Narrative:

Lights on whirlpool incorporated building south of airfield (large building immediately south of airport) has flood lights shining on the parking lot north of the factory. These lights are very bright. Now that runway 18/36 is open again, these lights make identification of aircraft on taxiway C (formerly taxiway H) very difficult. Tower cannot tell if aircraft are holding short of runway 36, or have taxied onto the runway/departing, etc. Simply angling these lights down would probably help tremendously. Facility management said we have no authority since the lights are not on airport property. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter indicated that he/she was not aware of any attempts by management to contact whirlpool, most likely because the problem area was located off the airport. The controller stated that runway 18/36 had been closed for approximately 1 yr and did not recall if the problem was as significant prior to the closure. The reporter believes the lights are new, appear to be adjustable and probably could be shielded in some manner. The controller was not aware of any formal incident caused by the lights, indicating that management has been notified both formally and informally of the potential safety hazard.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EVV CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING RESTRICTED TWR VIS BECAUSE OF OFF ARPT LIGHTING.

Narrative: LIGHTS ON WHIRLPOOL INC BUILDING S OF AIRFIELD (LARGE BUILDING IMMEDIATELY S OF ARPT) HAS FLOOD LIGHTS SHINING ON THE PARKING LOT N OF THE FACTORY. THESE LIGHTS ARE VERY BRIGHT. NOW THAT RWY 18/36 IS OPEN AGAIN, THESE LIGHTS MAKE IDENTIFICATION OF ACFT ON TXWY C (FORMERLY TXWY H) VERY DIFFICULT. TWR CANNOT TELL IF ACFT ARE HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 36, OR HAVE TAXIED ONTO THE RWY/DEPARTING, ETC. SIMPLY ANGLING THESE LIGHTS DOWN WOULD PROBABLY HELP TREMENDOUSLY. FACILITY MGMNT SAID WE HAVE NO AUTHORITY SINCE THE LIGHTS ARE NOT ON ARPT PROPERTY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR INDICATED THAT HE/SHE WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY ATTEMPTS BY MGMNT TO CONTACT WHIRLPOOL, MOST LIKELY BECAUSE THE PROB AREA WAS LOCATED OFF THE ARPT. THE CTLR STATED THAT RWY 18/36 HAD BEEN CLOSED FOR APPROX 1 YR AND DID NOT RECALL IF THE PROB WAS AS SIGNIFICANT PRIOR TO THE CLOSURE. THE RPTR BELIEVES THE LIGHTS ARE NEW, APPEAR TO BE ADJUSTABLE AND PROBABLY COULD BE SHIELDED IN SOME MANNER. THE CTLR WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY FORMAL INCIDENT CAUSED BY THE LIGHTS, INDICATING THAT MGMNT HAS BEEN NOTIFIED BOTH FORMALLY AND INFORMALLY OF THE POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD.

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.