Narrative:

I was the pilot of a PA31-350 chieftain. I departed the hana airfield at XA07 pm, after official nightfall without the runway boundary lighting system activated. I had been on the ground waiting for 2 hours. During this time I had been sitting inside the aircraft in the dark. My night vision aided by a very bright moon, was such that I had no problem whatsoever identing showers passing about 5 mi offshore. I could clearly see the runway, the surrounding environment and haleakala hillside extending towards kahului. Colors were visible around the runway, in the clouds and also the hillside. In an attempt not to spoil any night vision for the flight home I decided that with such a clearly lit runway environment that activating the pilot controled lighting would only detract from my night vision. I proceeded to depart hnm with a safe runway 08 westerly departure. I was unaware of 135.229 2(I). My decision to depart without activating the lights violated 135.229. One of the passenger was a pilot and called the FAA, who contacted me and informed me of the violation. I sincerely believed it to be safer to depart without the lighting system and believe that turning the lights on would have impaired my vision.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX PLT FAILS TO USE ARPT RWY BOUNDARY LIGHTS FOR A NIGHT TKOF.

Narrative: I WAS THE PLT OF A PA31-350 CHIEFTAIN. I DEPARTED THE HANA AIRFIELD AT XA07 PM, AFTER OFFICIAL NIGHTFALL WITHOUT THE RWY BOUNDARY LIGHTING SYS ACTIVATED. I HAD BEEN ON THE GND WAITING FOR 2 HRS. DURING THIS TIME I HAD BEEN SITTING INSIDE THE ACFT IN THE DARK. MY NIGHT VISION AIDED BY A VERY BRIGHT MOON, WAS SUCH THAT I HAD NO PROB WHATSOEVER IDENTING SHOWERS PASSING ABOUT 5 MI OFFSHORE. I COULD CLRLY SEE THE RWY, THE SURROUNDING ENVIRONMENT AND HALEAKALA HILLSIDE EXTENDING TOWARDS KAHULUI. COLORS WERE VISIBLE AROUND THE RWY, IN THE CLOUDS AND ALSO THE HILLSIDE. IN AN ATTEMPT NOT TO SPOIL ANY NIGHT VISION FOR THE FLT HOME I DECIDED THAT WITH SUCH A CLRLY LIT RWY ENVIRONMENT THAT ACTIVATING THE PLT CTLED LIGHTING WOULD ONLY DETRACT FROM MY NIGHT VISION. I PROCEEDED TO DEPART HNM WITH A SAFE RWY 08 WESTERLY DEP. I WAS UNAWARE OF 135.229 2(I). MY DECISION TO DEPART WITHOUT ACTIVATING THE LIGHTS VIOLATED 135.229. ONE OF THE PAX WAS A PLT AND CALLED THE FAA, WHO CONTACTED ME AND INFORMED ME OF THE VIOLATION. I SINCERELY BELIEVED IT TO BE SAFER TO DEPART WITHOUT THE LIGHTING SYS AND BELIEVE THAT TURNING THE LIGHTS ON WOULD HAVE IMPAIRED MY VISION.

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.