Narrative:

This is not an event, rather, I am using this report as I understand it, to report a potentially unsafe situation in our operating environment -- ewr airport's terminal flood lights for aircraft ramp areas. Specifically, I have noticed in recent months the extremely bright banks of flood lights on the terminals that shine out over the ramp areas, but more importantly to impact safety, same lights are directly in the face of pilots taxiing their aircraft while crossing runway 22R after landing runway 22L. It was especially notable to me on a rainy night clearing runway 22R at taxiway and crossing runway 22R with subsequent taxi to terminal. I could not see the taxiway markings due to poorly painted lines, glare from the wet pavement, compounded by those brilliant lights I mentioned above right in my face. Add to that, the dirt or contamination less-than-clean windscreens, and you have a terribly impaired field of view. The distraction is great and the focus away from the larger picture to take in taxiing aircraft from left to right, for example along txwys D, B, and a, causes a serious loss of situational awareness of the taxiing environment.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PIC RPT ON A SET OF FLOOD LIGHTS ON A SW TERMINAL BUILDING THAT HAMPERS THE ABILITY OF THE TAXIING PLT TO SEE OTHER OBJECTS AND GND MARKINGS DURING ANY NIGHT OP AT EWR, NJ.

Narrative: THIS IS NOT AN EVENT, RATHER, I AM USING THIS RPT AS I UNDERSTAND IT, TO RPT A POTENTIALLY UNSAFE SIT IN OUR OPERATING ENVIRONMENT -- EWR ARPT'S TERMINAL FLOOD LIGHTS FOR ACFT RAMP AREAS. SPECIFICALLY, I HAVE NOTICED IN RECENT MONTHS THE EXTREMELY BRIGHT BANKS OF FLOOD LIGHTS ON THE TERMINALS THAT SHINE OUT OVER THE RAMP AREAS, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY TO IMPACT SAFETY, SAME LIGHTS ARE DIRECTLY IN THE FACE OF PLTS TAXIING THEIR ACFT WHILE XING RWY 22R AFTER LNDG RWY 22L. IT WAS ESPECIALLY NOTABLE TO ME ON A RAINY NIGHT CLRING RWY 22R AT TXWY AND XING RWY 22R WITH SUBSEQUENT TAXI TO TERMINAL. I COULD NOT SEE THE TXWY MARKINGS DUE TO POORLY PAINTED LINES, GLARE FROM THE WET PAVEMENT, COMPOUNDED BY THOSE BRILLIANT LIGHTS I MENTIONED ABOVE RIGHT IN MY FACE. ADD TO THAT, THE DIRT OR CONTAMINATION LESS-THAN-CLEAN WINDSCREENS, AND YOU HAVE A TERRIBLY IMPAIRED FIELD OF VIEW. THE DISTR IS GREAT AND THE FOCUS AWAY FROM THE LARGER PICTURE TO TAKE IN TAXIING ACFT FROM L TO R, FOR EXAMPLE ALONG TXWYS D, B, AND A, CAUSES A SERIOUS LOSS OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS OF THE TAXIING ENVIRONMENT.

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.