Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Flight Instructor
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 131; Flight Crew Total 6347; Flight Crew Type 894
Situational Awareness
Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
General None Reported / Taken
ATC Equipment / Nav Facility / Buildings; Environment - Non Weather Related
There was no adverse event or situation on this flight. I am making this report out of concern for safety and to hopefully prevent a future accident.Flying into PDK; Peachtree Airport in Atlanta; last night was typical - IFR approach in IMC using the best low approach procedure at the airport; the ILS to 21L. On final; breaking out of the overcast; my copilot and I did not see the runway because it was not lit despite our having triggered pilot controlled lighting on 120.0. We repeated the procedure and the runway lit up. Landing was uneventful.Lighting at this airport is poor. PDK is located in an urban area and is surrounded by ground lights not associated with the airport. One pilot; reportedly told ATC that all he could see was a 'sea of lights' when asked to call the airport in sight at night. I have had the same experience on multiple occasions. The pilot controlled lighting is erratic; and it is on a different frequency than CTAF after the Tower closes. The typical visual approach we get is from the side where it is hard to see the runway lights even when they are all on; and the beacon is weak and usually obscured by surrounding obstacles at the approach altitudes we are typically given. Moreover; the PAPIs have been NOTAMed out of service for quite some time now; so there is no visual vertical guidance at night.In my opinion; this setup is an accident waiting to happen; hence this report.
Pilot reported airfield lighting at PDK is poor and erratic. Surrounding ground lights not associated with the airport compound the issue further.