Narrative:

Problem is airport lighting creating areas of non-visibility. This particular problem has occurred frequently in the recent past. Tsa erected a large bank of floodlights opposite of and pointing at the control tower. This creates an area of reduced visibility approximately 15 degrees wide, which greatly increases workload and prevents adequate scanning of both the ground movement area as well as the runways. Airport operations was advised and the lights were redirected to a less problematic position 30 mins after reported. This set of lights was still bothersome and caused eyestrain for the controllers which 1) discourages scanning 2) reduces the effectiveness of scanning. In addition, cargo operations at both ends of the field use large portable lights which often completely obscure the ends of the runway to the extent that it is impossible to determine aircraft position, ie, clear of the runway. When the lighting becomes intolerable, the controllers advise airport operations and some relief may happen within 30 mins to 1 hour. During this time, operations, and in my opinion, safety, is adversely affected. Again, this is a longstanding problem which is affecting the efficiency and safety of operations at this airport. I believe the likelihood of an incident directly related to the lighting condition of this airport are high. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter believes that it is simply a matter of time before there is an accident. The reason for this is that the localizer and intensity of the cargo ramp, terminal a, and parking lot lights. They are so bright that the tower controller can't see aircraft even with binoculars. Two specific examples are 1) they can't tell the difference between a B737 and an MD80. 2) they also could not see a DC10 at the end of the runway and this is looking through binoculars. The controllers have been told by the runway safety team that these lights are not to standard and that they are the worst that they have ever seen.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN FAA ATCT LCL CTLR FROM SJC IS CONCERNED ABOUT ARPT LIGHTING THAT IS VERY BRIGHT AND GREATLY RESTRICTS AND PREVENTS THEM FROM CLEARLY SEEING AND DIFFERENTIATING BETWEEN ACFT.

Narrative: PROB IS ARPT LIGHTING CREATING AREAS OF NON-VISIBILITY. THIS PARTICULAR PROB HAS OCCURRED FREQUENTLY IN THE RECENT PAST. TSA ERECTED A LARGE BANK OF FLOODLIGHTS OPPOSITE OF AND POINTING AT THE CTL TWR. THIS CREATES AN AREA OF REDUCED VISIBILITY APPROX 15 DEGS WIDE, WHICH GREATLY INCREASES WORKLOAD AND PREVENTS ADEQUATE SCANNING OF BOTH THE GND MOVEMENT AREA AS WELL AS THE RWYS. ARPT OPS WAS ADVISED AND THE LIGHTS WERE REDIRECTED TO A LESS PROBLEMATIC POSITION 30 MINS AFTER RPTED. THIS SET OF LIGHTS WAS STILL BOTHERSOME AND CAUSED EYESTRAIN FOR THE CTLRS WHICH 1) DISCOURAGES SCANNING 2) REDUCES THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SCANNING. IN ADDITION, CARGO OPS AT BOTH ENDS OF THE FIELD USE LARGE PORTABLE LIGHTS WHICH OFTEN COMPLETELY OBSCURE THE ENDS OF THE RWY TO THE EXTENT THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO DETERMINE ACFT POS, IE, CLR OF THE RWY. WHEN THE LIGHTING BECOMES INTOLERABLE, THE CTLRS ADVISE ARPT OPS AND SOME RELIEF MAY HAPPEN WITHIN 30 MINS TO 1 HR. DURING THIS TIME, OPS, AND IN MY OPINION, SAFETY, IS ADVERSELY AFFECTED. AGAIN, THIS IS A LONGSTANDING PROB WHICH IS AFFECTING THE EFFICIENCY AND SAFETY OF OPS AT THIS ARPT. I BELIEVE THE LIKELIHOOD OF AN INCIDENT DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE LIGHTING CONDITION OF THIS ARPT ARE HIGH. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR BELIEVES THAT IT IS SIMPLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THERE IS AN ACCIDENT. THE REASON FOR THIS IS THAT THE LOC AND INTENSITY OF THE CARGO RAMP, TERMINAL A, AND PARKING LOT LIGHTS. THEY ARE SO BRIGHT THAT THE TWR CTLR CAN'T SEE ACFT EVEN WITH BINOCULARS. TWO SPECIFIC EXAMPLES ARE 1) THEY CAN'T TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A B737 AND AN MD80. 2) THEY ALSO COULD NOT SEE A DC10 AT THE END OF THE RWY AND THIS IS LOOKING THROUGH BINOCULARS. THE CTLRS HAVE BEEN TOLD BY THE RWY SAFETY TEAM THAT THESE LIGHTS ARE NOT TO STANDARD AND THAT THEY ARE THE WORST THAT THEY HAVE EVER SEEN.

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.