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Flight crew of an light transport operated without turning on the aircraft position and anticollision lights for a night flight.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 278151 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199407 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : bna |
| State Reference | TN |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : takeoff ground other : taxi |
| Route In Use | departure other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 4700 flight time type : 1600 |
| ASRS Report | 278151 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : far other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
While on a scheduled flight from bna to csg our navigation position light switch had either failed during taxi out for departure or the position light switch was inadvertently turned off sometime during the flight. The flight took place after sunset. Another crew member informed me the next day that our position lights were not on prior to takeoff from bna. When asked why he did not inform us of this situation, he explained that he felt embarrassed to have to tell us over the radio. Safety could have been compromised by the crew failing to ensure the position light was on and by the other crew that witnessed this to speak up. ATC at no time ever mentioned or probably noticed that our position lights were not on or working. Additionally, the strobe light switch is usually left off, which is adjacent to the position light switch which may have contributed to the position light switch being turned off. The captain on this trip did not like having the strobe light on, so he could have turned the position light off thinking he turned off the strobe lights.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLC OF AN LTT OPERATED WITHOUT TURNING ON THE ACFT POS AND ANTICOLLISION LIGHTS FOR A NIGHT FLT.
Narrative: WHILE ON A SCHEDULED FLT FROM BNA TO CSG OUR NAV POS LIGHT SWITCH HAD EITHER FAILED DURING TAXI OUT FOR DEP OR THE POS LIGHT SWITCH WAS INADVERTENTLY TURNED OFF SOMETIME DURING THE FLT. THE FLT TOOK PLACE AFTER SUNSET. ANOTHER CREW MEMBER INFORMED ME THE NEXT DAY THAT OUR POS LIGHTS WERE NOT ON PRIOR TO TKOF FROM BNA. WHEN ASKED WHY HE DID NOT INFORM US OF THIS SIT, HE EXPLAINED THAT HE FELT EMBARRASSED TO HAVE TO TELL US OVER THE RADIO. SAFETY COULD HAVE BEEN COMPROMISED BY THE CREW FAILING TO ENSURE THE POS LIGHT WAS ON AND BY THE OTHER CREW THAT WITNESSED THIS TO SPEAK UP. ATC AT NO TIME EVER MENTIONED OR PROBABLY NOTICED THAT OUR POS LIGHTS WERE NOT ON OR WORKING. ADDITIONALLY, THE STROBE LIGHT SWITCH IS USUALLY LEFT OFF, WHICH IS ADJACENT TO THE POS LIGHT SWITCH WHICH MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE POS LIGHT SWITCH BEING TURNED OFF. THE CAPT ON THIS TRIP DID NOT LIKE HAVING THE STROBE LIGHT ON, SO HE COULD HAVE TURNED THE POS LIGHT OFF THINKING HE TURNED OFF THE STROBE LIGHTS.
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.