Narrative:

Air national guard shares the airport -- fat. They sweep the runway with normal sized street sweeper. It only has 1 small yellow light on it (roof -- center). Every night the sweeper will be on runway for 1-2 hours. Controller had reported deal with sweeper and departing C172. Controller scanned runway (poorly) and did not see sweeper on clear night. Pilot pulled onto runway and did not see sweeper (with headlights on and small blinking yellow light on roof of sweeper). Pilot took off and flew over sweeper on runway. Controllers always have a hard time spotting the sweeper at fat with our large movement area. Management and the air national guard have said the sweeper's 1 small flashing light is enough. I feel it would be much safer if we lit the sweeper up. With today's lights; it should be easy to put better light bars on sweeper; not just a single small flashing beacon. Remember; on a clear night; both controller and pilot could not see sweeper. Fat is known for its haze and fog. Besides always being on runway at night; sweeper is always doing taxi rtes (txwys) that the ANG fighters use during day. We need to light it up!

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FAT CTLR DESCRIBED INCIDENT WHEN ACFT DEPARTED OVER SWEEPER ON THE RWY CITING LACK OF LIGHTING ON THE SWEEPER AS A CAUSAL FACTOR.

Narrative: AIR NATIONAL GUARD SHARES THE ARPT -- FAT. THEY SWEEP THE RWY WITH NORMAL SIZED STREET SWEEPER. IT ONLY HAS 1 SMALL YELLOW LIGHT ON IT (ROOF -- CENTER). EVERY NIGHT THE SWEEPER WILL BE ON RWY FOR 1-2 HRS. CTLR HAD RPTED DEAL WITH SWEEPER AND DEPARTING C172. CTLR SCANNED RWY (POORLY) AND DID NOT SEE SWEEPER ON CLR NIGHT. PLT PULLED ONTO RWY AND DID NOT SEE SWEEPER (WITH HEADLIGHTS ON AND SMALL BLINKING YELLOW LIGHT ON ROOF OF SWEEPER). PLT TOOK OFF AND FLEW OVER SWEEPER ON RWY. CTLRS ALWAYS HAVE A HARD TIME SPOTTING THE SWEEPER AT FAT WITH OUR LARGE MOVEMENT AREA. MGMNT AND THE AIR NATIONAL GUARD HAVE SAID THE SWEEPER'S 1 SMALL FLASHING LIGHT IS ENOUGH. I FEEL IT WOULD BE MUCH SAFER IF WE LIT THE SWEEPER UP. WITH TODAY'S LIGHTS; IT SHOULD BE EASY TO PUT BETTER LIGHT BARS ON SWEEPER; NOT JUST A SINGLE SMALL FLASHING BEACON. REMEMBER; ON A CLR NIGHT; BOTH CTLR AND PLT COULD NOT SEE SWEEPER. FAT IS KNOWN FOR ITS HAZE AND FOG. BESIDES ALWAYS BEING ON RWY AT NIGHT; SWEEPER IS ALWAYS DOING TAXI RTES (TXWYS) THAT THE ANG FIGHTERS USE DURING DAY. WE NEED TO LIGHT IT UP!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.