ALS OUT OF SERVICE AN NO NOTAM FOUND BY FLT CREW NOR ADVICE GIVEN ON APCH ATIS OR TWR.
Synopsis
ALS OUT OF SERVICE AN NO NOTAM FOUND BY FLT CREW NOR ADVICE GIVEN ON APCH ATIS OR TWR.
Narrative
PROB: SCHEDULED ACR FLEW ILS 3R AT DTW AT XB10 LCL TIME (NIGHT) W/O EVER BEING TOLD THE APCH LIGHTING SYS (ALS) FOR RWY 3R WAS OTS. HOW THE PROB AROSE: THE FLT ARRIVED AT THE TRIPE INBND FIX TO DTW AT APPROX XA40 LCL TIME 2/88 AT 7000'. WE WERE HANDED OFF TO METRO APCH (FREQ 125.15). WHEN WE CONTACTED METRO APCH; WE ADVISED THAT WE HAD THE CURRENT ATIS; WHICH ADVISED THAT DTW WAS VFR WITH LIGHT WINDS. THE ACTIVE APCHES WERE ILS/VISUAL 21L AND 21R. THERE WAS NO MENTION ON THE ATIS OF THE CONDITION OF THE 3R ALS. WE WERE ADVISED BY METRO APCH TO EXPECT VECTORS TO ILS 21L. WE WERE VECTORED TO THE RADAR DOWNWIND; WHICH IS THE NORMAL TRANSITION TO FINAL APCH AT DTW. APPROX 5 MI E OF ROBBI INTXN (REF DTW ILS 21L); WE WERE ADVISED; 'TURN RIGHT; HDG 240 DEGS; VECTORS ILS 3R.' THE WIND AT METRO WAS NOW OUT OF THE NW; GUSTING AS HIGH AS 33 KTS; AND DTW HAD GONE IFR. NO MENTION WAS GIVEN TO THE FACT THAT THE 3R ALS WAS INOP. VECTORS TO FINAL APCH; ILS 3R; WERE UNEVENTFUL; EXCEPT THAT NO MENTION OF ALS 3R WAS EVER MADE. AT HURON (REF DTW ILS 3R) WE WERE HANDED OFF TO METRO TWR (FREQ 118.4). WERE 'CLRED TO LAND 3R; TFC ON SHORT FINAL.' AGAIN NO MENTION OF 3R ALS. VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE RWY WAS ESTABLISHED AT APPROX 600' AGL (400' ABOVE MINIMUMS) ON G/S. A SUCCESSFUL LNDG WAS ACCOMPLISHED W/O INCIDENT. WE INFORMED TWR OF THE INOP ALS. SHE SAID IT HAD BEEN NOTAMED OTS FOR ALMOST 2 MONTHS. ATTACHED IS A COPY OF THE LATEST DTW NOTAMS I HAD RECEIVED FROM COMPANY FDC AND LCL NOTAMS. NOTICE THERE IS NO MENTION OF THE 3R ALS OR THE ASSOCIATED INCREASE IN RVR REQUIREMENTS.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.