Narrative:

The following is a list of deficiencies at mbo which constitute an aviation safety hazard. 1) trees have grown into the normal approach path to runway 35. The threshold was displaced several yrs ago but the trees have continued to grow. 2) trees have grown into the normal approach path to runway 17. The trees have grown for yrs and the threshold has never been displaced. 3) the airport plate, 13-1, in the additional runway information section indicated that there is a non standard VASI. This is a false statement because the VASI does not work. A mechanic removed the light bulbs several yrs ago after an airplane hit a tree on short final to the runway while following the VASI guidance. 4) the displaced threshold is improperly marked with paint on runway 35. The lead-in arrows are painted yellow on the runway prior to the displaced threshold. The proper color is white. 5) the mid-field runway exit taxiway is in deplorable condition because the pavement has deteriorated and is covered with loose rocks. 6) all the runway paint is faded and hard to see. It is almost impossible to see the yellow taxiway lines which start at the centerline of the runway at night. There are no taxiway lights or lighted signs to help locate txwys. 7) there are no IFR touchdown zone stripes located on the runway to depict the non precision IFR touchdown zone. 8) most of the runway end identify lights (green/red) are not working at either end of the runway. There are no NOTAMS issued on any of the above items. The 2 IFR VOR approachs are circle-to-land approachs with more than a 30 degree angle from the runway centerline. Because of the above stated problems, the airport is unsafe for night and IFR operations unless you are completely familiar with all the above problems. There is going to be an aircraft accident unless something is done immediately to correct the above deficiencies. To limit liability to the airport operator and protect the flying public, I suggest that the instrument approachs be suspended and all night and part 135 operations be prohibited until the airport fully complies with existing standards and regulations. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states he has lived in the area for 11 yrs and little or nothing has been done to the airport in that time. It seems the mayor would like to move or shut down the airport so no maintenance is done. The airport is a world war ii vintage and was given to the city by the department of defense to be continued as an airport. At a recent airport advisory board meeting which reporter attended, all efforts for repair were put on hold due to the mayor's decisions/attitude. Last yr 3 people hit trees on the approach. Reporter has developed a technique for night approachs to stay well above the trees and off center until virtually over the airport, then, with rather abrupt maneuvers, he lines up and lands. Reporter personally took a letter to the jackson, ms, flight standards district office to alert them to the problems. Flight standards district office manager forwarded the letter and his comments to the mayor who allegedly sits on the information and does nothing. Bottom line, reporter says, is to take the VASI note off the approach plate and to eliminate the instrument approach until some changes are made. In addition, there should be repainting of the taxiway and runway markings with standard yellow or white instead of mixed markings that can hardly be determined. Also, there are no taxiway lights, so night taxi after landing is dangerous.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CPR PLT COMPLAINT OF ARPT DEFICIENCIES WHICH CREATE A SAFETY HAZARD.

