR SURPRISE, AS WE TURNED INBOUND ON FINAL WE DETERMINED THAT THE GLIDE SLOPE WAS NOT WORKING. NO NOTAMS, NOTHING IN THE ATIS, AND APCH CTL/TWR SAID THEY HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING IF THE GS IS WORKING. I THINK WE NEED AN IMMEDIATE MSG IN THE FLT PLAN MESSAGES FOR AUA, FOLLOWED BY PERMANENT NOTE IN THE ACR PAGES FOR AUA SAYING THE PAPI L FOR RWY 11 IS DIFFICULT TO INTERPRET AND THE GLIDESLOPE FOR THE ILS DME RWY 11 MAY BE OUT, WITHOUT ANY WARNING FOR NOTIFICATION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR COMMENTS MIRROR THOSE CONTAINED IN HIS ORIGINAL RPT. HE HAS NOT RETURNED TO TNCA NOR HAS HE SPOKEN TO ANYONE WHO HAS, SO NO CURRENT STATUS RPTS REGARDING THE ILS OR 'PAPI' AT ARUBA ARE AVAILABLE. SUGGESTED LIGHT INTENSITY OF THE 'PAPI' MAY HAVE CAUSED THE VISUAL DISTORTION.

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.