An air carrier medium large transport landed at night without runway lights. The pilot operated ligh...

Attributes
ACN	328375
Time
Date	199602
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ith
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : ecm
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Fokker 100
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	landing other
Route In Use	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 : 240 flight time total : 9800 flight time type : 2400
ASRS Report	328375
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 1400
ASRS Report	327914
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
Airport	other physical facility procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

We approached ithica airport after XA00. The tower at ith closes at XA00. Elmira approach vectored us to ILS runway 32 and cleared us for the approach. Inbound to the marker, the captain keyed the tower frequency to activate the runway lighting, and reported in the blind that we were on the ILS approach to runway 32. We broke out at about 1200 ft AGL and had the runway in sight. The captain keyed the microphone again to dim the runway lights. At about that time the lights went off. Only the VASI was operational. We could see the runway in the landing lights and elected it to be safe to land at this point. After landing, the runway and taxi lights came back on. We taxied to the gate without event. An airport employee seemed to have a problem with this. He told us the only way he knows an airplane is on approach is by the lights being on, and that he could have been out there sanding. We asked him if he monitors the frequency. He replied that he was not in the truck at the time, and the lights were still on from a previous aircraft landing and that he switched the runway lights back on. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter is a first officer on the FK10. His captain also reported this incident to the ASRS. The ith airport manager sent a letter to the reporter's chief pilot stating that there was a truck on the runway when the aircraft landed. The reporter did not see any truck. The reporter believes that a copy of the letter was also sent to the FAA, however he has not heard from them. The lights came back on after the aircraft was on the ground. The vehicle driver claims that he turned them on, as there was no other aircraft in the vicinity. The reporter is now aware that one must have runway lights to land with air carrier passenger at night, and that it is a good idea to be standing at the ready to restart the light cycle. The lights went off when the aircraft was on very short final. The crew didn't have time to do much more than land, then talk about it.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MLG LANDED AT NIGHT WITHOUT RWY LIGHTS. THE PLT OPERATED LIGHTS TIMED OUT JUST BEFORE THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN.

Narrative: WE APCHED ITHICA ARPT AFTER XA00. THE TWR AT ITH CLOSES AT XA00. ELMIRA APCH VECTORED US TO ILS RWY 32 AND CLRED US FOR THE APCH. INBOUND TO THE MARKER, THE CAPT KEYED THE TWR FREQ TO ACTIVATE THE RWY LIGHTING, AND RPTED IN THE BLIND THAT WE WERE ON THE ILS APCH TO RWY 32. WE BROKE OUT AT ABOUT 1200 FT AGL AND HAD THE RWY IN SIGHT. THE CAPT KEYED THE MIKE AGAIN TO DIM THE RWY LIGHTS. AT ABOUT THAT TIME THE LIGHTS WENT OFF. ONLY THE VASI WAS OPERATIONAL. WE COULD SEE THE RWY IN THE LNDG LIGHTS AND ELECTED IT TO BE SAFE TO LAND AT THIS POINT. AFTER LNDG, THE RWY AND TAXI LIGHTS CAME BACK ON. WE TAXIED TO THE GATE WITHOUT EVENT. AN ARPT EMPLOYEE SEEMED TO HAVE A PROB WITH THIS. HE TOLD US THE ONLY WAY HE KNOWS AN AIRPLANE IS ON APCH IS BY THE LIGHTS BEING ON, AND THAT HE COULD HAVE BEEN OUT THERE SANDING. WE ASKED HIM IF HE MONITORS THE FREQ. HE REPLIED THAT HE WAS NOT IN THE TRUCK AT THE TIME, AND THE LIGHTS WERE STILL ON FROM A PREVIOUS ACFT LNDG AND THAT HE SWITCHED THE RWY LIGHTS BACK ON. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR IS A FO ON THE FK10. HIS CAPT ALSO RPTED THIS INCIDENT TO THE ASRS. THE ITH ARPT MGR SENT A LETTER TO THE RPTR'S CHIEF PLT STATING THAT THERE WAS A TRUCK ON THE RWY WHEN THE ACFT LANDED. THE RPTR DID NOT SEE ANY TRUCK. THE RPTR BELIEVES THAT A COPY OF THE LETTER WAS ALSO SENT TO THE FAA, HOWEVER HE HAS NOT HEARD FROM THEM. THE LIGHTS CAME BACK ON AFTER THE ACFT WAS ON THE GND. THE VEHICLE DRIVER CLAIMS THAT HE TURNED THEM ON, AS THERE WAS NO OTHER ACFT IN THE VICINITY. THE RPTR IS NOW AWARE THAT ONE MUST HAVE RWY LIGHTS TO LAND WITH ACR PAX AT NIGHT, AND THAT IT IS A GOOD IDEA TO BE STANDING AT THE READY TO RESTART THE LIGHT CYCLE. THE LIGHTS WENT OFF WHEN THE ACFT WAS ON VERY SHORT FINAL. THE CREW DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO DO MUCH MORE THAN LAND, THEN TALK ABOUT IT.

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.

An air carrier medium large transport landed at night without runway lights. The pilot operated lights timed out just before the aircraft touched down.