Narrative:

After observing the photoluminescent lighting during night flts on aircraft over 1 yr old; the lights are obsolete after 1 hour and 25 mins of flight time. Because on night flts; our cabin lights are turned off; the photoluminescent lights are activated and begin to diminish throughout the flight. After an hour; it becomes noticeably dimmer; and after 1 hour and 25 mins; there is no charge at all. There is no preflight in place for our flight attendants other than having lights on bright for 20 mins prior to departure. No education from/for maintenance as to maintaining the lights such as cleaning them regularly or how often the strips should be replaced. Also; because our aircraft boards from the ramp after sunset; the lights on our stairways are not being charged by the required 20 mins of light. I've reported all of this to the company with no response (on several occasions). I have done my own research on these lights and found basic maintaining factors that would prevent this; but because there is no preflight for us to go by; it's hard to get maintenance to replace the lights. Once the lights are turned on in the cabin again; they are being recharged so they 'still work' once they are recharged; so we can't seem to get any kind of attention on this issue at all. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter has done extensive research on this subject and was extremely knowledgeable. She stated that the photoluminescent bulb's life is 4500 hours. However; in her experience; their service life is much shorter. Her company's new RJ700 already has dim lights. She said because they fly so many night flts; their aircraft's lights are never fully charged. The lights installed on doors do not charge on night operations because the doors are open on the ground and therefore not sufficiently subjected to light for charging. A major problem the reporter witnesses is not enough attention paid to cleaning the lights so they adequately receive light for charging.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CRJ FLT ATTENDANT COMMENTS ON THE DECREASED ILLUMINATION TIME OF PHOTOLUMINESCENT EMER LIGHTS WITH INCREASED FUNCTIONAL AGE.

Narrative: AFTER OBSERVING THE PHOTOLUMINESCENT LIGHTING DURING NIGHT FLTS ON ACFT OVER 1 YR OLD; THE LIGHTS ARE OBSOLETE AFTER 1 HR AND 25 MINS OF FLT TIME. BECAUSE ON NIGHT FLTS; OUR CABIN LIGHTS ARE TURNED OFF; THE PHOTOLUMINESCENT LIGHTS ARE ACTIVATED AND BEGIN TO DIMINISH THROUGHOUT THE FLT. AFTER AN HOUR; IT BECOMES NOTICEABLY DIMMER; AND AFTER 1 HR AND 25 MINS; THERE IS NO CHARGE AT ALL. THERE IS NO PREFLT IN PLACE FOR OUR FLT ATTENDANTS OTHER THAN HAVING LIGHTS ON BRIGHT FOR 20 MINS PRIOR TO DEP. NO EDUCATION FROM/FOR MAINT AS TO MAINTAINING THE LIGHTS SUCH AS CLEANING THEM REGULARLY OR HOW OFTEN THE STRIPS SHOULD BE REPLACED. ALSO; BECAUSE OUR ACFT BOARDS FROM THE RAMP AFTER SUNSET; THE LIGHTS ON OUR STAIRWAYS ARE NOT BEING CHARGED BY THE REQUIRED 20 MINS OF LIGHT. I'VE RPTED ALL OF THIS TO THE COMPANY WITH NO RESPONSE (ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS). I HAVE DONE MY OWN RESEARCH ON THESE LIGHTS AND FOUND BASIC MAINTAINING FACTORS THAT WOULD PREVENT THIS; BUT BECAUSE THERE IS NO PREFLT FOR US TO GO BY; IT'S HARD TO GET MAINT TO REPLACE THE LIGHTS. ONCE THE LIGHTS ARE TURNED ON IN THE CABIN AGAIN; THEY ARE BEING RECHARGED SO THEY 'STILL WORK' ONCE THEY ARE RECHARGED; SO WE CAN'T SEEM TO GET ANY KIND OF ATTENTION ON THIS ISSUE AT ALL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR HAS DONE EXTENSIVE RESEARCH ON THIS SUBJECT AND WAS EXTREMELY KNOWLEDGEABLE. SHE STATED THAT THE PHOTOLUMINESCENT BULB'S LIFE IS 4500 HRS. HOWEVER; IN HER EXPERIENCE; THEIR SERVICE LIFE IS MUCH SHORTER. HER COMPANY'S NEW RJ700 ALREADY HAS DIM LIGHTS. SHE SAID BECAUSE THEY FLY SO MANY NIGHT FLTS; THEIR ACFT'S LIGHTS ARE NEVER FULLY CHARGED. THE LIGHTS INSTALLED ON DOORS DO NOT CHARGE ON NIGHT OPS BECAUSE THE DOORS ARE OPEN ON THE GND AND THEREFORE NOT SUFFICIENTLY SUBJECTED TO LIGHT FOR CHARGING. A MAJOR PROB THE RPTR WITNESSES IS NOT ENOUGH ATTENTION PAID TO CLEANING THE LIGHTS SO THEY ADEQUATELY RECEIVE LIGHT FOR CHARGING.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.