Narrative:

I was to depart lincoln, northeast, on oct/xx/91, for a brief flight to omaha to pick up passenger for a longer flight to scotts bluff, northeast, in an small aircraft twin. The early morning WX briefing portended nothing more than high cirrus and the temperatures were warm for that time of yr. An early departure out of lincoln XA00 am, left me in the dark. The preflight with the accompanying flashlight took a bit longer than usual. After normal in cockpit checks I started the engines, I turned on the rotating beacon, strobes and navigation (position) lights. Being parked next to a building and with other people nearby on the ramp I turned off the flashing strobes to prevent blinding them. Also, in the small aircraft, as with many manufacturers, with the navigation lights on, the interior landing gear indicator lights are either dimmed or extinguished altogether. Being more concerned with my gear down indication lights, I turned off the navigation lights. Before taxiing to the runup area I turned on the 2 landing/taxi lights to guide me out. In the process I did not hit the third switch, turning on the navigation lights. I did, however, after the preflight runup and checklist procedure and before departure turn on the strobes, but again I was more concerned with seeing my gear indicator lights and failed to turn on the navigation lights. I departed without navigation lights (XA05 am) although tower made no mention of the fact. I landed in omaha in daylight at XA35 am without giving it any thought. Apparently a GADO officer was on the ramp and witnessed the departure without lights and spoke to the FBO about the problem after my departure. In conclusion, care must be taken to be sure that the navigation lights are on in this series planes before a night or twilight departure even though their being on may dim or extinguish the landing gear indicator lights. Failure to check may result in a departure without navigation lights.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA DEPARTS WITH NAV LIGHTS OFF.

Narrative: I WAS TO DEPART LINCOLN, NE, ON OCT/XX/91, FOR A BRIEF FLT TO OMAHA TO PICK UP PAX FOR A LONGER FLT TO SCOTTS BLUFF, NE, IN AN SMA TWIN. THE EARLY MORNING WX BRIEFING PORTENDED NOTHING MORE THAN HIGH CIRRUS AND THE TEMPS WERE WARM FOR THAT TIME OF YR. AN EARLY DEP OUT OF LINCOLN XA00 AM, LEFT ME IN THE DARK. THE PREFLT WITH THE ACCOMPANYING FLASHLIGHT TOOK A BIT LONGER THAN USUAL. AFTER NORMAL IN COCKPIT CHKS I STARTED THE ENGS, I TURNED ON THE ROTATING BEACON, STROBES AND NAV (POS) LIGHTS. BEING PARKED NEXT TO A BUILDING AND WITH OTHER PEOPLE NEARBY ON THE RAMP I TURNED OFF THE FLASHING STROBES TO PREVENT BLINDING THEM. ALSO, IN THE SMA, AS WITH MANY MANUFACTURERS, WITH THE NAV LIGHTS ON, THE INTERIOR LNDG GEAR INDICATOR LIGHTS ARE EITHER DIMMED OR EXTINGUISHED ALTOGETHER. BEING MORE CONCERNED WITH MY GEAR DOWN INDICATION LIGHTS, I TURNED OFF THE NAV LIGHTS. BEFORE TAXIING TO THE RUNUP AREA I TURNED ON THE 2 LNDG/TAXI LIGHTS TO GUIDE ME OUT. IN THE PROCESS I DID NOT HIT THE THIRD SWITCH, TURNING ON THE NAV LIGHTS. I DID, HOWEVER, AFTER THE PREFLT RUNUP AND CHKLIST PROC AND BEFORE DEP TURN ON THE STROBES, BUT AGAIN I WAS MORE CONCERNED WITH SEEING MY GEAR INDICATOR LIGHTS AND FAILED TO TURN ON THE NAV LIGHTS. I DEPARTED WITHOUT NAV LIGHTS (XA05 AM) ALTHOUGH TWR MADE NO MENTION OF THE FACT. I LANDED IN OMAHA IN DAYLIGHT AT XA35 AM WITHOUT GIVING IT ANY THOUGHT. APPARENTLY A GADO OFFICER WAS ON THE RAMP AND WITNESSED THE DEP WITHOUT LIGHTS AND SPOKE TO THE FBO ABOUT THE PROBLEM AFTER MY DEP. IN CONCLUSION, CARE MUST BE TAKEN TO BE SURE THAT THE NAV LIGHTS ARE ON IN THIS SERIES PLANES BEFORE A NIGHT OR TWILIGHT DEP EVEN THOUGH THEIR BEING ON MAY DIM OR EXTINGUISH THE LNDG GEAR INDICATOR LIGHTS. FAILURE TO CHK MAY RESULT IN A DEP WITHOUT NAV LIGHTS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.