PLT COMPLAINT OF AN SMA ARPT CONDITION.

Narrative

THE FOLLOWING RPT IS ON THE SANFORD-LEE COUNTRY ARPT LOCATED NEAR SANFORD; NC. THE FAA IDENTIFIER IS W77. ENCLOSED ARE SEVERAL PHOTOS OF EXTENSIVE SOIL EROSION AT THE ABOVE ARPT. OF PARTICULAR INTEREST ARE THE PHOTOS OF EXPOSED DRAIN CATCH BASINS AND THE LONG DEEP TRENCHES WHERE DRAIN PIPES HAVE LEAKED AND ALLOWED THE COVER SOIL TO BE SUCKED INTO THE PIPE. THESE ERODED AREAS ARE OBSCURED BY GRASS AND WEED COVER. THEY ARE LOCATED IN A FLAT GRASSED AREA ABOUT 80 FT SE OF AND PARALLEL TO THE RWY. IN THE PAST; THIS AREA HAS BEEN USED AS A TURF LNDG STRIP; EVEN THOUGH IT IS NOT SO DESIGNATED. IF AN ACFT SHOULD ROLL INTO ONE OF THESE PITS; FATAL INJURIES COULD BE EXPECTED FOR ITS OCCUPANTS. THE DRAINAGE SYS NEEDS TO BE REPAIRED AND THE PITS FILLED. NOTE THE EXTENSIVE GRASS GROWTH AROUND THE RWY AND TAXI LIGHTS. THE GRASS GROWTH IS HIGH ENOUGH TO OBSCURE THE LIGHTS AT NIGHT. WHILE WALKING DOWN THE CTRLINE OF THE RWY AT NIGHT; IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO DISTINCTLY IDENT MORE THAN 4 CONSECUTIVE RWY LIGHTS AT ANY GIVEN TIME. IN FACT; THROUGHOUT MOST OF THE LENGTH OF THE RWY; ONLY 1 LIGHT IS VISIBLE ON EACH SIDE. OF THE 6 RWY THRESHOLD/TERMINATION LIGHTS INSTALLED ON EACH END OF THE RWY; ONLY 1 IS OPERATIONAL AT THE APCH END OF RWY 3; AND 4 ON THE APCH END OF RWY 21. THE COMBINATION OF OBSCURED RWY LIGHTS AND MALFUNCTIONING TERMINATION LIGHTS MAKES THE CHANCES OF A RWY OVERSHOOT VERY LIKELY. VISUAL REFS ARE ALMOST NONEXISTENT AT NIGHT DURING VFR CONDITIONS. THERE ARE A MINIMUM OF 31 NON- FUNCTIONING RWY AND TXWY LIGHTS AT THIS ARPT. THE OBSTRUCTION LIGHT ON THE ROTATING BEACON IS OUT. 1 PAPI IS INOPERATIVE ON THE APCH END OF RWY 21; AND A BULB IS OUT ON 1 UNIT ON THE APCH END OF RWY 3. THE REILS HAVE BEEN INOPERATIVE FOR SEVERAL MONTHS; BUT HAVE BEEN NOTAMED. THE RWY CTRLINE AND EDGE MARKINGS ARE ALMOST COMPLETELY WORN AWAY. THE CTRLINE MARKINGS ARE ONLY BARELY DISCERNABLE. THIS ARPT DOES NOT MEET MINIMUM NIGHT VFR REQUIREMENTS; YET IT IS SERVED BY 2 NON-PRECISION APCHS: A VOR/DME AND AN NDB APCH. DURING PERIODS OF REDUCED VISIBILITY; THIS ARPT PRESENTS A SERIOUS HAZARD TO FLT OPS. BOTH NON-PRECISION APCHS NEED TO BE DECOMMISSIONED UNTIL ALL OF THE DEFICIENCIES OF THIS ARPT ARE CORRECTED. NIGHT OPS ARE EXTREMELY RISKY. ALL INOPERATIVE EQUIP NEEDS TO BE NOTAMED OTS; AND THE GRASS NEEDS TO BE CUT ALONG THE EDGES OF THE RWY AND TXWY SO THAT THE LIGHTING IS VISIBLE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE GRASS HAS BEEN CUT DOWN AND LIGHT BULBS REPLACED AFTER HIS COMPLAINT TO THE ARPT MGR. HOWEVER; THE ARPT MARKINGS NEED TO BE REPAINTED AND THE ARPT MGMNT IS WAITING FOR THE COUNTY HWY DEPT TO DO THAT. ALSO; THE DRAINAGE DITCH WILL BE FIXED AFTER A DETERMINATION OF HOW TO BEST TAKE CARE OF THE PROB. MUCH OF THE PROB HE STATES IS DUE TO THE INTER-POLICIES BTWN THE COUNTY AND THE ARPT MGR; AND WHERE THE FUNDS WILL COME FROM.