Medium large transport departs airport with runway lights inoperative 21 mins after sunset.

Attributes
ACN	209774
Time
Date	199205
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : aus
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 9500
ASRS Report	209774
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Airlines flight scheduled from aus to hou. At initiation of taxi out for takeoff, austin ground control said the runway lights went out. I said 'may we takeoff on 31L to expedite our departure' since 13R was the active and I could see good at the moment but it was getting dark. We got no answer from ground control so we taxied to 13R as previously instructed. When we approached the end of 13R, there was an airlines large transport and an small aircraft between us and the end of the runway. The large transport requested to return to the gate and the tower cleared the large transport to do so. He cleared the small aircraft across 13R to 13L and cleared us onto 13R and cleared us for takeoff. At all times I could see the edge of the runway during the takeoff roll as there was ample ambient lighting. Our flight operations manual states that we may takeoff with the runway lights out as long as the captain can ensure there is enough lighting from ambient or/and temporary lighting to make a safe takeoff. I felt there was and would do it again. Official sunset was XX12 C and our takeoff was at XX33 C.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG DEPARTS ARPT WITH RWY LIGHTS INOP 21 MINS AFTER SUNSET.

Narrative: AIRLINES FLT SCHEDULED FROM AUS TO HOU. AT INITIATION OF TAXI OUT FOR TKOF, AUSTIN GND CTL SAID THE RWY LIGHTS WENT OUT. I SAID 'MAY WE TKOF ON 31L TO EXPEDITE OUR DEP' SINCE 13R WAS THE ACTIVE AND I COULD SEE GOOD AT THE MOMENT BUT IT WAS GETTING DARK. WE GOT NO ANSWER FROM GND CTL SO WE TAXIED TO 13R AS PREVIOUSLY INSTRUCTED. WHEN WE APCHED THE END OF 13R, THERE WAS AN AIRLINES LGT AND AN SMA BTWN US AND THE END OF THE RWY. THE LGT REQUESTED TO RETURN TO THE GATE AND THE TWR CLRED THE LGT TO DO SO. HE CLRED THE SMA ACROSS 13R TO 13L AND CLRED US ONTO 13R AND CLRED US FOR TKOF. AT ALL TIMES I COULD SEE THE EDGE OF THE RWY DURING THE TKOF ROLL AS THERE WAS AMPLE AMBIENT LIGHTING. OUR FLT OPS MANUAL STATES THAT WE MAY TKOF WITH THE RWY LIGHTS OUT AS LONG AS THE CAPT CAN ENSURE THERE IS ENOUGH LIGHTING FROM AMBIENT OR/AND TEMPORARY LIGHTING TO MAKE A SAFE TKOF. I FELT THERE WAS AND WOULD DO IT AGAIN. OFFICIAL SUNSET WAS XX12 C AND OUR TKOF WAS AT XX33 C.

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.