Narrative:

Just prior to departure, omaha tower advised that they had been having problems with their runway lights. Some were presently inoperative but most including the centerline lights were all operating. We were holding short of the runway on the right hand side (taxiway H) and from our position it appeared only a small portion of the edge lighting was inoperative. After referencing the flight operations manual, quoted below, the first officer and I determined the guidance therein was for a more general lack of lighting and the runway was adequately defined for its total length and suitable for departure. The takeoff was made without incident. While taking off it was evident that nearly 1/2 of the edge lights on the right hand side were inoperative, which was more than I had thought from the tower's comments and our observation prior to departure, and this caused me second thought about the legality of my decision to depart. After discussing this with the local air safety chairman, we agreed that the decision to takeoff was proper but a NASA report would be prudent as well as useful in documenting the malfunction of the lighting. Additionally, I think it useful to point out the lack of guidance and hence gray area in the flight operations manual regarding partial lighting. The very specific information on runway lighting requirements for low visibility operations is in marked contrast to this. While this is a company document, possibly the available guidance is similar in other operations. 'Runway lighting,' from the flight operations manual is quoted below: 'runway lighting is required only for night operations unless lower minimums are predicated on specific lighting. Flights are not authorized to takeoff or land during the period from 20 mins official sunset until 20 mins before official sunrise when runway lights are inoperative unless adequate substitute lighting is available. The substitute lights will be sufficient in numbers and located so that the entire usable length of the runway will be defined either by the substitute lights or by a combination of the substitute lights and the normal runway lights. In addition, at least 4 lights are to be placed at each end of the runway. Both the captain and the dispatcher must agree that the substitute lighting is adequate for a safe operation.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG TAKES OFF AT NIGHT WITH PART OF THE RWY EDGE LIGHTS INOP.

Narrative: JUST PRIOR TO DEP, OMAHA TWR ADVISED THAT THEY HAD BEEN HAVING PROBS WITH THEIR RWY LIGHTS. SOME WERE PRESENTLY INOP BUT MOST INCLUDING THE CTRLINE LIGHTS WERE ALL OPERATING. WE WERE HOLDING SHORT OF THE RWY ON THE R HAND SIDE (TXWY H) AND FROM OUR POS IT APPEARED ONLY A SMALL PORTION OF THE EDGE LIGHTING WAS INOP. AFTER REFING THE FLT OPS MANUAL, QUOTED BELOW, THE FO AND I DETERMINED THE GUIDANCE THEREIN WAS FOR A MORE GENERAL LACK OF LIGHTING AND THE RWY WAS ADEQUATELY DEFINED FOR ITS TOTAL LENGTH AND SUITABLE FOR DEP. THE TKOF WAS MADE WITHOUT INCIDENT. WHILE TAKING OFF IT WAS EVIDENT THAT NEARLY 1/2 OF THE EDGE LIGHTS ON THE R HAND SIDE WERE INOP, WHICH WAS MORE THAN I HAD THOUGHT FROM THE TWR'S COMMENTS AND OUR OBSERVATION PRIOR TO DEP, AND THIS CAUSED ME SECOND THOUGHT ABOUT THE LEGALITY OF MY DECISION TO DEPART. AFTER DISCUSSING THIS WITH THE LCL AIR SAFETY CHAIRMAN, WE AGREED THAT THE DECISION TO TKOF WAS PROPER BUT A NASA RPT WOULD BE PRUDENT AS WELL AS USEFUL IN DOCUMENTING THE MALFUNCTION OF THE LIGHTING. ADDITIONALLY, I THINK IT USEFUL TO POINT OUT THE LACK OF GUIDANCE AND HENCE GRAY AREA IN THE FLT OPS MANUAL REGARDING PARTIAL LIGHTING. THE VERY SPECIFIC INFO ON RWY LIGHTING REQUIREMENTS FOR LOW VISIBILITY OPS IS IN MARKED CONTRAST TO THIS. WHILE THIS IS A COMPANY DOCUMENT, POSSIBLY THE AVAILABLE GUIDANCE IS SIMILAR IN OTHER OPS. 'RWY LIGHTING,' FROM THE FLT OPS MANUAL IS QUOTED BELOW: 'RWY LIGHTING IS REQUIRED ONLY FOR NIGHT OPS UNLESS LOWER MINIMUMS ARE PREDICATED ON SPECIFIC LIGHTING. FLIGHTS ARE NOT AUTHORIZED TO TKOF OR LAND DURING THE PERIOD FROM 20 MINS OFFICIAL SUNSET UNTIL 20 MINS BEFORE OFFICIAL SUNRISE WHEN RWY LIGHTS ARE INOP UNLESS ADEQUATE SUBSTITUTE LIGHTING IS AVAILABLE. THE SUBSTITUTE LIGHTS WILL BE SUFFICIENT IN NUMBERS AND LOCATED SO THAT THE ENTIRE USABLE LENGTH OF THE RWY WILL BE DEFINED EITHER BY THE SUBSTITUTE LIGHTS OR BY A COMBINATION OF THE SUBSTITUTE LIGHTS AND THE NORMAL RWY LIGHTS. IN ADDITION, AT LEAST 4 LIGHTS ARE TO BE PLACED AT EACH END OF THE RWY. BOTH THE CAPT AND THE DISPATCHER MUST AGREE THAT THE SUBSTITUTE LIGHTING IS ADEQUATE FOR A SAFE OP.'

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.