Owners Must Keep Tower Lighting Updated Until Structure is Dismantled

By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief

The FCC issued an order and citation to Massey, Wood and West, Inc. and MWW Realty Corp. concerning several tower lighting violations. The case began on May 12, 2020 when a consumer complained about an unlit tower for antenna structure number 1020743 in Mechanicsville, VA. Finding that no Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) had been issued for the tower, the FCC Operations Center asked the FAA that same day to issue a 30-day NOTAM for the structure. An agent from the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau’s Columbia, MD field office investigated and extended the NOTAM three times. During a visual inspection on November 23, 2020, the agent saw the tower, which was above 200 feet AGL, was located at the ASR coordinates mentioned above. It was painted and had a lighting system installed. But on February 2, 2022, another agent from the field office saw that the lights were not lit after sunset. Continue Reading