Narrative:

I believe that the margin for safety can be greatly increased at crescent city for operations at night and in reduced visibility with low ceilings. The problem concerns runway lighting. Both runways 11-29 and 17-35 have lighting installed. HIRL and VASI for 11-29 are activated on 123.6 (pilot controled lighting). MIRL and VASI for 17-35 can only be turned on by the crescent city FSS. However, this FSS is part-time, and closes at XX00 local, making their services, including the lighting for runway 17-35, unavailable for flts with night arrs. What makes all this significant is the unique set of WX conditions at crescent city. During the summer fog season, provided the reported WX is at or above mins, the lack of significant surface winds allow crews to use the ILS DME for runway 11. In the winter however, frontal and airmass conditions change the situation. Strong, gusty winds develop from the north with ceilings of about 500 ft (depending on the strength of rain showers). Ceiling and visibility conditions frequently give the crew the option of an ILS to 11 with a crosswind and tail wind component, or a circle to land on runway 29 from either the ILS or from the VOR DME for runway 35, still with the crosswind. (Consult your charts). Unfortunately, these winds frequently gust to and above the demonstrated maximum 25 KT crosswind component of the aircraft when landing on 11 or 29. They favor runway 35. But, after the FSS closes, runway 35 is not available. If we had control of the lighting for runway 35, another, and safer, option would be available. Winter time conditions frequently allow a straight-in VOR DME approach to runway 35. This would be an easier, and safer approach than one with a circle at mins in gusty conditions at night to runway 29 with crosswind landing. I propose a possible solution. An electrical line could easily be run from the FSS building to the main terminal building. This would connect the switch for runway 17-35 lighting that is in the FSS office to another in the terminal for use by station people. (It would also be available for use by the contract operator and the air ambulance operator and their ground crews). A timer type switch could be used to limit operation to 15 mins in case somebody forgets to turn it off after the aircraft lands. Inbound crews would simply request runway 17-35 lighting, if desired, on their routine call to the station.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR WANTS RWY LIGHT CTLS PLACED IN AIR SVC OFFICE FOR NIGHT OPS OF HIS AIRLINE.

Narrative: I BELIEVE THAT THE MARGIN FOR SAFETY CAN BE GREATLY INCREASED AT CRESCENT CITY FOR OPS AT NIGHT AND IN REDUCED VISIBILITY WITH LOW CEILINGS. THE PROBLEM CONCERNS RWY LIGHTING. BOTH RWYS 11-29 AND 17-35 HAVE LIGHTING INSTALLED. HIRL AND VASI FOR 11-29 ARE ACTIVATED ON 123.6 (PLT CTLED LIGHTING). MIRL AND VASI FOR 17-35 CAN ONLY BE TURNED ON BY THE CRESCENT CITY FSS. HOWEVER, THIS FSS IS PART-TIME, AND CLOSES AT XX00 LCL, MAKING THEIR SVCS, INCLUDING THE LIGHTING FOR RWY 17-35, UNAVAILABLE FOR FLTS WITH NIGHT ARRS. WHAT MAKES ALL THIS SIGNIFICANT IS THE UNIQUE SET OF WX CONDITIONS AT CRESCENT CITY. DURING THE SUMMER FOG SEASON, PROVIDED THE RPTED WX IS AT OR ABOVE MINS, THE LACK OF SIGNIFICANT SURFACE WINDS ALLOW CREWS TO USE THE ILS DME FOR RWY 11. IN THE WINTER HOWEVER, FRONTAL AND AIRMASS CONDITIONS CHANGE THE SITUATION. STRONG, GUSTY WINDS DEVELOP FROM THE N WITH CEILINGS OF ABOUT 500 FT (DEPENDING ON THE STRENGTH OF RAIN SHOWERS). CEILING AND VISIBILITY CONDITIONS FREQUENTLY GIVE THE CREW THE OPTION OF AN ILS TO 11 WITH A XWIND AND TAIL WIND COMPONENT, OR A CIRCLE TO LAND ON RWY 29 FROM EITHER THE ILS OR FROM THE VOR DME FOR RWY 35, STILL WITH THE XWIND. (CONSULT YOUR CHARTS). UNFORTUNATELY, THESE WINDS FREQUENTLY GUST TO AND ABOVE THE DEMONSTRATED MAX 25 KT XWIND COMPONENT OF THE ACFT WHEN LNDG ON 11 OR 29. THEY FAVOR RWY 35. BUT, AFTER THE FSS CLOSES, RWY 35 IS NOT AVAILABLE. IF WE HAD CTL OF THE LIGHTING FOR RWY 35, ANOTHER, AND SAFER, OPTION WOULD BE AVAILABLE. WINTER TIME CONDITIONS FREQUENTLY ALLOW A STRAIGHT-IN VOR DME APCH TO RWY 35. THIS WOULD BE AN EASIER, AND SAFER APCH THAN ONE WITH A CIRCLE AT MINS IN GUSTY CONDITIONS AT NIGHT TO RWY 29 WITH XWIND LNDG. I PROPOSE A POSSIBLE SOLUTION. AN ELECTRICAL LINE COULD EASILY BE RUN FROM THE FSS BUILDING TO THE MAIN TERMINAL BUILDING. THIS WOULD CONNECT THE SWITCH FOR RWY 17-35 LIGHTING THAT IS IN THE FSS OFFICE TO ANOTHER IN THE TERMINAL FOR USE BY STATION PEOPLE. (IT WOULD ALSO BE AVAILABLE FOR USE BY THE CONTRACT OPERATOR AND THE AIR AMBULANCE OPERATOR AND THEIR GND CREWS). A TIMER TYPE SWITCH COULD BE USED TO LIMIT OP TO 15 MINS IN CASE SOMEBODY FORGETS TO TURN IT OFF AFTER THE ACFT LANDS. INBOUND CREWS WOULD SIMPLY REQUEST RWY 17-35 LIGHTING, IF DESIRED, ON THEIR ROUTINE CALL TO THE STATION.

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.