Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 240; Flight Crew Total 16000; Flight Crew Type 10000
Situational Awareness
No Specific Anomaly Occurred All Types
General None Reported / Taken
Airport
NOTAMs indicate that the PAPI system for PTSA is unserviceable. It does not say inoperative. During approaches to both runway 5 and 23; the PAPI lights can be turned on via pilot controlled lighting (the normal way); however; after about 10 seconds; they turn off. This has been like this for several months now. An approach to minimums on perhaps the shortest runway in the system (5700 FT) surrounded by water should have operable PAPIs.
A Captain reported the PAPI at PTSA/KSA has been unserviceable for several months; a situation he believes uancceptable due to the short 5;700 FT length of the runway with both approaches over open water.