Narrative:

Ramp lights at jfk shine directly into captain's eyes rendering it near impossible to safely taxi aircraft while maintaining external view. Lights need to be removed or redirected so that they do not 'blind' captain and compromise safe taxi. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter and several other flight crew's have filed company reports regarding this visual problem. The parking procedure in the temporary parking area is performed with the assistance of a marshal. Spotted about the area, usually in line with the temporary lined parking areas on the ramp, are these portable spotlights, a cluster of 4. The lights are for ramp lighting and for ground crew visualization for maintenance, passenger lighting and baggage functions. Unfortunately, the lights are aimed directly into the eyes of the flight crew's. The basic problem is that the aircraft are parked in 2 rows, with either a hard left or a hard right turn being required after ramp entry for final parking. The signals from the marshal, who is standing in front of the lights, are lost in the glare. This hard turn is true for arrs as well as departures. Reporter feels that if the lights were staggered away from the point of parking and then angled towards the aircraft, the crews would not be blinded. Another thought was to angle the lights either up or down, away from the cockpit level. The area is next to the construction of a new additional to a terminal bldg and is supposed to be completed by the end of this yr. The reporter and other crews have received a note from the company that the company will 'look into the situation.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PIC RPT ON A RAMP SAFETY ISSUE. FLC'S SUFFER VISUAL IMPAIRMENT FROM PORTABLE FLOODLIGHTS DURING NIGHT OPS ON THE TEMPORARY PARKING AREA AT JFK, NY.

Narrative: RAMP LIGHTS AT JFK SHINE DIRECTLY INTO CAPT'S EYES RENDERING IT NEAR IMPOSSIBLE TO SAFELY TAXI ACFT WHILE MAINTAINING EXTERNAL VIEW. LIGHTS NEED TO BE REMOVED OR REDIRECTED SO THAT THEY DO NOT 'BLIND' CAPT AND COMPROMISE SAFE TAXI. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR AND SEVERAL OTHER FLC'S HAVE FILED COMPANY RPTS REGARDING THIS VISUAL PROB. THE PARKING PROC IN THE TEMPORARY PARKING AREA IS PERFORMED WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF A MARSHAL. SPOTTED ABOUT THE AREA, USUALLY IN LINE WITH THE TEMPORARY LINED PARKING AREAS ON THE RAMP, ARE THESE PORTABLE SPOTLIGHTS, A CLUSTER OF 4. THE LIGHTS ARE FOR RAMP LIGHTING AND FOR GND CREW VISUALIZATION FOR MAINT, PAX LIGHTING AND BAGGAGE FUNCTIONS. UNFORTUNATELY, THE LIGHTS ARE AIMED DIRECTLY INTO THE EYES OF THE FLC'S. THE BASIC PROB IS THAT THE ACFT ARE PARKED IN 2 ROWS, WITH EITHER A HARD L OR A HARD R TURN BEING REQUIRED AFTER RAMP ENTRY FOR FINAL PARKING. THE SIGNALS FROM THE MARSHAL, WHO IS STANDING IN FRONT OF THE LIGHTS, ARE LOST IN THE GLARE. THIS HARD TURN IS TRUE FOR ARRS AS WELL AS DEPS. RPTR FEELS THAT IF THE LIGHTS WERE STAGGERED AWAY FROM THE POINT OF PARKING AND THEN ANGLED TOWARDS THE ACFT, THE CREWS WOULD NOT BE BLINDED. ANOTHER THOUGHT WAS TO ANGLE THE LIGHTS EITHER UP OR DOWN, AWAY FROM THE COCKPIT LEVEL. THE AREA IS NEXT TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW ADDITIONAL TO A TERMINAL BLDG AND IS SUPPOSED TO BE COMPLETED BY THE END OF THIS YR. THE RPTR AND OTHER CREWS HAVE RECEIVED A NOTE FROM THE COMPANY THAT THE COMPANY WILL 'LOOK INTO THE SIT.'

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.