PIC RPT ON A RAMP SAFETY ISSUE. FLC'S SUFFER VISUAL IMPAIRMENT FROM PORTABLE FLOODLIGHTS DURING NIGHT OPS ON THE TEMPORARY PARKING AREA AT JFK; NY.

Date: 2002-07 · Aircraft: EMB ERJ 135 ER/LR · Phase: taxi

Anomalies: ground-event-encounter-other-unknown|other-flc-distr-visual-interf

Synopsis

PIC RPT ON A RAMP SAFETY ISSUE. FLC'S SUFFER VISUAL IMPAIRMENT FROM PORTABLE FLOODLIGHTS DURING NIGHT OPS ON THE TEMPORARY PARKING AREA AT JFK; NY.

Narrative

RAMP LIGHTS AT JFK SHINE DIRECTLY INTO CAPT'S EYES RENDERING IT NEAR IMPOSSIBLE TO SAFELY TAXI ACFT WHILE MAINTAINING EXTERNAL VIEW. LIGHTS NEED TO BE REMOVED OR REDIRECTED SO THAT THEY DO NOT 'BLIND' CAPT AND COMPROMISE SAFE TAXI. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR AND SEVERAL OTHER FLC'S HAVE FILED COMPANY RPTS REGARDING THIS VISUAL PROB. THE PARKING PROC IN THE TEMPORARY PARKING AREA IS PERFORMED WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF A MARSHAL. SPOTTED ABOUT THE AREA; USUALLY IN LINE WITH THE TEMPORARY LINED PARKING AREAS ON THE RAMP; ARE THESE PORTABLE SPOTLIGHTS; A CLUSTER OF 4. THE LIGHTS ARE FOR RAMP LIGHTING AND FOR GND CREW VISUALIZATION FOR MAINT; PAX LIGHTING AND BAGGAGE FUNCTIONS. UNFORTUNATELY; THE LIGHTS ARE AIMED DIRECTLY INTO THE EYES OF THE FLC'S. THE BASIC PROB IS THAT THE ACFT ARE PARKED IN 2 ROWS; WITH EITHER A HARD L OR A HARD R TURN BEING REQUIRED AFTER RAMP ENTRY FOR FINAL PARKING. THE SIGNALS FROM THE MARSHAL; WHO IS STANDING IN FRONT OF THE LIGHTS; ARE LOST IN THE GLARE. THIS HARD TURN IS TRUE FOR ARRS AS WELL AS DEPS. RPTR FEELS THAT IF THE LIGHTS WERE STAGGERED AWAY FROM THE POINT OF PARKING AND THEN ANGLED TOWARDS THE ACFT; THE CREWS WOULD NOT BE BLINDED. ANOTHER THOUGHT WAS TO ANGLE THE LIGHTS EITHER UP OR DOWN; AWAY FROM THE COCKPIT LEVEL. THE AREA IS NEXT TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW ADDITIONAL TO A TERMINAL BLDG AND IS SUPPOSED TO BE COMPLETED BY THE END OF THIS YR. THE RPTR AND OTHER CREWS HAVE RECEIVED A NOTE FROM THE COMPANY THAT THE COMPANY WILL 'LOOK INTO THE SIT.'

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