Narrative:

While on a night IFR approach to sav with the tower closed, it was captain's leg, my turn on the radios. About 50 mi from sav ATIS was obtained. It stated sav tower closed, prevailing winds from the north, ILS 36 unmonitored. As we approached the sav VOR, ZJX stated current field conditions as 5 overcast, 1 1/2 mi visibility, winds out of the north at 5. We requested the ILS 36 approach to sav and were subsequently cleared for that approach by ZJX. The center mentioned pilot activation of sav runway lighting on frequency 119.1. After commencing the approach, ZJX directed us to switch to sav CTAF radio frequency. On initial callup to sav radio we reported 'arcing on the sav ILS 36 approach.' sav radio acknowledged and advised us to report inbound, no reported traffic in the area. Still IFR and unable to see the field, we clicked the microphone the appropriate # of times to activate runway lighting. We reported danna inbound and received a roger from sav radio. At approximately 300' AGL we broke out lined up with runway 36 but the runway was not illuminated. I clicked the microphone numerous times in order to get the runway lights to illuminate. The lights to 9-27 were on, but the lights to 36 never illuminated. Visibility below 300' was excellent, and with all aircraft landing lights on the captain made a normal landing on 36. On taxi in sav radio asked us what runway we landed on and was surprised when we told him runway 36. Analysis: we were never led to believe that runway lighting to runway 36 would not be available. We flew an entire arcing approach (approximately 10 mins duration) and were not advised that the tower had apparently left the lighting set up for 9-27. The best solution to this situation and others that have occurred would be to have a tower controller present for all air carrier operations. Looking at alternatives, there must be a mechanism by which runway lighting information is automatically provided to flight crews. Three likely channels are 1) ATIS, 2) center frequency, and 3) radio frequency. From now on I'll always ask specifically which runway lights are active. Supplemental information from acn 102638: on breaking out of clouds at approximately 400' AGL, no approach nor runway lights were on, aircraft landing lights were turned on and the runway was visible. An uneventful landing was accomplished. There needs to be a more definite procedure for communicating runway lighting status during uncontrolled tower operations.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: KEYING MIC DID NOT TURN ON RWY LIGHTS FOR RWY 36. CONTROL HAD BEEN LEFT FIXED ON 9-27.

Narrative: WHILE ON A NIGHT IFR APCH TO SAV WITH THE TWR CLOSED, IT WAS CAPT'S LEG, MY TURN ON THE RADIOS. ABOUT 50 MI FROM SAV ATIS WAS OBTAINED. IT STATED SAV TWR CLOSED, PREVAILING WINDS FROM THE N, ILS 36 UNMONITORED. AS WE APCHED THE SAV VOR, ZJX STATED CURRENT FIELD CONDITIONS AS 5 OVCST, 1 1/2 MI VISIBILITY, WINDS OUT OF THE N AT 5. WE REQUESTED THE ILS 36 APCH TO SAV AND WERE SUBSEQUENTLY CLRED FOR THAT APCH BY ZJX. THE CENTER MENTIONED PLT ACTIVATION OF SAV RWY LIGHTING ON FREQ 119.1. AFTER COMMENCING THE APCH, ZJX DIRECTED US TO SWITCH TO SAV CTAF RADIO FREQ. ON INITIAL CALLUP TO SAV RADIO WE RPTED 'ARCING ON THE SAV ILS 36 APCH.' SAV RADIO ACKNOWLEDGED AND ADVISED US TO RPT INBND, NO RPTED TFC IN THE AREA. STILL IFR AND UNABLE TO SEE THE FIELD, WE CLICKED THE MIC THE APPROPRIATE # OF TIMES TO ACTIVATE RWY LIGHTING. WE RPTED DANNA INBND AND RECEIVED A ROGER FROM SAV RADIO. AT APPROX 300' AGL WE BROKE OUT LINED UP WITH RWY 36 BUT THE RWY WAS NOT ILLUMINATED. I CLICKED THE MIC NUMEROUS TIMES IN ORDER TO GET THE RWY LIGHTS TO ILLUMINATE. THE LIGHTS TO 9-27 WERE ON, BUT THE LIGHTS TO 36 NEVER ILLUMINATED. VISIBILITY BELOW 300' WAS EXCELLENT, AND WITH ALL ACFT LNDG LIGHTS ON THE CAPT MADE A NORMAL LNDG ON 36. ON TAXI IN SAV RADIO ASKED US WHAT RWY WE LANDED ON AND WAS SURPRISED WHEN WE TOLD HIM RWY 36. ANALYSIS: WE WERE NEVER LED TO BELIEVE THAT RWY LIGHTING TO RWY 36 WOULD NOT BE AVAILABLE. WE FLEW AN ENTIRE ARCING APCH (APPROX 10 MINS DURATION) AND WERE NOT ADVISED THAT THE TWR HAD APPARENTLY LEFT THE LIGHTING SET UP FOR 9-27. THE BEST SOLUTION TO THIS SITUATION AND OTHERS THAT HAVE OCCURRED WOULD BE TO HAVE A TWR CTLR PRESENT FOR ALL ACR OPS. LOOKING AT ALTERNATIVES, THERE MUST BE A MECHANISM BY WHICH RWY LIGHTING INFO IS AUTOMATICALLY PROVIDED TO FLT CREWS. THREE LIKELY CHANNELS ARE 1) ATIS, 2) CENTER FREQ, AND 3) RADIO FREQ. FROM NOW ON I'LL ALWAYS ASK SPECIFICALLY WHICH RWY LIGHTS ARE ACTIVE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 102638: ON BREAKING OUT OF CLOUDS AT APPROX 400' AGL, NO APCH NOR RWY LIGHTS WERE ON, ACFT LNDG LIGHTS WERE TURNED ON AND THE RWY WAS VISIBLE. AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG WAS ACCOMPLISHED. THERE NEEDS TO BE A MORE DEFINITE PROC FOR COMMUNICATING RWY LIGHTING STATUS DURING UNCONTROLLED TWR OPS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.