Narrative:

This report is to alert authorities to the bad lighting environment that currently exists at lex. Our landing was uneventful. During our visual approach to runway 22 at lex; we were confronted with a 'black hole' visual environment. We knew that there was no glideslope information available; glideslope and PAPI/VASI are inoperative. We flew the localizer course and descended on a constant rate stabilized approach that provided a smooth landing in the touchdown zone. During our approach; my first officer noted the odd appearance that a VASI was operational on the side of the runway. I saw it; too. It turned out to be the lighted taxiway and runway signage (red over yellow) that appeared from a distance to be red over white-ish; like a VASI. This could fool an unsuspecting pilot to believe that he is on a VASI glideslope when he is not. After landing we heard ATC advise another air carrier that was on approach behind us of a 'low altitude alert' and then the next air carrier following him put on a spectacularly unstabilized (in pitch) approach that wowed a company mechanic and my first officer; who watched from the ramp. The airport badly needs a temporary VASI or PAPI during the remainder of construction. The lighted sign illusion is unusual and should be looked into. I suspect that it would not be an issue if the ILS glideslope or VASI/PAPI were operational.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter advised that the area in question has been the subject of significant discussion and investigation regarding taxi confusion due to incomplete construction and resurfacing activity. The signage is confusing and company maintenance crews have been concerned about the difficulty of surface navigation when taxiing aircraft for maintenance. The complex of signs and lights associated with this not yet resolved situation is the source of the lights that pilots on approach can confuse with the VASI approach aid which is noted as existing on the airport information pages but was; in fact; inoperative at the time of the reporter's operation. He believes it to still be out of service; although that is not on a current list of NOTAMS for lex.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CARJ PLT RPTS SURFACE LIGHTING AT THE INTXNS OF RWYS 22/26 AND ASSOCIATED TXWYS APPEARS SIMILAR TO A VASI TYPE SYSTEM. COUPLED WITH A BLACK HOLE ENVIRONMENT AT NIGHT; GLIDE PATH CTL IS COMPROMISED.

Narrative: THIS RPT IS TO ALERT AUTHORITIES TO THE BAD LIGHTING ENVIRONMENT THAT CURRENTLY EXISTS AT LEX. OUR LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. DURING OUR VISUAL APCH TO RWY 22 AT LEX; WE WERE CONFRONTED WITH A 'BLACK HOLE' VISUAL ENVIRONMENT. WE KNEW THAT THERE WAS NO GLIDESLOPE INFO AVAILABLE; GLIDESLOPE AND PAPI/VASI ARE INOP. WE FLEW THE LOCALIZER COURSE AND DSNDED ON A CONSTANT RATE STABILIZED APCH THAT PROVIDED A SMOOTH LNDG IN THE TOUCHDOWN ZONE. DURING OUR APCH; MY FO NOTED THE ODD APPEARANCE THAT A VASI WAS OPERATIONAL ON THE SIDE OF THE RWY. I SAW IT; TOO. IT TURNED OUT TO BE THE LIGHTED TXWY AND RWY SIGNAGE (RED OVER YELLOW) THAT APPEARED FROM A DISTANCE TO BE RED OVER WHITE-ISH; LIKE A VASI. THIS COULD FOOL AN UNSUSPECTING PLT TO BELIEVE THAT HE IS ON A VASI GLIDESLOPE WHEN HE IS NOT. AFTER LNDG WE HEARD ATC ADVISE ANOTHER ACR THAT WAS ON APCH BEHIND US OF A 'LOW ALT ALERT' AND THEN THE NEXT ACR FOLLOWING HIM PUT ON A SPECTACULARLY UNSTABILIZED (IN PITCH) APCH THAT WOWED A COMPANY MECHANIC AND MY FO; WHO WATCHED FROM THE RAMP. THE ARPT BADLY NEEDS A TEMPORARY VASI OR PAPI DURING THE REMAINDER OF CONSTRUCTION. THE LIGHTED SIGN ILLUSION IS UNUSUAL AND SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO. I SUSPECT THAT IT WOULD NOT BE AN ISSUE IF THE ILS GLIDESLOPE OR VASI/PAPI WERE OPERATIONAL.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR ADVISED THAT THE AREA IN QUESTION HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT OF SIGNIFICANT DISCUSSION AND INVESTIGATION REGARDING TAXI CONFUSION DUE TO INCOMPLETE CONSTRUCTION AND RESURFACING ACTIVITY. THE SIGNAGE IS CONFUSING AND COMPANY MAINT CREWS HAVE BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT THE DIFFICULTY OF SURFACE NAVIGATION WHEN TAXIING ACFT FOR MAINT. THE COMPLEX OF SIGNS AND LIGHTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS NOT YET RESOLVED SITUATION IS THE SOURCE OF THE LIGHTS THAT PLTS ON APCH CAN CONFUSE WITH THE VASI APCH AID WHICH IS NOTED AS EXISTING ON THE ARPT INFO PAGES BUT WAS; IN FACT; INOP AT THE TIME OF THE RPTR'S OPERATION. HE BELIEVES IT TO STILL BE OUT OF SVC; ALTHOUGH THAT IS NOT ON A CURRENT LIST OF NOTAMS FOR LEX.

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.