B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 175; Flight Crew Total 12000; Flight Crew Type 1000
Confusion; Distraction
Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
General None Reported / Taken
Airport
On landing; I noticed the Runway Entrance Lights (RELs) illuminating. This was distracting as it appeared; momentarily; to be a vehicle or small aircraft on the runway. I have never noticed these lights on landing at IAH; MCO; SEA or LAS. It may have been related to landing at dusk. I was/am aware of the recent commissioning of these lights and I was surprised to be inappropriately distracted by them for the first time after thousands of landings at IAD. I did report the lights visibility to aircraft on approach to Tower; but I got silence back on the radio before I went to Ground Control. In a subsequent conversation with some of the engineers involved in the Runway Status Light project at the FAA; they indicated that they had not heard of any reports of problems so I suspect that the report to ATC was not passed along. They also indicated that the lights should NOT have been visible/distracting to pilots on approach and landing. I told them that I could see them from about 400 FT AGL all the way to rollout and that they were distracting. I suspect that the lights were still on daylight (bright) during the dusk conditions. My concern is that these lights could be distracting to aircraft on approach and landing. They turned on and off; looking somewhat like a vehicle or small aircraft moving on/across the runway. On my flight; I could discern that the runway was clear; but it took time out from my monitoring duties. Had conditions been worse; an aircraft might be induced to go around (right decision when in doubt!). Possibly a more severe risk is that we (pilots) could become used to this distraction; and some day when there really is a vehicle or small aircraft on the runway; we won't go-around (or question the runway status).
B737 First Officer reports being distracted by the Runway Entrance Lights (RELs) illuminating at IAD during landing on Runway 19C.