Narrative:

Nothing actually happened. Our NOTAMS for our flight to crw indicated that the G/south for runway 23 was OTS. Our company issued NOTAMS did not, however, show that the runway 23 VASI was also OTS--no vertical guidance was available. Runway 23 at crew slopes uphill, giving the illusion of being high on the approach. Rain on the windshield enhances this effect. Precipitous terrain--most notably a hill approximately 1 mi from the approach end of runway--underlies this approach. The first officer was flying the approach and we broke out of the clouds at approximately 1200' AGL. Visibility was good and the airport was sighted early. What a temptation to begin an early letdown! I advised the first officer to delay final flaps and letdown from MDA so as to ensure clearing the hill. We cleared the obstruction by 200' and landed with no problem, but we both commented on how uncomfortable the situation was even with good visibility and how dicey the approach could have been if visibility were restr. Even with good visibility, one could easily be lured int a too shallow glide path since the illusion is one of being high on this runway. Being distracted with cockpit duties could easily cause one not to notice the little obstruction. Light on the hill with the consequence of hitting the hill. In my opinion, this is an accident waiting to happen.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF A COMMUTER LTT CLAIMS THAT THE COMBINATION OF AN UPHILL RWY, PLUS A LIGHTED OBSTRUCTION 1 NM FROM THE APCH END OF RWY 23 AT CREW IS DANGEROUS TO THE UNWARY.

Narrative: NOTHING ACTUALLY HAPPENED. OUR NOTAMS FOR OUR FLT TO CRW INDICATED THAT THE G/S FOR RWY 23 WAS OTS. OUR COMPANY ISSUED NOTAMS DID NOT, HOWEVER, SHOW THAT THE RWY 23 VASI WAS ALSO OTS--NO VERT GUIDANCE WAS AVAILABLE. RWY 23 AT CREW SLOPES UPHILL, GIVING THE ILLUSION OF BEING HIGH ON THE APCH. RAIN ON THE WINDSHIELD ENHANCES THIS EFFECT. PRECIPITOUS TERRAIN--MOST NOTABLY A HILL APPROX 1 MI FROM THE APCH END OF RWY--UNDERLIES THIS APCH. THE F/O WAS FLYING THE APCH AND WE BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS AT APPROX 1200' AGL. VISIBILITY WAS GOOD AND THE ARPT WAS SIGHTED EARLY. WHAT A TEMPTATION TO BEGIN AN EARLY LETDOWN! I ADVISED THE F/O TO DELAY FINAL FLAPS AND LETDOWN FROM MDA SO AS TO ENSURE CLRING THE HILL. WE CLRED THE OBSTRUCTION BY 200' AND LANDED WITH NO PROB, BUT WE BOTH COMMENTED ON HOW UNCOMFORTABLE THE SITUATION WAS EVEN WITH GOOD VISIBILITY AND HOW DICEY THE APCH COULD HAVE BEEN IF VISIBILITY WERE RESTR. EVEN WITH GOOD VISIBILITY, ONE COULD EASILY BE LURED INT A TOO SHALLOW GLIDE PATH SINCE THE ILLUSION IS ONE OF BEING HIGH ON THIS RWY. BEING DISTRACTED WITH COCKPIT DUTIES COULD EASILY CAUSE ONE NOT TO NOTICE THE LITTLE OBSTRUCTION. LIGHT ON THE HILL WITH THE CONSEQUENCE OF HITTING THE HILL. IN MY OPINION, THIS IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN.

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.