Narrative: THE FOLLOWING IS A LIST OF DEFICIENCIES AT MBO WHICH CONSTITUTE AN AVIATION SAFETY HAZARD. 1) TREES HAVE GROWN INTO THE NORMAL APCH PATH TO RWY 35. THE THRESHOLD WAS DISPLACED SEVERAL YRS AGO BUT THE TREES HAVE CONTINUED TO GROW. 2) TREES HAVE GROWN INTO THE NORMAL APCH PATH TO RWY 17. THE TREES HAVE GROWN FOR YRS AND THE THRESHOLD HAS NEVER BEEN DISPLACED. 3) THE ARPT PLATE, 13-1, IN THE ADDITIONAL RWY INFO SECTION INDICATED THAT THERE IS A NON STD VASI. THIS IS A FALSE STATEMENT BECAUSE THE VASI DOES NOT WORK. A MECH REMOVED THE LIGHT BULBS SEVERAL YRS AGO AFTER AN AIRPLANE HIT A TREE ON SHORT FINAL TO THE RWY WHILE FOLLOWING THE VASI GUIDANCE. 4) THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD IS IMPROPERLY MARKED WITH PAINT ON RWY 35. THE LEAD-IN ARROWS ARE PAINTED YELLOW ON THE RWY PRIOR TO THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD. THE PROPER COLOR IS WHITE. 5) THE MID-FIELD RWY EXIT TXWY IS IN DEPLORABLE CONDITION BECAUSE THE PAVEMENT HAS DETERIORATED AND IS COVERED WITH LOOSE ROCKS. 6) ALL THE RWY PAINT IS FADED AND HARD TO SEE. IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE THE YELLOW TXWY LINES WHICH START AT THE CTRLINE OF THE RWY AT NIGHT. THERE ARE NO TXWY LIGHTS OR LIGHTED SIGNS TO HELP LOCATE TXWYS. 7) THERE ARE NO IFR TOUCHDOWN ZONE STRIPES LOCATED ON THE RWY TO DEPICT THE NON PRECISION IFR TOUCHDOWN ZONE. 8) MOST OF THE RWY END IDENT LIGHTS (GREEN/RED) ARE NOT WORKING AT EITHER END OF THE RWY. THERE ARE NO NOTAMS ISSUED ON ANY OF THE ABOVE ITEMS. THE 2 IFR VOR APCHS ARE CIRCLE-TO-LAND APCHS WITH MORE THAN A 30 DEG ANGLE FROM THE RWY CTRLINE. BECAUSE OF THE ABOVE STATED PROBS, THE ARPT IS UNSAFE FOR NIGHT AND IFR OPS UNLESS YOU ARE COMPLETELY FAMILIAR WITH ALL THE ABOVE PROBS. THERE IS GOING TO BE AN ACFT ACCIDENT UNLESS SOMETHING IS DONE IMMEDIATELY TO CORRECT THE ABOVE DEFICIENCIES. TO LIMIT LIABILITY TO THE ARPT OPERATOR AND PROTECT THE FLYING PUBLIC, I SUGGEST THAT THE INST APCHS BE SUSPENDED AND ALL NIGHT AND PART 135 OPS BE PROHIBITED UNTIL THE ARPT FULLY COMPLIES WITH EXISTING STANDARDS AND REGS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES HE HAS LIVED IN THE AREA FOR 11 YRS AND LITTLE OR NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO THE ARPT IN THAT TIME. IT SEEMS THE MAYOR WOULD LIKE TO MOVE OR SHUT DOWN THE ARPT SO NO MAINT IS DONE. THE ARPT IS A WORLD WAR II VINTAGE AND WAS GIVEN TO THE CITY BY THE DEPT OF DEFENSE TO BE CONTINUED AS AN ARPT. AT A RECENT ARPT ADVISORY BOARD MEETING WHICH RPTR ATTENDED, ALL EFFORTS FOR REPAIR WERE PUT ON HOLD DUE TO THE MAYOR'S DECISIONS/ATTITUDE. LAST YR 3 PEOPLE HIT TREES ON THE APCH. RPTR HAS DEVELOPED A TECHNIQUE FOR NIGHT APCHS TO STAY WELL ABOVE THE TREES AND OFF CTR UNTIL VIRTUALLY OVER THE ARPT, THEN, WITH RATHER ABRUPT MANEUVERS, HE LINES UP AND LANDS. RPTR PERSONALLY TOOK A LETTER TO THE JACKSON, MS, FLT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE TO ALERT THEM TO THE PROBS. FLT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE MGR FORWARDED THE LETTER AND HIS COMMENTS TO THE MAYOR WHO ALLEGEDLY SITS ON THE INFO AND DOES NOTHING. BOTTOM LINE, RPTR SAYS, IS TO TAKE THE VASI NOTE OFF THE APCH PLATE AND TO ELIMINATE THE INST APCH UNTIL SOME CHANGES ARE MADE. IN ADDITION, THERE SHOULD BE REPAINTING OF THE TXWY AND RWY MARKINGS WITH STD YELLOW OR WHITE INSTEAD OF MIXED MARKINGS THAT CAN HARDLY BE DETERMINED. ALSO, THERE ARE NO TXWY LIGHTS, SO NIGHT TAXI AFTER LNDG IS DANGEROUS.

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.