A PVT PLT FLYING A CHRISTEN EAGLE ON FINAL APCH TO LEB; DECLARED THAT HE HAD STRUCK LIGHT STANDARDS THAT WERE 2 FT TALL ON A RECENTLY DISPLACED RWY (18-36). HE ASSERTED THAT THE LIGHTS SHOULD BE FLUSH WITH THE RWY.
Synopsis
A PVT PLT FLYING A CHRISTEN EAGLE ON FINAL APCH TO LEB; DECLARED THAT HE HAD STRUCK LIGHT STANDARDS THAT WERE 2 FT TALL ON A RECENTLY DISPLACED RWY (18-36). HE ASSERTED THAT THE LIGHTS SHOULD BE FLUSH WITH THE RWY.
Narrative
ON FINAL APCH TO LEB RWY 18 ACFT STRUCK LIGHT STANDARDS AT APCH END OF RECENTLY DISPLACED RWY 18/36. THESE LIGHTS SHOULD BE FLUSH WITH RWY AND NOT ON 2 FT HIGH STANDARDS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH TWR CTLR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: DURING A CALLBACK WITH AN LEB TWR CTLR; THE ANALYST LEARNED THAT THERE IS NO DISPLACED THRESHOLD LOCATED AT LEB. HOWEVER; RWY 18/36 HAS RECENTLY BEEN LENGTHENED FURTHER S. IN THE PAST; THIS RWY ENDED IN A CLIFF BELOW WHICH IS A MAJOR INTERSTATE FREEWAY. THE ARPT PAVED A THRESHOLD OVERRUN AREA; WHICH HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN TURF. THEY PAINTED THE OVERRUN WITH CHEVRONS; BUT MAINTAINED THE REGULAR REILS THAT HAD BEEN THERE ORIGINALLY. FOR THE LAST 30 YRS; THE LIGHTS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN LOCATED 300 FT FROM THE END OF THE RWY ON 2 FT TALL STANDARDS. ACCORDING TO THE TWR CTLR; THE CHRISTEN EAGLE PLT; WHO HAS FLOWN OUT OF THIS ARPT FOR SOME 20 YRS; WAS FLYING HIGH SPD; LOW PASSES OVER THE FIELD FOR THE BENEFIT OF A PHOTOGRAPHER. THE CTLR WITNESSED THE PLT GOING LOWER FOR EACH PASS AT THE BEHEST OF THE PHOTOGRAPHER. WHEN THE CHRISTEN EAGLE HIT THE 2 FT TALL LIGHT STANDARDS; HE WAS FLYING AT A VERY HIGH SPD. THE CTLR DESCRIBED BEING VERY UPSET TO SEE BOTH OF THE ACFT'S WINGS DAMAGED WHILE IN FLT AND SAID; 'THIS WAS A VERY BAD THING.'
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.