Air taxi aircraft departs airport with runway lights inoperative.

Attributes
ACN	274222
Time
Date	199406
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : myv
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : ogd
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 3000 flight time type : 800
ASRS Report	274222
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport

Narrative:

The captain and I were on a part 135 flight to marysville for a heart harvest for donor purposes. We dropped doctors off at the airport and waited until approximately XA00 am when they returned. We rolled towards the runway for takeoff. We tried to activate the runway lights by using the prescribed pilot controled lighting frequency (119.3 CTAF). Only the MALSR and VASI lights came on for runway 14. We tried several times to get the HIRL to turn on. It would not come on. All lights worked when we landed several hours earlier. We took off with moonlight, MALSR and VASI lighting the runway. We contacted sacramento departure and asked them about the lighting and told them it wasn't working (HIRL). I was reading the 135 regulations recently and came across 135.299 which states a pilot may not takeoff at night (with passenger) unless the takeoff area limits are shown by boundary or runway marker lights. I didn't realize what we did was an far violation. I don't know what else we could have done to get the runway lights to work. Next time I won't take off unless the runway lights work. The lesson learned is I should know my FARS better. The captain was also unaware of this regulation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIR TAXI ACFT DEPARTS ARPT WITH RWY LIGHTS INOP.

Narrative: THE CAPT AND I WERE ON A PART 135 FLT TO MARYSVILLE FOR A HEART HARVEST FOR DONOR PURPOSES. WE DROPPED DOCTORS OFF AT THE ARPT AND WAITED UNTIL APPROX XA00 AM WHEN THEY RETURNED. WE ROLLED TOWARDS THE RWY FOR TKOF. WE TRIED TO ACTIVATE THE RWY LIGHTS BY USING THE PRESCRIBED PLT CTLED LIGHTING FREQ (119.3 CTAF). ONLY THE MALSR AND VASI LIGHTS CAME ON FOR RWY 14. WE TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO GET THE HIRL TO TURN ON. IT WOULD NOT COME ON. ALL LIGHTS WORKED WHEN WE LANDED SEVERAL HRS EARLIER. WE TOOK OFF WITH MOONLIGHT, MALSR AND VASI LIGHTING THE RWY. WE CONTACTED SACRAMENTO DEP AND ASKED THEM ABOUT THE LIGHTING AND TOLD THEM IT WASN'T WORKING (HIRL). I WAS READING THE 135 REGS RECENTLY AND CAME ACROSS 135.299 WHICH STATES A PLT MAY NOT TKOF AT NIGHT (WITH PAX) UNLESS THE TKOF AREA LIMITS ARE SHOWN BY BOUNDARY OR RWY MARKER LIGHTS. I DIDN'T REALIZE WHAT WE DID WAS AN FAR VIOLATION. I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE WE COULD HAVE DONE TO GET THE RWY LIGHTS TO WORK. NEXT TIME I WON'T TAKE OFF UNLESS THE RWY LIGHTS WORK. THE LESSON LEARNED IS I SHOULD KNOW MY FARS BETTER. THE CAPT WAS ALSO UNAWARE OF THIS REG.

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.