NZAA closed due to runway lighting failure

[David Ramsay]

NZAA Saturday night 27/11

atis nzaa t 1004
apch: Expect ils dme approach
rwy: 23l
sfc cond: Dry
opr info: Uze 118 decimal 7 for tower ground and delivery aerodrome closed due runway lighting failure
wind: 220/07
vis: 30km
cld: Sct012
t: 16
dp: 15
qnh: 1019
2000ft: R190/11

Multiple diversions to NZCH, NZWN, and NZHN.

[Nigel C]

Ouch...someone forget to pay the bill? NZAA's response to so-called global warming (which I might add, NZ could probably do with some!)?

[Wayne Bee]

It wasn't the case of the last one out turning off the lights was it?
I read somewhere that the numbers of people that did one way Tasman crossings was up this year.

[Nigel C]

Let me guess...they were east to west?

[Matt_L]

Backup lighting? for an intl airport- you would have thought!:D

I also find it very odd that the airport is closed yet they still have a full blown ATIS with runways in use etc! rather then information Zulu aerodrome closed:rolleyes:

[Wayne Bee]

Let me guess...they were east to west?

Correct

(Better not say to much as I did it 25 years ago)

[Mick B]

New Zealand...the only Third World country where you can drink the tap water!

[Karl M]

saw a telex at work last night stating QF 134 was waiting for first light to depart! I hope AKL airport provided some beds for those PAX.

[Nigel C]

Backup lighting? for an intl airport- you would have thought!:D

Kerosene lamps or drums filled with lit diesel...what do you suggest?

It depends on what caused the failure in the first place. If it's a cable fault then it'll require some digging around to find the fault, but it could be something in a regulator room that's failed. Having said that, one would hope that a failure would only result in half the lights going out, not all of them.

[Peter Agatsiotis]

Would this explain why the Emirates A380 hasn't returned (acc to my log) or is it unrelated?

[David Ramsay]

The media are saying it was a cable fault (which probably means it wasn't :rolleyes:). Apparently only the runway edge lights were affected.

Peter, the EK A380 came in Saturday afternoon, so it wasn't involved in the earlier problem. I've seen nothing to suggest it didn't depart as normal.

[Peter Agatsiotis]

Thanks David

Just got home and my log shows it left SYD just b4 curfew so all okay.
Not sure why it didn't show up as arriving from AKL. I don't always get arrivals on 34R/34L that come in from the east.