Narrative:

On vectors for the visual approach for runway 32 at ithaca, 3300 ft, we picked up the rotating beacon at approximately 10 NM from airport. Intercept angle was approximately 80-90 degrees and we were having difficulty picking up the runway lights. At 6 NM from the field, the approach lights were activated on 119.6 (pilot controled lighting) and we were cleared for the visual approach and landed uneventfully. After landing and taxi to the gate, we realized the runway lights had never been on. The airport advisory page for ithaca says the runway lights are left on medium intensity when the tower is closed. Landing without the runway lights on was caused by 3 factors: our understanding that they would already be on, the high intensity of the approach lights and my fixation on the VASI backed up by the ILS, and the brightness of our landing lights. In other words, I had as much lighting as I needed and the lack of runway lights never was noticed. I have contacted our union safety representative who, in turn, will contact the local FAA people regarding leaving the runway lights on. Personally, I think the tower should stay open till the last part 121/135 landing. In our case, there are 3 such scheduled arrs after tower closing. I am also going to insist on vectors for the ILS next time regardless of the visibility -- it's a more controled arrival rather than the hunt and peck method. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter is flying the dc-9 'nights and wkends' for a major air carrier. He believes that the lights were not on as he had trouble finding the runway turnoff. He agrees that the runway lights may have timed out by the time the gate agent found the aircraft at the gate so that the lights may have been on for landing. The commercial approach plates for ith have been revised to reflect that the runway lights can be turned on with CTAF, 119.6, as well as the MALSR. Supplemental information from acn 272860: we arrived near ithaca after the control tower had closed. Approach control vectored us for a visual approach. Our company briefing page informed me that ith tower leaves the runway lights on low intensity when closing for the night. I clicked on the approach lights with the microphone on the tower frequency. We weren't absolutely sure the runway lights had been on. Contributing factor: fatigue.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MAY HAVE LANDED WITHOUT RWY LIGHTS.

Narrative: ON VECTORS FOR THE VISUAL APCH FOR RWY 32 AT ITHACA, 3300 FT, WE PICKED UP THE ROTATING BEACON AT APPROX 10 NM FROM ARPT. INTERCEPT ANGLE WAS APPROX 80-90 DEGS AND WE WERE HAVING DIFFICULTY PICKING UP THE RWY LIGHTS. AT 6 NM FROM THE FIELD, THE APCH LIGHTS WERE ACTIVATED ON 119.6 (PLT CTLED LIGHTING) AND WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. AFTER LNDG AND TAXI TO THE GATE, WE REALIZED THE RWY LIGHTS HAD NEVER BEEN ON. THE ARPT ADVISORY PAGE FOR ITHACA SAYS THE RWY LIGHTS ARE LEFT ON MEDIUM INTENSITY WHEN THE TWR IS CLOSED. LNDG WITHOUT THE RWY LIGHTS ON WAS CAUSED BY 3 FACTORS: OUR UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY WOULD ALREADY BE ON, THE HIGH INTENSITY OF THE APCH LIGHTS AND MY FIXATION ON THE VASI BACKED UP BY THE ILS, AND THE BRIGHTNESS OF OUR LNDG LIGHTS. IN OTHER WORDS, I HAD AS MUCH LIGHTING AS I NEEDED AND THE LACK OF RWY LIGHTS NEVER WAS NOTICED. I HAVE CONTACTED OUR UNION SAFETY REPRESENTATIVE WHO, IN TURN, WILL CONTACT THE LCL FAA PEOPLE REGARDING LEAVING THE RWY LIGHTS ON. PERSONALLY, I THINK THE TWR SHOULD STAY OPEN TILL THE LAST PART 121/135 LNDG. IN OUR CASE, THERE ARE 3 SUCH SCHEDULED ARRS AFTER TWR CLOSING. I AM ALSO GOING TO INSIST ON VECTORS FOR THE ILS NEXT TIME REGARDLESS OF THE VISIBILITY -- IT'S A MORE CTLED ARR RATHER THAN THE HUNT AND PECK METHOD. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR IS FLYING THE DC-9 'NIGHTS AND WKENDS' FOR A MAJOR ACR. HE BELIEVES THAT THE LIGHTS WERE NOT ON AS HE HAD TROUBLE FINDING THE RWY TURNOFF. HE AGREES THAT THE RWY LIGHTS MAY HAVE TIMED OUT BY THE TIME THE GATE AGENT FOUND THE ACFT AT THE GATE SO THAT THE LIGHTS MAY HAVE BEEN ON FOR LNDG. THE COMMERCIAL APCH PLATES FOR ITH HAVE BEEN REVISED TO REFLECT THAT THE RWY LIGHTS CAN BE TURNED ON WITH CTAF, 119.6, AS WELL AS THE MALSR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 272860: WE ARRIVED NEAR ITHACA AFTER THE CTL TWR HAD CLOSED. APCH CTL VECTORED US FOR A VISUAL APCH. OUR COMPANY BRIEFING PAGE INFORMED ME THAT ITH TWR LEAVES THE RWY LIGHTS ON LOW INTENSITY WHEN CLOSING FOR THE NIGHT. I CLICKED ON THE APCH LIGHTS WITH THE MICROPHONE ON THE TWR FREQ. WE WEREN'T ABSOLUTELY SURE THE RWY LIGHTS HAD BEEN ON. CONTRIBUTING FACTOR: FATIGUE.

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.