An air carrier pilot complains about very bright lights off the end of runways 33 at bwi.

Attributes
ACN	243116
Time
Date	199306
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bwi
State Reference	MD
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Route In Use	approach : straight in
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	243116
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local oversight : supervisor
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

Slightly to the north of the finals for runway 33L&right at bwi, a number of extremely bright lights have been placed. (Tower thinks it is a golf driving range.) at night they completely destroy night vision at a critical phase of flight. I was VFR and it was very distracting. I would imagine that MVFR or transition from IMC with a low cloud deck, the light's affect on vision could be truly dangerous. Even from the terminal ramp the sky is lit up. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: the reporting captain states that these lights are at driving range. They are installed at ground level and shine right up into the approach path of runways 33. The reporter has notified the apa, alpa, and natca as well as bwi tower. The FAA is leaning on the driving range operator, so far with no success. The reporter feels that these lights are a definite hazard, both in VMC and IMC. A representative at the bwi tower states that the maryland aviation administration has been in on this incident and is leaning on the driving range to change the lights. It has asked for an FAA flight check to determine the level of hazard and has asked bwi tower to forward all complaints to strengthen its position.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR PLT COMPLAINS ABOUT VERY BRIGHT LIGHTS OFF THE END OF RWYS 33 AT BWI.

Narrative: SLIGHTLY TO THE N OF THE FINALS FOR RWY 33L&R AT BWI, A NUMBER OF EXTREMELY BRIGHT LIGHTS HAVE BEEN PLACED. (TWR THINKS IT IS A GOLF DRIVING RANGE.) AT NIGHT THEY COMPLETELY DESTROY NIGHT VISION AT A CRITICAL PHASE OF FLT. I WAS VFR AND IT WAS VERY DISTRACTING. I WOULD IMAGINE THAT MVFR OR TRANSITION FROM IMC WITH A LOW CLOUD DECK, THE LIGHT'S AFFECT ON VISION COULD BE TRULY DANGEROUS. EVEN FROM THE TERMINAL RAMP THE SKY IS LIT UP. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE RPTING CAPT STATES THAT THESE LIGHTS ARE AT DRIVING RANGE. THEY ARE INSTALLED AT GND LEVEL AND SHINE RIGHT UP INTO THE APCH PATH OF RWYS 33. THE RPTR HAS NOTIFIED THE APA, ALPA, AND NATCA AS WELL AS BWI TWR. THE FAA IS LEANING ON THE DRIVING RANGE OPERATOR, SO FAR WITH NO SUCCESS. THE RPTR FEELS THAT THESE LIGHTS ARE A DEFINITE HAZARD, BOTH IN VMC AND IMC. A REPRESENTATIVE AT THE BWI TWR STATES THAT THE MARYLAND AVIATION ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN IN ON THIS INCIDENT AND IS LEANING ON THE DRIVING RANGE TO CHANGE THE LIGHTS. IT HAS ASKED FOR AN FAA FLT CHK TO DETERMINE THE LEVEL OF HAZARD AND HAS ASKED BWI TWR TO FORWARD ALL COMPLAINTS TO STRENGTHEN ITS POS.

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.