COMPLAINT FROM CTLR THAT THE APCH LIGHT SYS HAS NOT BEEN WORKING PROPERLY SINCE INSTALLED.

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WE HAVE AN APCH LIGHT SYS FOR RWY 23 THAT WAS INSTALLED APPROX 6 YRS AGO. SINCE THEN IT HAS HAD CHRONIC RECURRING PROBS; THE MOST FREQUENT OF WHICH PERTAINS TO THE MONITOR/CTL PANEL. CONSTANT 'CAUTION' AND 'FAILURE' ALARMS HAVE NOT BEEN CORRECTED EVEN THOUGH 2 UCR'S HAVE BEEN FILED AND OUR LCL ARPT FACILITY PERSONNEL HAVE DEDICATED MANY HRS TOWARDS ITS REPAIR. THE PROB APPARENTLY IS CAUSED BY ITS DESIGN. EVEN THOUGH THE MONITOR IS UNRELIABLE AT BEST WE CONTINUE TO OPERATE THE SYS AS THOUGHT IS NORMAL. WE ASSUME THAT THE SYS IS OPERATING UNLESS A PLT RPT INDICATES OTHERWISE. PLTS ARE NOT AWARE OF THE FACT THAT THE LIGHTS MAY FAIL WITHOUT US KNOWING IT. ON DEC/XX/92; THE ENTIRE CTR PORTION OF LIGHTS FAILED WITHOUT ANY INDICATION ON THE MONITOR. MANY ARRS LANDED IN ADVERSE WX DURING THE PREVIOUS EVENING AND FOLLOWING MORNING. (CEILINGS AS LOW AS 300 FT AND REDUCED VISIBILITY DUE TO FOG.) PLTS DID NOT RPT ANY ABNORMALITIES; PROBABLY BECAUSE THEY ARE DISTRACTED BY HIGHER PRIORITY TASKS OR DON'T RECOGNIZE WHAT A PROPERLY OPERATING SYS LOOKS LIKE; OR PERHAPS JUST COULD NOT SEE THEM. CONSIDERING THE FREQUENCY AT WHICH ACTUAL FAILURES DO OCCUR; I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A HAZARDOUS SIT AND WILL CONTINUE TO POST A THREAT TO SAFETY UNTIL 1) THE SYS IS REDESIGNED TO OPERATE MORE RELIABLY AND WITH GREATER TOLERANCES ON THE MONITOR; 2) THE SYSTEM IS SIMPLIFIED FOR MORE RELIABILITY; AND 3) THE SYS IS NOTAMED UNMONITORED UNTIL THE ABOVE CONDITIONS ARE ACCOMPLISHED.