B757-200 captain questions if he was legal landing after sunset without runway lighting. His company...

Attributes
ACN	520725
Time
Date	200108
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : zzz.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : roll
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	520725
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	ground encounters other incursion : runway non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Environmental Factor Airport Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Airport

Narrative:

Approach controller cleared us for a visual approach then handed us off to the tower (local control). We had the airport and runway in sight from 30 mi out. Tower informed us the runway lights were out and that landing would be at our discretion. Since we had the runway and all markings clearly in sight, we continued the approach and landing. Our operations manual defines night as 'the end of civil twilight' not from 'official sunset to sunrise.' the confusion here is what the meaning of, or definition of, 'end of civil twilight.' if it means 'official sunset,' then I believe our operations manual should be revised to state so to avoid confusion. I will bring this to the attention of our training department so that crews will know exactly what the correct meaning is, as I know ATC uses 'official sunset' to switch on airport lighting. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter was advised of the official definition of night per far 1.1 and that his company manual is correct in its reference to night. The exact time of night starting and starting is therefore found in the american air almanac for the location in local time. It is not from sunset through sunrise but equal to 30-40 mins after sunset or before sunrise.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757-200 CAPT QUESTIONS IF HE WAS LEGAL LNDG AFTER SUNSET WITHOUT RWY LIGHTING. HIS COMPANY OPS MANUAL STATES NIGHT AS BTWN THE END OF EVENING CIVIL TWILIGHT AND THE BEGINNING OF MORNING CIVIL TWILIGHT.

Narrative: APCH CTLR CLRED US FOR A VISUAL APCH THEN HANDED US OFF TO THE TWR (LCL CTL). WE HAD THE ARPT AND RWY IN SIGHT FROM 30 MI OUT. TWR INFORMED US THE RWY LIGHTS WERE OUT AND THAT LNDG WOULD BE AT OUR DISCRETION. SINCE WE HAD THE RWY AND ALL MARKINGS CLRLY IN SIGHT, WE CONTINUED THE APCH AND LNDG. OUR OPS MANUAL DEFINES NIGHT AS 'THE END OF CIVIL TWILIGHT' NOT FROM 'OFFICIAL SUNSET TO SUNRISE.' THE CONFUSION HERE IS WHAT THE MEANING OF, OR DEFINITION OF, 'END OF CIVIL TWILIGHT.' IF IT MEANS 'OFFICIAL SUNSET,' THEN I BELIEVE OUR OPS MANUAL SHOULD BE REVISED TO STATE SO TO AVOID CONFUSION. I WILL BRING THIS TO THE ATTN OF OUR TRAINING DEPT SO THAT CREWS WILL KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE CORRECT MEANING IS, AS I KNOW ATC USES 'OFFICIAL SUNSET' TO SWITCH ON ARPT LIGHTING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR WAS ADVISED OF THE OFFICIAL DEFINITION OF NIGHT PER FAR 1.1 AND THAT HIS COMPANY MANUAL IS CORRECT IN ITS REF TO NIGHT. THE EXACT TIME OF NIGHT STARTING AND STARTING IS THEREFORE FOUND IN THE AMERICAN AIR ALMANAC FOR THE LOCATION IN LCL TIME. IT IS NOT FROM SUNSET THROUGH SUNRISE BUT EQUAL TO 30-40 MINS AFTER SUNSET OR BEFORE SUNRISE.

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.

B757-200 captain questions if he was legal landing after sunset without runway lighting. His company operations manual states night as between the end of evening civil twilight and the beginning of morning civil twilight.