VISUAL INTERFERENCE TO AN ACR ACFT WHILE MAKING AN APCH AND LNDG ON RWY 32 AT PIT DURING A NIGHT OP.

Narrative

ON VISUAL APCH TO RWY 32 AT PIT AT ABOUT 200 FT AGL THERE ARE VERY BRIGHT LIGHTS ON THE R COMING FROM A DRIVING RANGE. THEY DESTROY YOUR NIGHT VISION AND MAKE THE RWY DANGEROUSLY DIM. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR INDICATED THAT THE BRIGHT LIGHTS FROM THIS DRIVING RANGE WERE VERY DANGEROUS FOR NIGHT OPS. IT MIGHT BE A SAFER OP; WHILE APCHING RWY 32 AT NIGHT; IF THE PIC OR L SEAT PLT WERE TO FLY THE APCH. THIS DRIVING RANGE LIGHT DISTR IS USUALLY DURING THE SPRING; SUMMER AND FALL MONTHS; POSSIBLY SHUTTING DOWN IN THE COLDER WINTER MONTHS. THE RPTR BELIEVES THAT THE LIGHTS ARE ON UNTIL 2300 HRS LCL DURING ITS WARM WX OP. THE RPTR STATED THAT HE RPTED THIS PROB A YR AGO TO THE PIT TWR AND THEY KNEW ABOUT IT. OTHER COMPANIES HAVE ALSO QUERIED THE CTL TWR REGARDING THIS ISSUE. THEY STATED THAT THEY COULD DO NOTHING ABOUT IT AS THE RANGE OWNER IS A 'POLITICIAN' ON THE LCL LEVEL AND APPARENTLY CARRIES SOME WEIGHT WITH REGARDS TO 'KEEPING THE RANGE OPEN.' THE RPTR HAD TURNED IN LAST YR'S RPT TO A SAFETY COMMITTEE AND HAD RECEIVED A WRITTEN NOTE BACK RELATIVE TO THEIR 'LOOKING INTO THE MATTER.' HIS ACR HAS RECENTLY STARTED A SAFETY RPTING SYS ALONG THE LINES OF ASRS. HE TURNED IN A CURRENT RPT TO THEM AS WELL AS GIVING ASRS THIS RPT.