Reporter could not get the pilot activated lights to respond.

Attributes
ACN	298213
Time
Date	199503
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hsv
State Reference	AL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3700 msl bound upper : 3700
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : hsv
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Route In Use	approach : visual approach : straight in
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 65 flight time total : 19000 flight time type : 2600
ASRS Report	298213
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified
Airport	procedure or policy : unspecified
Navigational Aid	Unspecified

Narrative:

The approach charts and notes for hsv airport indicates that after midnight, pilot controled lighting would be in effect for runway lights. Since we arrived late and after midnight at hsv we had planned and expected to use the pilot controled lighting system. There is no VOR on the field and we planned on using the pilot controled lighting system to help identify the airport. The airport has 2 north/south runways. The east runway 18L/36R was notamed closed to acrs. There were rain showers in the area, however, the airport WX was VFR with 9000 ft ceiling and approximately 7 mi visibility. The runway 18R ILS was turned off. Approximately 5-8 mi north of the airport the runway 18R runway lights were in sight. We keyed the microphone 7 times to get maximum intensity of the runway lights. It didn't work. The lights were left on by the tower before closing and the pilot controled lighting system didn't work. This left some doubt as to what airport we had in sight. Had the OM not been working for runway 18R there was no way to positively identify the airport. This expectation of using pilot controled lighting (like the book says), left a lot of confusion in the cockpit. A NOTAM telling us that the runway lights would be left on would have helped us.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR COULD NOT GET THE PLT ACTIVATED LIGHTS TO RESPOND.

Narrative: THE APCH CHARTS AND NOTES FOR HSV ARPT INDICATES THAT AFTER MIDNIGHT, PLT CTLED LIGHTING WOULD BE IN EFFECT FOR RWY LIGHTS. SINCE WE ARRIVED LATE AND AFTER MIDNIGHT AT HSV WE HAD PLANNED AND EXPECTED TO USE THE PLT CTLED LIGHTING SYS. THERE IS NO VOR ON THE FIELD AND WE PLANNED ON USING THE PLT CTLED LIGHTING SYS TO HELP IDENT THE ARPT. THE ARPT HAS 2 N/S RWYS. THE E RWY 18L/36R WAS NOTAMED CLOSED TO ACRS. THERE WERE RAIN SHOWERS IN THE AREA, HOWEVER, THE ARPT WX WAS VFR WITH 9000 FT CEILING AND APPROX 7 MI VISIBILITY. THE RWY 18R ILS WAS TURNED OFF. APPROX 5-8 MI N OF THE ARPT THE RWY 18R RWY LIGHTS WERE IN SIGHT. WE KEYED THE MIKE 7 TIMES TO GET MAX INTENSITY OF THE RWY LIGHTS. IT DIDN'T WORK. THE LIGHTS WERE LEFT ON BY THE TWR BEFORE CLOSING AND THE PLT CTLED LIGHTING SYS DIDN'T WORK. THIS LEFT SOME DOUBT AS TO WHAT ARPT WE HAD IN SIGHT. HAD THE OM NOT BEEN WORKING FOR RWY 18R THERE WAS NO WAY TO POSITIVELY IDENT THE ARPT. THIS EXPECTATION OF USING PLT CTLED LIGHTING (LIKE THE BOOK SAYS), LEFT A LOT OF CONFUSION IN THE COCKPIT. A NOTAM TELLING US THAT THE RWY LIGHTS WOULD BE LEFT ON WOULD HAVE HELPED US.

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.