Narrative:

On sep/xa/99 at XA20 I was scheduled to depart pit en route to ord. I was the PIC/captain and the visibility at the field went from 3 mi at the gate to 600 ft RVR touchdown more than 6000 ft RVR midfield and 600 ft RVR rollout on taxi out to runway 28C. The ground controller asked if we could do a takeoff with 600 ft RVR and we can legally with operating centerline runway lights and runway centerline markings. I got a takeoff alternate from dispatch and taxied to runway 28C full length which has a displaced threshold. While in position, I asked the tower if the centerline lights were operating since it was hard to see them from our position on the displaced threshold combined with the reduced visibility in the touchdown zone and the possibility that the lights were on low intensity as the sun was rising. Tower advised us that they were operating and gave us a takeoff clearance. As we accelerated past the threshold, it was obvious that centerline lights were either not working or the intensity was very low and we advised the tower of this when asked after takeoff. At all times throughout the takeoff roll, I saw the centerline markings and runway edge lights and since the midfield RVR was more than 6000 ft, I deemed it a safer course of action to continue the takeoff than reject with the possibility of hot brakes and asymmetrical thrust reversing since our #3 thrust reverser was inoperative and alarming passenger with the possibility of an unplanned evacuate/evacuation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF AN ACR MADE TKOF ROLL DURING MINIMUM TKOF RVR WHEN THE REQUIRED RWY CTRLINE LIGHT DID NOT APPEAR ILLUMINATED.

Narrative: ON SEP/XA/99 AT XA20 I WAS SCHEDULED TO DEPART PIT ENRTE TO ORD. I WAS THE PIC/CAPT AND THE VISIBILITY AT THE FIELD WENT FROM 3 MI AT THE GATE TO 600 FT RVR TOUCHDOWN MORE THAN 6000 FT RVR MIDFIELD AND 600 FT RVR ROLLOUT ON TAXI OUT TO RWY 28C. THE GND CTLR ASKED IF WE COULD DO A TKOF WITH 600 FT RVR AND WE CAN LEGALLY WITH OPERATING CTRLINE RWY LIGHTS AND RWY CTRLINE MARKINGS. I GOT A TKOF ALTERNATE FROM DISPATCH AND TAXIED TO RWY 28C FULL LENGTH WHICH HAS A DISPLACED THRESHOLD. WHILE IN POS, I ASKED THE TWR IF THE CTRLINE LIGHTS WERE OPERATING SINCE IT WAS HARD TO SEE THEM FROM OUR POS ON THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD COMBINED WITH THE REDUCED VISIBILITY IN THE TOUCHDOWN ZONE AND THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE LIGHTS WERE ON LOW INTENSITY AS THE SUN WAS RISING. TWR ADVISED US THAT THEY WERE OPERATING AND GAVE US A TKOF CLRNC. AS WE ACCELERATED PAST THE THRESHOLD, IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT CTRLINE LIGHTS WERE EITHER NOT WORKING OR THE INTENSITY WAS VERY LOW AND WE ADVISED THE TWR OF THIS WHEN ASKED AFTER TKOF. AT ALL TIMES THROUGHOUT THE TKOF ROLL, I SAW THE CTRLINE MARKINGS AND RWY EDGE LIGHTS AND SINCE THE MIDFIELD RVR WAS MORE THAN 6000 FT, I DEEMED IT A SAFER COURSE OF ACTION TO CONTINUE THE TKOF THAN REJECT WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF HOT BRAKES AND ASYMMETRICAL THRUST REVERSING SINCE OUR #3 THRUST REVERSER WAS INOP AND ALARMING PAX WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF AN UNPLANNED EVAC.

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.