First it was the grass at Levi’s Stadium that plagued the 49ers franchise, now it’s the lights.
In an extensive report by NBC Bay Area, several pilots complained about the lights and scoreboard atop the 49ers’ home field, saying the brightness of the lights creates blindspots and has impaired their vision as they try to land at the San Jose Mineta International Airport just five miles from the stadium.
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“I think at a very minimum the stadium should be installing shielding,” Jay Rollins, a former American Airlines pilot, said. “And as I sit here I hope that’s exactly what’s going on, because to leave it as it is, to me, invites trouble.”
In a written report from May 2014, a 737 pilot said, “The extremely bright stadium board display lights were on at full illumination and were an extreme visual distraction to us and other pilots on final approach.”
Another complaint said a sign on the stadium could be mistaken for a runway in bad weather, potentially putting a plane in danger of colliding with the stadium.
In a statement, the 49ers said “stadium management actively collaborates with the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) as it relates to large scale events held at Levi’s Stadium and has not been made aware of any concerns with the stadium’s video boards since last year when the boards were being initially tested and calibrated.”
The team also said most of the complaints came during the time the scoreboard was being calibrated. They added the safety of those at the stadium and the general public is the top priority, but some aren't so sure.
“I think this is one of those situations where perhaps the community needs to be aware that this is a serious problem,” Rollins said. “They really have to choose between whether the lights in the stadium and the excitement that goes on there is more important than the safety of these arrivals. And I would urge them that your own relatives could be on some of these flights.”
The 49ers have two more prime-time home games on their schedule this season — Thursday, Oct. 22 against the Seahawks and Sunday, Dec. 20 against the Bengals.