An air carrier widebody transport landed when the runway lights were out.

Attributes
ACN	258347
Time
Date	199311
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bos
State Reference	MA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 300
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : bos artcc : skec
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Route In Use	approach : straight in
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	258347
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 9500 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	257833
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

On approach to runway, crew noticed runway lights flicker on and off several times beginning at about 400 ft AGL in air. Threshold and approach lighting system stayed on constant. Aircraft landing lights were on and the crew had the runway numbers and runway environment in sight. Decided to land, but before actual touchdown, the runway lights went out for good. We made near maximum stopping effort just to be sure. Lights at airport were out for approximately 20 mins. Factors affecting judgement -- end of day, end of 4 day trip and the crew was probably goal-oriented to land and be done. We should have made a missed approach giving us time to sort everything out. We didn't have time at that point to really think it over completely. Supplemental information from acn 257833: with aircraft landing lights on, runway was clearly visible and we continued our landing. After landing, we consulted our operations manual and found it was not appropriate to land.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR WDB LANDED WHEN THE RWY LIGHTS WERE OUT.

Narrative: ON APCH TO RWY, CREW NOTICED RWY LIGHTS FLICKER ON AND OFF SEVERAL TIMES BEGINNING AT ABOUT 400 FT AGL IN AIR. THRESHOLD AND APCH LIGHTING SYS STAYED ON CONSTANT. ACFT LNDG LIGHTS WERE ON AND THE CREW HAD THE RWY NUMBERS AND RWY ENVIRONMENT IN SIGHT. DECIDED TO LAND, BUT BEFORE ACTUAL TOUCHDOWN, THE RWY LIGHTS WENT OUT FOR GOOD. WE MADE NEAR MAX STOPPING EFFORT JUST TO BE SURE. LIGHTS AT ARPT WERE OUT FOR APPROX 20 MINS. FACTORS AFFECTING JUDGEMENT -- END OF DAY, END OF 4 DAY TRIP AND THE CREW WAS PROBABLY GOAL-ORIENTED TO LAND AND BE DONE. WE SHOULD HAVE MADE A MISSED APCH GIVING US TIME TO SORT EVERYTHING OUT. WE DIDN'T HAVE TIME AT THAT POINT TO REALLY THINK IT OVER COMPLETELY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 257833: WITH ACFT LNDG LIGHTS ON, RWY WAS CLRLY VISIBLE AND WE CONTINUED OUR LNDG. AFTER LNDG, WE CONSULTED OUR OPS MANUAL AND FOUND IT WAS NOT APPROPRIATE TO LAND.

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.