A PA44 flight crew lands at C56 with no airport lights. On rollout, the airport manager turned on th...

Attributes
ACN	632249
Time
Date	200409
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : c56.airport
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-44 Seminole Turbo Seminole
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing : roll
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 140 flight time total : 690 flight time type : 25
ASRS Report	632249
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	observation : passenger
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 340 flight time type : 25
ASRS Report	632250
Events
Anomaly	excursion : runway other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : regained aircraft control flight crew : exited adverse environment
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airport Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

After departing from dpa, went to C56 for gas. Using a VFR GPS, we knew that we were 6 mi from the airport, but no beacon was in sight. I contacted chicago approach to ask them if they knew anything about the beacon being OTS. After checking, they said that they can see no reason why the beacon wouldn't be on. After flying over the field (known by using the GPS), we saw the airport directly underneath us. Several times, we tried to contact sanger (C56) unicom but received no answer. Since there was a full moon and we could clearly see the ground, even though it was night, we decided to try to land visually. We made one approach first to fly over the field checking for obstacles, animals, and the condition of the field. After not seeing anything, we flew a left traffic pattern to try to land. We touched down with adequate visual reference and used moderate braking. However, the person that runs the FBO turned the lights on fully as we were braking, which temporarily blinded me and caused me to turn slightly off of runway heading. Noticing that I was in the grass, I let off the brakes to insure the aircraft would not skid on possibly wet grass and continued our ground roll through the departure end of the runway coming to a complete stop before the ditch on the other end. We then taxied back to the runway and ramp. There was nothing hit by the aircraft and there was no damage done to the aircraft or airport. Supplemental information from acn 632250: we touched down on the runway and began braking to bring the aircraft to a stop. At this time we still had adequate visual reference of the runway. As the PIC was braking the runway lights were turned on. Due to our approach using low light then the immediate exposure to bright runway lights, both the PIC, and I were temporarily blinded, causing the PIC to turn slightly and go off the side of the runway into the grass.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA44 FLT CREW LANDS AT C56 WITH NO ARPT LIGHTS. ON ROLLOUT, THE ARPT MGR TURNED ON THE LIGHT, BLINDING THE FLT CREW, RESULTING IN THE ACFT EXITING THE RWY INTO THE GRASS.

Narrative: AFTER DEPARTING FROM DPA, WENT TO C56 FOR GAS. USING A VFR GPS, WE KNEW THAT WE WERE 6 MI FROM THE ARPT, BUT NO BEACON WAS IN SIGHT. I CONTACTED CHICAGO APCH TO ASK THEM IF THEY KNEW ANYTHING ABOUT THE BEACON BEING OTS. AFTER CHKING, THEY SAID THAT THEY CAN SEE NO REASON WHY THE BEACON WOULDN'T BE ON. AFTER FLYING OVER THE FIELD (KNOWN BY USING THE GPS), WE SAW THE ARPT DIRECTLY UNDERNEATH US. SEVERAL TIMES, WE TRIED TO CONTACT SANGER (C56) UNICOM BUT RECEIVED NO ANSWER. SINCE THERE WAS A FULL MOON AND WE COULD CLRLY SEE THE GND, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS NIGHT, WE DECIDED TO TRY TO LAND VISUALLY. WE MADE ONE APCH FIRST TO FLY OVER THE FIELD CHKING FOR OBSTACLES, ANIMALS, AND THE CONDITION OF THE FIELD. AFTER NOT SEEING ANYTHING, WE FLEW A L TFC PATTERN TO TRY TO LAND. WE TOUCHED DOWN WITH ADEQUATE VISUAL REF AND USED MODERATE BRAKING. HOWEVER, THE PERSON THAT RUNS THE FBO TURNED THE LIGHTS ON FULLY AS WE WERE BRAKING, WHICH TEMPORARILY BLINDED ME AND CAUSED ME TO TURN SLIGHTLY OFF OF RWY HDG. NOTICING THAT I WAS IN THE GRASS, I LET OFF THE BRAKES TO INSURE THE ACFT WOULD NOT SKID ON POSSIBLY WET GRASS AND CONTINUED OUR GND ROLL THROUGH THE DEP END OF THE RWY COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP BEFORE THE DITCH ON THE OTHER END. WE THEN TAXIED BACK TO THE RWY AND RAMP. THERE WAS NOTHING HIT BY THE ACFT AND THERE WAS NO DAMAGE DONE TO THE ACFT OR ARPT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 632250: WE TOUCHED DOWN ON THE RWY AND BEGAN BRAKING TO BRING THE ACFT TO A STOP. AT THIS TIME WE STILL HAD ADEQUATE VISUAL REF OF THE RWY. AS THE PIC WAS BRAKING THE RWY LIGHTS WERE TURNED ON. DUE TO OUR APCH USING LOW LIGHT THEN THE IMMEDIATE EXPOSURE TO BRIGHT RWY LIGHTS, BOTH THE PIC, AND I WERE TEMPORARILY BLINDED, CAUSING THE PIC TO TURN SLIGHTLY AND GO OFF THE SIDE OF THE RWY INTO THE GRASS.

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.

A PA44 flight crew lands at C56 with no airport lights. On rollout, the airport manager turned on the light, blinding the flight crew, resulting in the aircraft exiting the runway into the grass.