Narrative:

I was driving home on I25 and approaching parkland airport. Just southeast of parkland airport is a transmitting tower (bjc 025 degree radial, 11 NM). The sun was setting, and the flashing lights on the transmitting tower were not on. I called denver FSS to notify them, so they could put out a NOTAM. They told me they couldn't put out a NOTAM unless the owner of the tower called them. So I explained that they had a 1000 ft (actually, it's 985 ft) unlighted obstacle, and they wouldn't put out a NOTAM because the tower owner, who probably didn't know the strobes were out, hadn't call them -- that was mindless! At that point they agreed that they probably could put out a NOTAM, and they would call the owner of the tower. I didn't call back to see if they actually did. NOTAMS are specifically suited to alert airmen to hazards such as this. We shouldn't have to 'twist FSS's arm' to get them to issue one. A 985 ft unlighted obstacle less than 2 NM from an airport? How much more hazardous could it get? The NOTAM procedures need to be streamlined for sits like this. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter revealed the tower strobe light(south) was repaired and operating normally within 1 week of reporting its outage. Reporter is concerned about the red tape involved in getting the FAA to issue a NOTAM when such an outage is reported.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CONCERNED AIRMAN RPTED THE OUTAGE OF STROBE LIGHTS ATOP A 985 FT TWR NEAR PARKLAND ARPT, CO (7CO0).

Narrative: I WAS DRIVING HOME ON I25 AND APCHING PARKLAND ARPT. JUST SE OF PARKLAND ARPT IS A XMITTING TWR (BJC 025 DEG RADIAL, 11 NM). THE SUN WAS SETTING, AND THE FLASHING LIGHTS ON THE XMITTING TWR WERE NOT ON. I CALLED DENVER FSS TO NOTIFY THEM, SO THEY COULD PUT OUT A NOTAM. THEY TOLD ME THEY COULDN'T PUT OUT A NOTAM UNLESS THE OWNER OF THE TWR CALLED THEM. SO I EXPLAINED THAT THEY HAD A 1000 FT (ACTUALLY, IT'S 985 FT) UNLIGHTED OBSTACLE, AND THEY WOULDN'T PUT OUT A NOTAM BECAUSE THE TWR OWNER, WHO PROBABLY DIDN'T KNOW THE STROBES WERE OUT, HADN'T CALL THEM -- THAT WAS MINDLESS! AT THAT POINT THEY AGREED THAT THEY PROBABLY COULD PUT OUT A NOTAM, AND THEY WOULD CALL THE OWNER OF THE TWR. I DIDN'T CALL BACK TO SEE IF THEY ACTUALLY DID. NOTAMS ARE SPECIFICALLY SUITED TO ALERT AIRMEN TO HAZARDS SUCH AS THIS. WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO 'TWIST FSS'S ARM' TO GET THEM TO ISSUE ONE. A 985 FT UNLIGHTED OBSTACLE LESS THAN 2 NM FROM AN ARPT? HOW MUCH MORE HAZARDOUS COULD IT GET? THE NOTAM PROCS NEED TO BE STREAMLINED FOR SITS LIKE THIS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR REVEALED THE TWR STROBE LIGHT(S) WAS REPAIRED AND OPERATING NORMALLY WITHIN 1 WK OF RPTING ITS OUTAGE. RPTR IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE RED TAPE INVOLVED IN GETTING THE FAA TO ISSUE A NOTAM WHEN SUCH AN OUTAGE IS RPTED.

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.