HORROR of reporting cell phone tower with non working aircraft warning beacon light

[Timothy Smith @ Melbourne]

I attempted to email the local Tampa FAA office to report a cell phone tower with a non working aircraft warning beacon light after nearly hitting it with my drone. It was not a good experience. I told the FAA office that the Cell Phone Tower located at 10441 University Center Drive, Tampa, FL 33612 does not appear to be displaying a nighttime aircraft warning beacon lamp of any kind. This is a very dangerous situation in that there are several hospitals in the vacinity and at least one of them has a helocopter landing facility. The Busch Gardens attraction is also less than 1/4 mile away and perhaps a NOTAM is in order.
The next day the FAA office responded that I should make that report to a different office and they gave me a link to use. I clicked on the link and there was just a confusing web page that had no obvious place to report warning light outages. There was a number to call for assistance. I called that number and was told that I should call The Federal Communication Commission at another number to make the report. I was also told that I would need the latitude and longitude coordinates to make the report since the system they use does not recognize a street address. I was able to pull the latitude and longitude coordinates using the map software and I called the FCC number. The guy at the FCC tried to pull up the tower location using the coordinates I provided but could only get a general location of 10 towers in the area and none of them were close enough to the known tower address to be certain. He said that it might be an unregistered tower and would ask FAA to issue a NOTAM and have the address investigated. I'll be here until the end of the year so I can monitor whether this dangerous situation is corrected.

 

[BigAl07]

This may help as well:

Light Outage Reporting

oeaaa.faa.gov

Light Outage Reporting

Sponsors should keep in mind that conspicuity is achieved only when all recommended lights are working. Partial equipment outages decrease the margin of safety. Any outage should be corrected as soon as possible. Failure of a steady burning side or intermediate light should be corrected as soon as possible, but notification is not required.

Any failure or malfunction that lasts more than thirty (30) minutes and affects a top light or flashing obstruction light, regardless of its position, should be reported immediately by either direct entry tool or by calling 877-487-6867, for Alaska 800-478-3576, so a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) can be issued. Start of Activity/End of Validity must be provided when reporting. FCC receives notification upon Antenna Structure Registration (ASR) NOTAM issuance.

When reporting, please have available:

Name of persons or organizations reporting light failures, including any title, address and phone number
The type of Structure
Location of structure (including latitude/longitude, if known, prominent structures, landmarks, etc...)
Height of structure above ground level (AGL)/above mean sea level (AMSL), if known
**Circle Search may be used to obtain information for items 3. and 4.**
Start of Activity/End of Validity
For FCC Towers, the ASR Number, if known. If the ASR is not known indicate ASR UNKNOWN. (This is for structures that are regulated by the FCC)
For Cranes, Stacks, etc., the Aeronautical Study Number (ASN), if known. If the ASN is not known indicate ASN UNKNOWN. (This is for structures studied by the FAA but not regulated by the FCC)
For Wind Turbine Farms, if using latitude/longitude, provide the coordinates for the center point of the wind farm, or the coordinates for one of the turbines closest to the center.
As soon as normal operation is restored, or to extend the End of Validity time, report by direct entry tool or by calling 877-487-6867, for Alaska 800-478-3576. Unless extended, NOTAMs will auto-cancel at their End of Validity time (except when indicated as Permanent (PERM). The sponsor is responsible for extending the outage date or reporting an earlier return to service date, if needed.

Advisory Circular 70/7460-1M, Obstruction Marking and lighting, describes the standards for marking and lighting structures such as buildings, chimneys, antenna towers, cooling towers, storage tanks, supporting structures of overhead wires, etc...

 

[Timothy Smith @ Melbourne]

This may help as well:

https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external/content/lightOutageReporting.jsp[/UR

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This may help as well:

Light Outage Reporting

oeaaa.faa.gov

Light Outage Reporting

Sponsors should keep in mind that conspicuity is achieved only when all recommended lights are working. Partial equipment outages decrease the margin of safety. Any outage should be corrected as soon as possible. Failure of a steady burning side or intermediate light should be corrected as soon as possible, but notification is not required.

Any failure or malfunction that lasts more than thirty (30) minutes and affects a top light or flashing obstruction light, regardless of its position, should be reported immediately by either direct entry tool or by calling 877-487-6867, for Alaska 800-478-3576, so a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) can be issued. Start of Activity/End of Validity must be provided when reporting. FCC receives notification upon Antenna Structure Registration (ASR) NOTAM issuance.

When reporting, please have available:

Name of persons or organizations reporting light failures, including any title, address and phone number
The type of Structure
Location of structure (including latitude/longitude, if known, prominent structures, landmarks, etc...)
Height of structure above ground level (AGL)/above mean sea level (AMSL), if known
**Circle Search may be used to obtain information for items 3. and 4.**
Start of Activity/End of Validity
For FCC Towers, the ASR Number, if known. If the ASR is not known indicate ASR UNKNOWN. (This is for structures that are regulated by the FCC)
For Cranes, Stacks, etc., the Aeronautical Study Number (ASN), if known. If the ASN is not known indicate ASN UNKNOWN. (This is for structures studied by the FAA but not regulated by the FCC)
For Wind Turbine Farms, if using latitude/longitude, provide the coordinates for the center point of the wind farm, or the coordinates for one of the turbines closest to the center.
As soon as normal operation is restored, or to extend the End of Validity time, report by direct entry tool or by calling 877-487-6867, for Alaska 800-478-3576. Unless extended, NOTAMs will auto-cancel at their End of Validity time (except when indicated as Permanent (PERM). The sponsor is responsible for extending the outage date or reporting an earlier return to service date, if needed.

Advisory Circular 70/7460-1M, Obstruction Marking and lighting, describes the standards for marking and lighting structures such as buildings, chimneys, antenna towers, cooling towers, storage tanks, supporting structures of overhead wires, etc...

Thanks for the reply. I believe that all the information shown above in your posting is exactly the same information that the agent at the Federal Communication Commission asked of me when I got through to them.