Narrative:

Often when I am flying over airports en route to my destination I check charts looking for the possibility of emergency landing areas. On several occasions while flying over airports with pilot control lighting I've been unable to turn those lights on. As pilots, when we plan our rtes we are and should be very careful to check the airport facility directory guide for all information. However, I do not believe many of us take note of all the landing fields along the route of flight to make sure that we know what the various pilot control lighting frequencys are. The other night when I was preparing to take off from the airport in tonasket, wa, I checked my VFR airport guide and found a frequency of 122.9 for the pilot controlled lighting. I spent 15 or 20 mins trying to get the pt control lighting on before I realized that the frequency printed was incorrect. That got me thinking about the whole pilot control lighting frequency situation. It seems to me that a lot of the little airports, especially those supported by local state govs are not there only for the economics of the local community but also maintained for safety such as engine out emergency lndgs. It seems to me that if they are there for emergency lndgs then the pilot control lighting should be easily available. I would like to recommend that somewhere along the line someone give study to standardizing the frequencys such as having it '.1' megahertz lower than the CTAF, or something similar. In addition, the chart is the first place I would look if I only had a few mins to find a runway, therefore I would also like to recommend that the pilot control light frequency be readily available on sectional charts. Fortunately, I haven't needed the pilot control lighting at any airport in an emergency. However, it would be very disconcerting to see an available beacon, make an approach, and then find that the pilot control lighting frequency was not readily available. About all one could do then would be aim for something near the beacon and hope that it was an open area. I would appreciate you at the ASRS studying this request and making the appropriate recommendations to the FAA. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: many calls were made to try and establish if there is a standard for the pilot controled lighting frequencys. It appears that the normal procedure is to use the CTAF frequency. The premise is that there should be no need to switch frequencys to key the lights. Makes good sense. As most things go, the normal is not always used. Occasionally there is need because of frequency overlap or protection to use a different frequency. This information can be found in the AFD, AOPA's aviation USA and quickest in an emergency from FSS. 2 advisory circulars issued reference pilot controled lighting: AC 150/5340-27A, AC 90-42. It does seem necessary to print these frequencys on the charts because it is rare that it is different from the CTAF.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPT REGARDING THE LACK OF PLT CTLED LIGHTING FREQS ON CHARTS.

Narrative: OFTEN WHEN I AM FLYING OVER ARPTS ENRTE TO MY DEST I CHK CHARTS LOOKING FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF EMER LNDG AREAS. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHILE FLYING OVER ARPTS WITH PLT CTL LIGHTING I'VE BEEN UNABLE TO TURN THOSE LIGHTS ON. AS PLTS, WHEN WE PLAN OUR RTES WE ARE AND SHOULD BE VERY CAREFUL TO CHK THE ARPT FACILITY DIRECTORY GUIDE FOR ALL INFO. HOWEVER, I DO NOT BELIEVE MANY OF US TAKE NOTE OF ALL THE LNDG FIELDS ALONG THE RTE OF FLT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KNOW WHAT THE VARIOUS PLT CTL LIGHTING FREQS ARE. THE OTHER NIGHT WHEN I WAS PREPARING TO TAKE OFF FROM THE ARPT IN TONASKET, WA, I CHKED MY VFR ARPT GUIDE AND FOUND A FREQ OF 122.9 FOR THE PCL. I SPENT 15 OR 20 MINS TRYING TO GET THE PT CTL LIGHTING ON BEFORE I REALIZED THAT THE FREQ PRINTED WAS INCORRECT. THAT GOT ME THINKING ABOUT THE WHOLE PLT CTL LIGHTING FREQ SIT. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT A LOT OF THE LITTLE ARPTS, ESPECIALLY THOSE SUPPORTED BY LCL STATE GOVS ARE NOT THERE ONLY FOR THE ECONOMICS OF THE LCL COMMUNITY BUT ALSO MAINTAINED FOR SAFETY SUCH AS ENG OUT EMER LNDGS. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT IF THEY ARE THERE FOR EMER LNDGS THEN THE PLT CTL LIGHTING SHOULD BE EASILY AVAILABLE. I WOULD LIKE TO RECOMMEND THAT SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE SOMEONE GIVE STUDY TO STANDARDIZING THE FREQS SUCH AS HAVING IT '.1' MEGAHERTZ LOWER THAN THE CTAF, OR SOMETHING SIMILAR. IN ADDITION, THE CHART IS THE FIRST PLACE I WOULD LOOK IF I ONLY HAD A FEW MINS TO FIND A RWY, THEREFORE I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO RECOMMEND THAT THE PLT CTL LIGHT FREQ BE READILY AVAILABLE ON SECTIONAL CHARTS. FORTUNATELY, I HAVEN'T NEEDED THE PLT CTL LIGHTING AT ANY ARPT IN AN EMER. HOWEVER, IT WOULD BE VERY DISCONCERTING TO SEE AN AVAILABLE BEACON, MAKE AN APCH, AND THEN FIND THAT THE PLT CTL LIGHTING FREQ WAS NOT READILY AVAILABLE. ABOUT ALL ONE COULD DO THEN WOULD BE AIM FOR SOMETHING NEAR THE BEACON AND HOPE THAT IT WAS AN OPEN AREA. I WOULD APPRECIATE YOU AT THE ASRS STUDYING THIS REQUEST AND MAKING THE APPROPRIATE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE FAA. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: MANY CALLS WERE MADE TO TRY AND ESTABLISH IF THERE IS A STANDARD FOR THE PLT CTLED LIGHTING FREQS. IT APPEARS THAT THE NORMAL PROC IS TO USE THE CTAF FREQ. THE PREMISE IS THAT THERE SHOULD BE NO NEED TO SWITCH FREQS TO KEY THE LIGHTS. MAKES GOOD SENSE. AS MOST THINGS GO, THE NORMAL IS NOT ALWAYS USED. OCCASIONALLY THERE IS NEED BECAUSE OF FREQ OVERLAP OR PROTECTION TO USE A DIFFERENT FREQ. THIS INFO CAN BE FOUND IN THE AFD, AOPA'S AVIATION USA AND QUICKEST IN AN EMER FROM FSS. 2 ADVISORY CIRCULARS ISSUED REF PLT CTLED LIGHTING: AC 150/5340-27A, AC 90-42. IT DOES SEEM NECESSARY TO PRINT THESE FREQS ON THE CHARTS BECAUSE IT IS RARE THAT IT IS DIFFERENT FROM THE CTAF.

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.