Small Aircraft; Low Wing; 1 Eng; Retractable Gear
Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 90; Flight Crew Total 20000; Flight Crew Type 250
Situational Awareness; Workload; Confusion; Distraction
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter Ground Equipment Issue
Flight Crew Overcame Equipment Problem
Equipment / Tooling; Environment - Non Weather Related; Airport
6R3 airport runway lighting and PAPI have been out of service for '3 years' and is an ongoing issue. The RNAV/GPS Runway 16 and its circling component combined with all flight operations VFR and IFR should be reduced to VFR DAY ONLY due to the lighting deficiencies combined with the overgrown vegetation that block all runway/taxiway signage. In addition to the above the airport manager is promoting landing after dark by providing his pickup truck lighting at the approach end of Runway 16 for night time operations. I have personally witnessed this several times. The lack of NOTAMs referencing the RNAV approach RWY 16 has encouraged and continues airmen to attempt a landing from minimums on the LPV portion of the approach to an unlit runway or a runway illuminated with truck headlights. (this was updated on 02/24 FDC 2/27706)Houston TRACON recently vectored an emergency aircraft with engine problems to the airport at night due to the NOTAM incorrectly identified the Runway Edge Lighting Out of Service and should have read MIRL OTS. I urge the FAA to review all of the deficiencies associated with 6R3 and its associated approaches VFR and IFR as its a matter of time before someone is injured or killed as a result of the oversight.
A Pilot who routinely flies into Cleveland; Texas airport (6R3) reported the PAPI and runway lighting have been out of service for three years and the outages are not published in a NOTAM. The reporter stated the airport manager parks a pickup truck with the headlights on to facilitate nighttime operations.