Narrative:

Air carrier X approaching lga, we received a SELCAL via ACARS about runway lighting outages at our destination. Upon listening to ATIS, we learned that runway and threshold lighting were out, apparently due to heavy rain earlier in the day, as the captain assessed the flight operations manual, when these lights are out, substitute lighting can be used at 1/2 the number for the runway edge lights, and all the threshold., in this case at lga, runway 4, only half the lights were being substituted for both edge and threshold. For some reason, as the captain read the lighting requirements for visibility less than 3 mi at night, he either overlooked the fact that all threshold lights were required, or else did not realize that the ATIS reported only 1/2 of the lights were being substituted. I am not required to carry my copy of the fom, so I never read that page after the captain did. In retrospect, I should have: 2 heads are better than 1. As we broke out of the overcast, it was obvious that the threshold lights were all on and very bright, but we could not make out the edge lighting until closer. After landing, dispatcher and captain discussed situation. We later took off on same runway, after the airline complained to port authority/authorized. Arrs were put on runway 31, not runway 4. As we taxied into position on runway 4 for takeoff, all threshold primary lights were on, with the substitute lights still there but not on, and the ATIS still reporting the threshold lights out with 1/2 substitution. I believe the threshold lights were all working the whole time, even while we landed. Supplemental information from acn 286943: a NOTAM was in effect that showed laguardia runway 4/22 runway lights were OTS. A company field condition report indicated that substitute lighting was employed. A phone call to the lga ATIS indicated that while the runway edge lighting was sufficient to meet the company operations specifications, the substitute threshold lighting on runway 04 was OTS and every other light was substituted with portable lighting. In a phone conversation lga tower personnel initially indicated that the threshold light was completely OTS with no substitution. After they had checked with the airport management they confirmed that only every other threshold light had a substitute. Company operations specifications require that all threshold light be operative, or be substituted on a 1 for 1 basis when runway edge lights are required.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RWY THRESHOLD AND RWY EDGE LIGHTS OTS TEMPORARY LIGHTS IN PLACE ACR X MADE UNAUTH LNDG ACCORDING TO COMPANY FLT OPS MANUAL.

Narrative: ACR X APCHING LGA, WE RECEIVED A SELCAL VIA ACARS ABOUT RWY LIGHTING OUTAGES AT OUR DEST. UPON LISTENING TO ATIS, WE LEARNED THAT RWY AND THRESHOLD LIGHTING WERE OUT, APPARENTLY DUE TO HVY RAIN EARLIER IN THE DAY, AS THE CAPT ASSESSED THE FLT OPS MANUAL, WHEN THESE LIGHTS ARE OUT, SUBSTITUTE LIGHTING CAN BE USED AT 1/2 THE NUMBER FOR THE RWY EDGE LIGHTS, AND ALL THE THRESHOLD., IN THIS CASE AT LGA, RWY 4, ONLY HALF THE LIGHTS WERE BEING SUBSTITUTED FOR BOTH EDGE AND THRESHOLD. FOR SOME REASON, AS THE CAPT READ THE LIGHTING REQUIREMENTS FOR VISIBILITY LESS THAN 3 MI AT NIGHT, HE EITHER OVERLOOKED THE FACT THAT ALL THRESHOLD LIGHTS WERE REQUIRED, OR ELSE DID NOT REALIZE THAT THE ATIS RPTED ONLY 1/2 OF THE LIGHTS WERE BEING SUBSTITUTED. I AM NOT REQUIRED TO CARRY MY COPY OF THE FOM, SO I NEVER READ THAT PAGE AFTER THE CAPT DID. IN RETROSPECT, I SHOULD HAVE: 2 HEADS ARE BETTER THAN 1. AS WE BROKE OUT OF THE OVCST, IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT THE THRESHOLD LIGHTS WERE ALL ON AND VERY BRIGHT, BUT WE COULD NOT MAKE OUT THE EDGE LIGHTING UNTIL CLOSER. AFTER LNDG, DISPATCHER AND CAPT DISCUSSED SIT. WE LATER TOOK OFF ON SAME RWY, AFTER THE AIRLINE COMPLAINED TO PORT AUTH. ARRS WERE PUT ON RWY 31, NOT RWY 4. AS WE TAXIED INTO POS ON RWY 4 FOR TKOF, ALL THRESHOLD PRIMARY LIGHTS WERE ON, WITH THE SUBSTITUTE LIGHTS STILL THERE BUT NOT ON, AND THE ATIS STILL RPTING THE THRESHOLD LIGHTS OUT WITH 1/2 SUBSTITUTION. I BELIEVE THE THRESHOLD LIGHTS WERE ALL WORKING THE WHOLE TIME, EVEN WHILE WE LANDED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 286943: A NOTAM WAS IN EFFECT THAT SHOWED LAGUARDIA RWY 4/22 RWY LIGHTS WERE OTS. A COMPANY FIELD CONDITION RPT INDICATED THAT SUBSTITUTE LIGHTING WAS EMPLOYED. A PHONE CALL TO THE LGA ATIS INDICATED THAT WHILE THE RWY EDGE LIGHTING WAS SUFFICIENT TO MEET THE COMPANY OPS SPECS, THE SUBSTITUTE THRESHOLD LIGHTING ON RWY 04 WAS OTS AND EVERY OTHER LIGHT WAS SUBSTITUTED WITH PORTABLE LIGHTING. IN A PHONE CONVERSATION LGA TWR PERSONNEL INITIALLY INDICATED THAT THE THRESHOLD LIGHT WAS COMPLETELY OTS WITH NO SUBSTITUTION. AFTER THEY HAD CHKED WITH THE ARPT MGMNT THEY CONFIRMED THAT ONLY EVERY OTHER THRESHOLD LIGHT HAD A SUBSTITUTE. COMPANY OPS SPECS REQUIRE THAT ALL THRESHOLD LIGHT BE OPERATIVE, OR BE SUBSTITUTED ON A 1 FOR 1 BASIS WHEN RWY EDGE LIGHTS ARE REQUIRED.

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.