Narrative:

This was a departure from an airport after the tower had closed. It was my first time in and out of ogg, my arrival was while the tower was open. Contributing factors were a very short taxi, and our call to ZHN which advised our flight plan altitude not available, and had to choose higher or lower, had to first check our performance factors. Our clearance was void if not off by XX22, scheduled push was XX15. Not necessarily a rushed departure but a very busy one. On takeoff roll, I realized the runway side lights were not on, just lights at the end of the runway. I had attained 90 plus KTS, and continued on otherwise uneventful takeoff. After climb out, I reviewed my fom, it sent me to different sectors and then referred me to the charts to find out how lights are controled in a footnote on the back. This may be elementary for many pilots. However, it was a situation I had never encountered in 18 yrs with my airline or prior to that. My attention was directed to obtaining my oceanic clearance, loading and verifying the route and other standard predep procedures and requirements. I have operated in and out of airports with towers closed or no tower but lights had never been a problem. I have never encountered a situation where I needed to turn them on. Our parking gate is nearly at the end of the runway at ogg, there was little taxi, not much chance to notice the lights were off. There was a lot of ambient light and my aircraft lights brightly illuminated the area and the runway markings. It was as we accelerated down the runway that I became aware that something was different about the takeoff. I realized that I did not see lights coming to red at the far end of the runway. They were not on. I believe other pilots new to this type of operation could make the same mistake. I suggest that on the page for the airport a note should be included after the comment about contacting ZHN for departure when tower closed. The note could be as simple as 'pilot controled lighting on CTAF.' it would bring this into consideration as part of the pilot's predep awareness.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN ACR TOOK OFF AT NIGHT WITHOUT RWY LIGHTING AS REQUIRED BY FARS FOR ACR OPS AT NIGHT.

Narrative: THIS WAS A DEP FROM AN ARPT AFTER THE TWR HAD CLOSED. IT WAS MY FIRST TIME IN AND OUT OF OGG, MY ARR WAS WHILE THE TWR WAS OPEN. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE A VERY SHORT TAXI, AND OUR CALL TO ZHN WHICH ADVISED OUR FLT PLAN ALT NOT AVAILABLE, AND HAD TO CHOOSE HIGHER OR LOWER, HAD TO FIRST CHK OUR PERFORMANCE FACTORS. OUR CLRNC WAS VOID IF NOT OFF BY XX22, SCHEDULED PUSH WAS XX15. NOT NECESSARILY A RUSHED DEP BUT A VERY BUSY ONE. ON TKOF ROLL, I REALIZED THE RWY SIDE LIGHTS WERE NOT ON, JUST LIGHTS AT THE END OF THE RWY. I HAD ATTAINED 90 PLUS KTS, AND CONTINUED ON OTHERWISE UNEVENTFUL TKOF. AFTER CLBOUT, I REVIEWED MY FOM, IT SENT ME TO DIFFERENT SECTORS AND THEN REFERRED ME TO THE CHARTS TO FIND OUT HOW LIGHTS ARE CTLED IN A FOOTNOTE ON THE BACK. THIS MAY BE ELEMENTARY FOR MANY PLTS. HOWEVER, IT WAS A SIT I HAD NEVER ENCOUNTERED IN 18 YRS WITH MY AIRLINE OR PRIOR TO THAT. MY ATTN WAS DIRECTED TO OBTAINING MY OCEANIC CLRNC, LOADING AND VERIFYING THE RTE AND OTHER STANDARD PREDEP PROCS AND REQUIREMENTS. I HAVE OPERATED IN AND OUT OF ARPTS WITH TWRS CLOSED OR NO TWR BUT LIGHTS HAD NEVER BEEN A PROB. I HAVE NEVER ENCOUNTERED A SIT WHERE I NEEDED TO TURN THEM ON. OUR PARKING GATE IS NEARLY AT THE END OF THE RWY AT OGG, THERE WAS LITTLE TAXI, NOT MUCH CHANCE TO NOTICE THE LIGHTS WERE OFF. THERE WAS A LOT OF AMBIENT LIGHT AND MY ACFT LIGHTS BRIGHTLY ILLUMINATED THE AREA AND THE RWY MARKINGS. IT WAS AS WE ACCELERATED DOWN THE RWY THAT I BECAME AWARE THAT SOMETHING WAS DIFFERENT ABOUT THE TKOF. I REALIZED THAT I DID NOT SEE LIGHTS COMING TO RED AT THE FAR END OF THE RWY. THEY WERE NOT ON. I BELIEVE OTHER PLTS NEW TO THIS TYPE OF OP COULD MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE. I SUGGEST THAT ON THE PAGE FOR THE ARPT A NOTE SHOULD BE INCLUDED AFTER THE COMMENT ABOUT CONTACTING ZHN FOR DEP WHEN TWR CLOSED. THE NOTE COULD BE AS SIMPLE AS 'PLT CTLED LIGHTING ON CTAF.' IT WOULD BRING THIS INTO CONSIDERATION AS PART OF THE PLT'S PREDEP AWARENESS.

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.