ON APCH; THE PRECEDING WDB WAS INVISIBLE BECAUSE OF NEW PAINT SCHEME.
Synopsis
ON APCH; THE PRECEDING WDB WAS INVISIBLE BECAUSE OF NEW PAINT SCHEME.
Narrative
FO WAS PF ON APCH TO RWY 22L AT EWR. WE WERE BEHIND AN ACR HVY JET THAT WE COULD NOT SEE ON THE APCH. AS WE GOT CLOSER AND WERE CLRED TO LAND; I TRIED TO SEE IF THE PRECEDING JET HAD CLRED THE RWY. I COULD NOT SEE IT UNTIL WE WERE ON A 1 MI FINAL AND HE HAD TURNED 90 DEGS TO US ONTO A TXWY. THE RPTED VISIBILITY WAS 4 MI WITH HAZE. THE REASON WE COULD NOT SEE THE WDB UNTIL ONLY ABOUT 1 1/2 - 2 MI IN FRONT OF US WAS THAT IT WAS PAINTED IN THE NEW GRAY ACR PAINT SCHEME! APPARENTLY; THIS PAINT JOB WAS DESIGNED BY MARKETING TYPES WITH NO CONSIDERATION FOR THE SAFETY ISSUE. THIS PAINT SCHEME IS MUCH HARDER TO SEE THAN ACR'S OLDER WHILE PAINT JOB BECAUSE IT IS SUCH A DARK GRAY ON TOP AND LACKS CONTRAST WITH A HAZY OR LOW LIGHT/LOW VISIBILITY BACKGND. EVEN THE FOREIGN ACR PAINT SCHEME; WHICH IS SIMILAR; IS MUCH EASIER TO SEE BECAUSE IT USES SOME LIGHTER COLOR. WE MUST NOT WAIT UNTIL PEOPLE DIE BECAUSE OF THIS 'STEALTH' PAINT SCHEME BEFORE IT IS CHANGED! THE AIR FORCE SHOULD CONSIDER THIS COLOR GRAY FOR THEIR COMBAT ACFT!
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.