Narrative:

Our departure from hln is scheduled out at XX45. The hln tower's normal operating hours, mon-fri, are XA00-XY00 and sat-sun XA00-XX00. In the hln area, sky conditions were VMC with a half moon making visibility quite good, especially with much of the surrounding terrain covered with snow. We elected to make our departure on runway 9 as the winds were negligible and ZLC approved our request for a VFR climb on course. I thought that our departure from hln and arrival into kalispell were uneventful until I received a note in my mailbox from my chief pilot monday morning, 2/89, informing me that at least 2 witnesses observed our flight departing hln west/O the benefit of taxiway or runway lighting. After a short telephone conversation and a lengthy in person conversation with my chief pilot relating the reports from ground witnesses at helena, I feel that we very well may have taken off west/O taxiway or runway lights illuminated. If the lights were in fact off, neither I nor the copilot noticed it. We subsequently took off on runway 9 with all of our lights on as is my habit at uncontrolled airports. In retrospect, even though company publishes special pages to alert all pilots to the use of pilot controled lighting at helena and I remember reviewing those pages prior to arrival and departure, we apparently read through the reminder to activate the lighting. Because the airport lighting was already on upon our arrival and we did not have to activate the lights for the approach and landing (though we should have reset the timer), it frankly did not occur to either of us to turn them on for our departure. Obviously, with the combination of bright ramp lights, taxi and landing lights on for taxi and takeoff, coupled with the moonlit night reflection from the snow bordering the black runway, we apparently didn't even notice the lack of airport lighting, if in fact they were off. Steps have been taken by operations personnel to remind flight crews to reset the airport lighting on approach and during departure phases of flight. This will include a verbal and written reminder with the flight release when the captain signs the form.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW FAILED TO ACTIVATE RWY TXWY LIGHTS AT HLN FOR NIGHT TKOF WHEN PART TIME TWR WAS CLOSED.

Narrative: OUR DEP FROM HLN IS SCHEDULED OUT AT XX45. THE HLN TWR'S NORMAL OPERATING HRS, MON-FRI, ARE XA00-XY00 AND SAT-SUN XA00-XX00. IN THE HLN AREA, SKY CONDITIONS WERE VMC WITH A HALF MOON MAKING VISIBILITY QUITE GOOD, ESPECIALLY WITH MUCH OF THE SURROUNDING TERRAIN COVERED WITH SNOW. WE ELECTED TO MAKE OUR DEP ON RWY 9 AS THE WINDS WERE NEGLIGIBLE AND ZLC APPROVED OUR REQUEST FOR A VFR CLB ON COURSE. I THOUGHT THAT OUR DEP FROM HLN AND ARR INTO KALISPELL WERE UNEVENTFUL UNTIL I RECEIVED A NOTE IN MY MAILBOX FROM MY CHIEF PLT MONDAY MORNING, 2/89, INFORMING ME THAT AT LEAST 2 WITNESSES OBSERVED OUR FLT DEPARTING HLN W/O THE BENEFIT OF TXWY OR RWY LIGHTING. AFTER A SHORT TELEPHONE CONVERSATION AND A LENGTHY IN PERSON CONVERSATION WITH MY CHIEF PLT RELATING THE RPTS FROM GND WITNESSES AT HELENA, I FEEL THAT WE VERY WELL MAY HAVE TAKEN OFF W/O TXWY OR RWY LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. IF THE LIGHTS WERE IN FACT OFF, NEITHER I NOR THE COPLT NOTICED IT. WE SUBSEQUENTLY TOOK OFF ON RWY 9 WITH ALL OF OUR LIGHTS ON AS IS MY HABIT AT UNCTLED ARPTS. IN RETROSPECT, EVEN THOUGH COMPANY PUBLISHES SPECIAL PAGES TO ALERT ALL PLTS TO THE USE OF PLT CTLED LIGHTING AT HELENA AND I REMEMBER REVIEWING THOSE PAGES PRIOR TO ARR AND DEP, WE APPARENTLY READ THROUGH THE REMINDER TO ACTIVATE THE LIGHTING. BECAUSE THE ARPT LIGHTING WAS ALREADY ON UPON OUR ARR AND WE DID NOT HAVE TO ACTIVATE THE LIGHTS FOR THE APCH AND LNDG (THOUGH WE SHOULD HAVE RESET THE TIMER), IT FRANKLY DID NOT OCCUR TO EITHER OF US TO TURN THEM ON FOR OUR DEP. OBVIOUSLY, WITH THE COMBINATION OF BRIGHT RAMP LIGHTS, TAXI AND LNDG LIGHTS ON FOR TAXI AND TKOF, COUPLED WITH THE MOONLIT NIGHT REFLECTION FROM THE SNOW BORDERING THE BLACK RWY, WE APPARENTLY DIDN'T EVEN NOTICE THE LACK OF ARPT LIGHTING, IF IN FACT THEY WERE OFF. STEPS HAVE BEEN TAKEN BY OPS PERSONNEL TO REMIND FLT CREWS TO RESET THE ARPT LIGHTING ON APCH AND DURING DEP PHASES OF FLT. THIS WILL INCLUDE A VERBAL AND WRITTEN REMINDER WITH THE FLT RELEASE WHEN THE CAPT SIGNS THE FORM.

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.