Commercial Fixed Wing
Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 150; Flight Crew Type 12000
Situational Awareness
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
General None Reported / Taken
Airport; Environment - Non Weather Related
KOA Gate X; parking is unsafe due to poorly lit/unlit Taxiways and Ramp Area. It is not entirely obvious how to best approach the J-line on the 10-9 or airport information page and is extremely difficult to properly avoid ramp equipment when maneuvering to park due to the area being unlit from above. I was fortunate to have access to the Jeppesen AMM chart; which greatly assisted in parking without issue; but I would be hesitant to navigate the area while unlit by using the 10-9 chart. In our case; the ramp was completely dark and there was no moonlight; had I not had the AMM chart; I likely would have requested to be towed into the Gate.
Air carrier Captain reported issues at KOA gate where parking is unsafe due to poorly lit taxiways and ramp area.