THE RPTR; AN ACR B727 CAPT; SAYS THAT A NIGHT VISUAL APCH TO RWY 19L IS PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT AT LAS BECAUSE OF THE BRIGHT LIGHTS OF THE CASINOS WHICH INTERFERE WITH THE AVAILABLE LIGHTING SYS INCLUDING THE PLASI SLOPE INDICATOR. THIS IS THE USUAL APCH RWY THAT THIS FLC HAS BEEN ASSIGNED ON THEIR RECENT NIGHT ARRS.

Date: 1997-09 · Aircraft: B727-200

Anomalies: other-unspecified

Synopsis

THE RPTR; AN ACR B727 CAPT; SAYS THAT A NIGHT VISUAL APCH TO RWY 19L IS PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT AT LAS BECAUSE OF THE BRIGHT LIGHTS OF THE CASINOS WHICH INTERFERE WITH THE AVAILABLE LIGHTING SYS INCLUDING THE PLASI SLOPE INDICATOR. THIS IS THE USUAL APCH RWY THAT THIS FLC HAS BEEN ASSIGNED ON THEIR RECENT NIGHT ARRS.

Narrative

THE FREQUENT ASSIGNMENT OF A DOWNWIND; VISUAL APCH TO RWY 19L AT LAS IS A POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS OP. WITHOUT ELECTRONIC GUIDANCE AND AN INADEQUATE VISUAL AID (PLASI) AVAILABLE; LIGHTS EVERYWHERE; BUT ON THE FIELD; AND INCREASED VIGILANCE REQUIRED FOR TERRAIN AND OBSTRUCTIONS COCKPIT WORKLOAD IS EXTREME TO TRY TO ESTABLISH A STABILIZED APCH ON AN APPROPRIATE VISUAL GS. THE CHANCES OF A HIGH SINK RATE LNDG ARE INCREASED DUE TO THIS LACK OF GUIDANCE AND HIGH DENSITY ALT. SOME CASINO MONEY NEEDS TO BE SPENT INSTALLING AN ILS TO RWY 19L AND A VASI OR PAPI ALIGNED WITH THE RWY AS WELL AS AN OFFSET VASI OR PAPI FOR USE ON THE DOWNWIND AND BASE LEGS OF VISUAL APCH. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR IS AN ACR B727-200 CAPT WHO HAS MADE SEVERAL RECENT NIGHT VISUAL APCHS TO RWY 19L AT LAS. THE CAPT SAID THAT THE GENERAL ARR PATH HAS BEEN A VECTOR FROM THE S OF THE ARPT TO A DOWNWIND THAT PARALLELS RWY 19L TO THE W OF THE ARPT WITH A TURN TO BASE AND FINAL APCH JUST TO THE N OF THE NEWEST AND BRIGHTEST CASINOS. HE SAID THAT THE ONLY APCH SLOPE GUIDANCE FOR THIS RWY IS A PLASI SYS WHICH HE FEELS IS INADEQUATE BECAUSE OF THE SURROUNDING CASINO LIGHTS. THESE LIGHTS ARE SO BRIGHT AND SO COLORFUL AND SO MANY OF THESE LIGHTS ALSO PULSE THAT THE RPTR SAID HE HAS LOST THE PLASI INDICATIONS FOR A PORTION OF EACH APCH. HE STRESSED THAT HE EXPECTS THAT MOST PLTS WILL HAVE DIFFICULTY USING THE PLASI ON THIS RWY AT NIGHT AND BELIEVES THAT AN ILS SYS IS THE BEST SOLUTION. HE SAID THAT ANY SYS USING LIGHTS WILL HAVE THE SAME INTERFERENCE FROM THE CASINO LIGHTING AS THE PLASI HAS AT PRESENT.

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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.