 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Controller report that hold short 'wig wag' lights are so bright they appear to be above ground and pilots refuse to taxi over them.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 244676 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199307 |
| Day | Thu |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : abq |
| State Reference | NM |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : local |
| Qualification | controller : non radar |
| ASRS Report | 244676 |
| Events | |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Airport |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
| Situations | |
| Airport | other physical facility |
Narrative:
The abq international airport has installed hold short lights (I believe they are called wig-wag lights) that are far too bright. Pilots often indicate that the lights are so bright that they appear to be several ft above the taxiway, like an obstruction light. Several pilots have refused to taxi over the lights, for fear of their safety. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states these are bright orange lights embedded in the asphalt at a hold short line. Flcs say they appear to be 3 ft above ground. Reporter on having pilots refuse to cross them, will turn taxi lights off which cuts the wig wag lights. They can see by their aircraft taxi light that the lights are truly embedded. The lights are hard wired so there is no way to dim them separately. Reporter has talked to airport management who said a possible solution is to install darker lenses over the wig wag lights. However, that conversation was 9 months ago.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CTLR RPT THAT HOLD SHORT 'WIG WAG' LIGHTS ARE SO BRIGHT THEY APPEAR TO BE ABOVE GND AND PLTS REFUSE TO TAXI OVER THEM.
Narrative: THE ABQ INTL ARPT HAS INSTALLED HOLD SHORT LIGHTS (I BELIEVE THEY ARE CALLED WIG-WAG LIGHTS) THAT ARE FAR TOO BRIGHT. PLTS OFTEN INDICATE THAT THE LIGHTS ARE SO BRIGHT THAT THEY APPEAR TO BE SEVERAL FT ABOVE THE TXWY, LIKE AN OBSTRUCTION LIGHT. SEVERAL PLTS HAVE REFUSED TO TAXI OVER THE LIGHTS, FOR FEAR OF THEIR SAFETY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THESE ARE BRIGHT ORANGE LIGHTS EMBEDDED IN THE ASPHALT AT A HOLD SHORT LINE. FLCS SAY THEY APPEAR TO BE 3 FT ABOVE GND. RPTR ON HAVING PLTS REFUSE TO CROSS THEM, WILL TURN TAXI LIGHTS OFF WHICH CUTS THE WIG WAG LIGHTS. THEY CAN SEE BY THEIR ACFT TAXI LIGHT THAT THE LIGHTS ARE TRULY EMBEDDED. THE LIGHTS ARE HARD WIRED SO THERE IS NO WAY TO DIM THEM SEPARATELY. RPTR HAS TALKED TO ARPT MGMNT WHO SAID A POSSIBLE SOLUTION IS TO INSTALL DARKER LENSES OVER THE WIG WAG LIGHTS. HOWEVER, THAT CONVERSATION WAS 9 MONTHS AGO.
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.