Narrative:

It seems like flight instruction is either 'feast or famine.' invariably, I'll have a period of a week or two when business is slow and then, all of a sudden, everyone wants to fly again. The schedule becomes tight and, in an effort to accommodate the students as well as make up lost revenue, days off are erased and the work-day lengthened. Usually there's an early start for the 'morning people,' then the usual daytime students, and an evening flight, in this case at a nearby airport. On this particular day, I had been 'on duty' from XB00 am until XP00 pm. The night before I received only 5 1/2 hours sleep since I had stayed up to finish some job-related paperwork. And today, due to how the student schedule came together, I was unable to eat properly during that 14 hour period. In short, while the 8 hour 'maximum dual flight in a 24 hour period' rule had not been exceeded, I was still overworked, malnourished, and fatigued. The degree of fatigue did not become apparent until I departed that 'nearby airport' for the short solo commute back home. After a thorough preflight, I taxied the cherokee 180 to the run- up area at the approach end of runway 4 at I12. During the previous training flight, my student and I had made repeated approachs to I12 runway 4 into dusk since this was the runway most aligned with the wind. By the time of my departure, the winds had become calm with an almost full moon shining very brightly. During the run-up, I tried to find the cause of a very high pitched whine coming through the headphones and cockpit speaker. Unsuccessful, I determined that all system were functioning normally, and while the noise was distracting, it was not an item directly affecting the airworthiness of the aircraft. After checking for traffic, I departed. While the pavement outline could clearly be seen in the bright moonlight and the landing light added additional illumination, something just didn't seem quite right. It was not until airborne that I realized I had made a night departure from an unlighted runway. I believe the contributing factors were fatigue, improper nourishment, unfamiliarity with the airport, the recency of having just completed approximately 7 operations to I12 runway 4 and the distraction of the whining noise. In the future, I will schedule more conservatively and safely to balance the needs of my students with my own needed food and rest.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NIGHT TKOF AT UNCTLED ARPT. RPTR PLT TOOK OFF WITH NO RWY LIGHTS. APPARENTLY THE ARPT HAD PLT CTLED LIGHTING AND RPTR FORGOT TO ACTIVATE THEM. RPTR ATTRIBUTES FATIGUE AS A MAJOR PART OF HIS FORGETFULNESS.

Narrative: IT SEEMS LIKE FLT INSTRUCTION IS EITHER 'FEAST OR FAMINE.' INVARIABLY, I'LL HAVE A PERIOD OF A WK OR TWO WHEN BUSINESS IS SLOW AND THEN, ALL OF A SUDDEN, EVERYONE WANTS TO FLY AGAIN. THE SCHEDULE BECOMES TIGHT AND, IN AN EFFORT TO ACCOMMODATE THE STUDENTS AS WELL AS MAKE UP LOST REVENUE, DAYS OFF ARE ERASED AND THE WORK-DAY LENGTHENED. USUALLY THERE'S AN EARLY START FOR THE 'MORNING PEOPLE,' THEN THE USUAL DAYTIME STUDENTS, AND AN EVENING FLT, IN THIS CASE AT A NEARBY ARPT. ON THIS PARTICULAR DAY, I HAD BEEN 'ON DUTY' FROM XB00 AM UNTIL XP00 PM. THE NIGHT BEFORE I RECEIVED ONLY 5 1/2 HRS SLEEP SINCE I HAD STAYED UP TO FINISH SOME JOB-RELATED PAPERWORK. AND TODAY, DUE TO HOW THE STUDENT SCHEDULE CAME TOGETHER, I WAS UNABLE TO EAT PROPERLY DURING THAT 14 HR PERIOD. IN SHORT, WHILE THE 8 HR 'MAX DUAL FLT IN A 24 HR PERIOD' RULE HAD NOT BEEN EXCEEDED, I WAS STILL OVERWORKED, MALNOURISHED, AND FATIGUED. THE DEG OF FATIGUE DID NOT BECOME APPARENT UNTIL I DEPARTED THAT 'NEARBY ARPT' FOR THE SHORT SOLO COMMUTE BACK HOME. AFTER A THOROUGH PREFLT, I TAXIED THE CHEROKEE 180 TO THE RUN- UP AREA AT THE APCH END OF RWY 4 AT I12. DURING THE PREVIOUS TRAINING FLT, MY STUDENT AND I HAD MADE REPEATED APCHS TO I12 RWY 4 INTO DUSK SINCE THIS WAS THE RWY MOST ALIGNED WITH THE WIND. BY THE TIME OF MY DEP, THE WINDS HAD BECOME CALM WITH AN ALMOST FULL MOON SHINING VERY BRIGHTLY. DURING THE RUN-UP, I TRIED TO FIND THE CAUSE OF A VERY HIGH PITCHED WHINE COMING THROUGH THE HEADPHONES AND COCKPIT SPEAKER. UNSUCCESSFUL, I DETERMINED THAT ALL SYS WERE FUNCTIONING NORMALLY, AND WHILE THE NOISE WAS DISTRACTING, IT WAS NOT AN ITEM DIRECTLY AFFECTING THE AIRWORTHINESS OF THE ACFT. AFTER CHKING FOR TFC, I DEPARTED. WHILE THE PAVEMENT OUTLINE COULD CLRLY BE SEEN IN THE BRIGHT MOONLIGHT AND THE LNDG LIGHT ADDED ADDITIONAL ILLUMINATION, SOMETHING JUST DIDN'T SEEM QUITE RIGHT. IT WAS NOT UNTIL AIRBORNE THAT I REALIZED I HAD MADE A NIGHT DEP FROM AN UNLIGHTED RWY. I BELIEVE THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE FATIGUE, IMPROPER NOURISHMENT, UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE ARPT, THE RECENCY OF HAVING JUST COMPLETED APPROX 7 OPS TO I12 RWY 4 AND THE DISTR OF THE WHINING NOISE. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL SCHEDULE MORE CONSERVATIVELY AND SAFELY TO BAL THE NEEDS OF MY STUDENTS WITH MY OWN NEEDED FOOD AND REST.

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.