Narrative:

On sep/xa/97 I went on the newly required night cross country with a student getting ready for his private pilot certificate. We flew from frg, ny. The preflight went as usual and he was careful to check the navigation lights while I was inside the cockpit moving the switch and I could see the colored halo on both sides of the airplane (but not the tail which he checked, too). After our usual checklist, which includes beacon on before start-up, we started the engine and after being cleared by ground we taxied from the ramp at the south end of the airport to the active runway 19, taxiing right in front of the tower. When we left the parking position, I pointed out to my student that his taxi light was not on and he moved the switch to no effect. I told him that the taxi light was the last switch to the left and the down position should do the job. He did as told and the light went on. While taxiing along the hangars, I could see the beacon and the strobe lights reflected on the walls. After the usual run-up we were cleared for takeoff. We took off from runway 19, passed the tower and after a short leg south to gain altitude, we were cleared for a left downwind. We remained on the tower frequency until our landmark on the north shore of long island (the stacks), which means 12-15 mins after takeoff. Then we called N90 on 118.00 and received flight watch (on another frequency that I do not remember). After about 1 hour we arrived in pou, where we landed. Just before takeoff, the tower told us our navigation lights were not on. My student fumbled with the switch for a few seconds and the tower confirmed the lights were on. Around XD00 we landed back in frg and were greeted by the FAA for a ramp check. The inspector was very thorough: checked the crew, the airplane, and he even got into the airplane to inspect its condition. He requested our VOR check (we were VFR) which I had and it was less than 30 days and he checked the dates on the maps we were using. The weight and balance for the trip and for the airplane and he is probably checking the accuracy of it now. The inspector claimed, at the end of the check, that we took off without our navigation lights on. His claim is that he personally saw us taking off without our navigation lights on. For that reason and in the name of safety, he will ask for some counseling. You may wonder why I report it to NASA while it is too late to get rid of the FAA. But I do send this report for the sake of safety itself and to ask a few questions that you may be able to answer. Is it acceptable for an FAA inspector to allow a flight in violation of the far to be conducted when he has the means of stopping it, and even more, when he can easily take corrective action? I was in touch with the tower, after liftoff, for at least 10 mins. That's more than enough time to call the tower and tell them to inform me that the lights are not on. This would have improved the safety of this flight tremendously. Of course the beacon and strobe were easy to spot but consistency calls for an immediate action when it is possible. Isn't the tower supposed to check on my lights, too?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT PLT TAXI AND TKOF WITHOUT NAV POS LIGHTS ON DURING DEP ON A NIGHT XCOUNTRY FLT. THE RPTING INSTRUCTOR PLT COMPLAINS THAT THE FAA INSPECTOR, OR TWR CTLR, DID NOT ADVISE HIM OF FACT THAT THE LIGHTS WERE NOT OBSERVED ON.

Narrative: ON SEP/XA/97 I WENT ON THE NEWLY REQUIRED NIGHT XCOUNTRY WITH A STUDENT GETTING READY FOR HIS PVT PLT CERTIFICATE. WE FLEW FROM FRG, NY. THE PREFLT WENT AS USUAL AND HE WAS CAREFUL TO CHK THE NAV LIGHTS WHILE I WAS INSIDE THE COCKPIT MOVING THE SWITCH AND I COULD SEE THE COLORED HALO ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AIRPLANE (BUT NOT THE TAIL WHICH HE CHKED, TOO). AFTER OUR USUAL CHKLIST, WHICH INCLUDES BEACON ON BEFORE START-UP, WE STARTED THE ENG AND AFTER BEING CLRED BY GND WE TAXIED FROM THE RAMP AT THE S END OF THE ARPT TO THE ACTIVE RWY 19, TAXIING RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE TWR. WHEN WE LEFT THE PARKING POS, I POINTED OUT TO MY STUDENT THAT HIS TAXI LIGHT WAS NOT ON AND HE MOVED THE SWITCH TO NO EFFECT. I TOLD HIM THAT THE TAXI LIGHT WAS THE LAST SWITCH TO THE L AND THE DOWN POS SHOULD DO THE JOB. HE DID AS TOLD AND THE LIGHT WENT ON. WHILE TAXIING ALONG THE HANGARS, I COULD SEE THE BEACON AND THE STROBE LIGHTS REFLECTED ON THE WALLS. AFTER THE USUAL RUN-UP WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF. WE TOOK OFF FROM RWY 19, PASSED THE TWR AND AFTER A SHORT LEG S TO GAIN ALT, WE WERE CLRED FOR A L DOWNWIND. WE REMAINED ON THE TWR FREQ UNTIL OUR LANDMARK ON THE N SHORE OF LONG ISLAND (THE STACKS), WHICH MEANS 12-15 MINS AFTER TKOF. THEN WE CALLED N90 ON 118.00 AND RECEIVED FLT WATCH (ON ANOTHER FREQ THAT I DO NOT REMEMBER). AFTER ABOUT 1 HR WE ARRIVED IN POU, WHERE WE LANDED. JUST BEFORE TKOF, THE TWR TOLD US OUR NAV LIGHTS WERE NOT ON. MY STUDENT FUMBLED WITH THE SWITCH FOR A FEW SECONDS AND THE TWR CONFIRMED THE LIGHTS WERE ON. AROUND XD00 WE LANDED BACK IN FRG AND WERE GREETED BY THE FAA FOR A RAMP CHK. THE INSPECTOR WAS VERY THOROUGH: CHKED THE CREW, THE AIRPLANE, AND HE EVEN GOT INTO THE AIRPLANE TO INSPECT ITS CONDITION. HE REQUESTED OUR VOR CHK (WE WERE VFR) WHICH I HAD AND IT WAS LESS THAN 30 DAYS AND HE CHKED THE DATES ON THE MAPS WE WERE USING. THE WT AND BAL FOR THE TRIP AND FOR THE AIRPLANE AND HE IS PROBABLY CHKING THE ACCURACY OF IT NOW. THE INSPECTOR CLAIMED, AT THE END OF THE CHK, THAT WE TOOK OFF WITHOUT OUR NAV LIGHTS ON. HIS CLAIM IS THAT HE PERSONALLY SAW US TAKING OFF WITHOUT OUR NAV LIGHTS ON. FOR THAT REASON AND IN THE NAME OF SAFETY, HE WILL ASK FOR SOME COUNSELING. YOU MAY WONDER WHY I RPT IT TO NASA WHILE IT IS TOO LATE TO GET RID OF THE FAA. BUT I DO SEND THIS RPT FOR THE SAKE OF SAFETY ITSELF AND TO ASK A FEW QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY BE ABLE TO ANSWER. IS IT ACCEPTABLE FOR AN FAA INSPECTOR TO ALLOW A FLT IN VIOLATION OF THE FAR TO BE CONDUCTED WHEN HE HAS THE MEANS OF STOPPING IT, AND EVEN MORE, WHEN HE CAN EASILY TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION? I WAS IN TOUCH WITH THE TWR, AFTER LIFTOFF, FOR AT LEAST 10 MINS. THAT'S MORE THAN ENOUGH TIME TO CALL THE TWR AND TELL THEM TO INFORM ME THAT THE LIGHTS ARE NOT ON. THIS WOULD HAVE IMPROVED THE SAFETY OF THIS FLT TREMENDOUSLY. OF COURSE THE BEACON AND STROBE WERE EASY TO SPOT BUT CONSISTENCY CALLS FOR AN IMMEDIATE ACTION WHEN IT IS POSSIBLE. ISN'T THE TWR SUPPOSED TO CHK ON MY LIGHTS, TOO?

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.