Narrative:

CAT III WX at clt. 1) CAT III ILS to runway 36L has a note on the plate; 'localizer unusable for rollout guidance'??????. Well; it's sure not CAT III for an airbus. (This should be in boldface!) 2) RVR was quoted at 6/6/7 on runway 36R; where we could get rollout guidance. Clt does not have a low visibility taxi page. We were asked to exit at taxiway M; which does not have any leadoff lights. In fact; we did not notice any taxiway centerline or edge lights on the east side of clt! Visibility was about 2-300 ft on the ground taxiing. We were cleared to taxi by ground; no asde; no viz; and told to be careful. No taxi instructions; 'taxi to gate'! Because RVR was 600 ft; no follow me was required by fom; but jeez; I've never heard of a place that operated below 1200 ft without guidance; a plan; and some kind of control. Additionally; inbound and outbound taxi is being conducted on separate frequencys; removing the possibility of hearing someone coming the other way. We made our way to the gate; making calls at every (non-compulsory) defined point we passed. The repeated response from ground and ramp control was; 'ok; be careful.' taxi out demonstrated that the west side of the airport has taxiway lights. Unfortunately; we can not land past CAT ii on the west runway due to the lack of rollout guidance. 1) how can an airport operate below 1200 ft RVR (CAT ii) without taxiway lights? 2) what provision is made for taxi operations when actual ramp visibility is well below runway RVR? 3) how can an airport operate to CAT III without an airport low visibility taxi page? 4) what idiot approved different inbound/outbound taxi frequencys for aircraft which are told to 'taxi to the gate' or 'taxi to the runway' in WX below 1200 ft RVR? 5) why was this airport open?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR PILOT COMMENTS THAT CLT RWY 36L HAS NO CAT III ROLLOUT GUIDANCE. RWY 36R HAS NO LOW VIS TAXI PLAN OR LIGHTING GUIDANCE AFTER CAT III LANDING.

Narrative: CAT III WX AT CLT. 1) CAT III ILS TO RWY 36L HAS A NOTE ON THE PLATE; 'LOCALIZER UNUSABLE FOR ROLLOUT GUIDANCE'??????. WELL; IT'S SURE NOT CAT III FOR AN AIRBUS. (THIS SHOULD BE IN BOLDFACE!) 2) RVR WAS QUOTED AT 6/6/7 ON RWY 36R; WHERE WE COULD GET ROLLOUT GUIDANCE. CLT DOES NOT HAVE A LOW VIS TAXI PAGE. WE WERE ASKED TO EXIT AT TXWY M; WHICH DOES NOT HAVE ANY LEADOFF LIGHTS. IN FACT; WE DID NOT NOTICE ANY TAXIWAY CENTERLINE OR EDGE LIGHTS ON THE EAST SIDE OF CLT! VIS WAS ABOUT 2-300 FT ON THE GROUND TAXIING. WE WERE CLEARED TO TAXI BY GROUND; NO ASDE; NO VIZ; AND TOLD TO BE CAREFUL. NO TAXI INSTRUCTIONS; 'TAXI TO GATE'! BECAUSE RVR WAS 600 FT; NO FOLLOW ME WAS REQUIRED BY FOM; BUT JEEZ; I'VE NEVER HEARD OF A PLACE THAT OPERATED BELOW 1200 FT WITHOUT GUIDANCE; A PLAN; AND SOME KIND OF CONTROL. ADDITIONALLY; INBOUND AND OUTBOUND TAXI IS BEING CONDUCTED ON SEPARATE FREQS; REMOVING THE POSSIBILITY OF HEARING SOMEONE COMING THE OTHER WAY. WE MADE OUR WAY TO THE GATE; MAKING CALLS AT EVERY (NON-COMPULSORY) DEFINED POINT WE PASSED. THE REPEATED RESPONSE FROM GROUND AND RAMP CONTROL WAS; 'OK; BE CAREFUL.' TAXI OUT DEMONSTRATED THAT THE WEST SIDE OF THE AIRPORT HAS TAXIWAY LIGHTS. UNFORTUNATELY; WE CAN NOT LAND PAST CAT II ON THE WEST RUNWAY DUE TO THE LACK OF ROLLOUT GUIDANCE. 1) HOW CAN AN AIRPORT OPERATE BELOW 1200 FT RVR (CAT II) WITHOUT TAXIWAY LIGHTS? 2) WHAT PROVISION IS MADE FOR TAXI OPERATIONS WHEN ACTUAL RAMP VIS IS WELL BELOW RWY RVR? 3) HOW CAN AN AIRPORT OPERATE TO CAT III WITHOUT AN AIRPORT LOW VIS TAXI PAGE? 4) WHAT IDIOT APPROVED DIFFERENT INBOUND/OUTBOUND TAXI FREQS FOR AIRCRAFT WHICH ARE TOLD TO 'TAXI TO THE GATE' OR 'TAXI TO THE RUNWAY' IN WX BELOW 1200 FT RVR? 5) WHY WAS THIS AIRPORT OPEN?

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.