Guidance for Identifying and Mitigating Approach Lighting System Hazards

This digest has been developed to assist with defining response procedures to mitigate or reduce the hazards associated with aircraft and approach lighting system incidents. These incidents can occur as a result of an overrun or undershoot. The digest is intended to be used by airport operations, emergency response, and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) personnel. The reason or cause of the incident is not addressed in this digest. As part of this research, airport operators, associated emergency response, and FAA personnel were interviewed at 18 airports that included primary, reliever, and general aviation airports. The interviews indicated that the hazards associated with approach lighting systems are, for a variety of reasons, not always appreciated, but are readily apparent when identified. The digest also contains a checklist of suggested efforts to reduce the identified hazards.