Narrative:

For a night takeoff (with the tower closed) to the mainland, our aircraft was to be configured: maximum power, flaps 20 degrees, bleeds off. After engine start, I called on the CTAF and announced our taxi intentions. ZHN had released us and we taxied to the hold short where we completed all checklists. I was concerned about heavy rain showers on our departure and asked the captain to turn up the radar and check our route. We did not see any cells and decided we were ready to go. I made the appropriate advisory calls while the captain taxied the aircraft into position for takeoff. He then told me it was my aircraft and I initiated a normal takeoff. I felt the takeoff was normal until around 100 KTS. I thought the runway looked different. I then discovered I had no runway lights on my side (right side). I thought I saw the lights very dimly on the left side. Next I remembered that I had not made several microphone clicks to turn the lights on and perhaps they were off! I realized this at or close to V1 vr. Prior to engine start, I had heard several clicks on the advisory frequency and thought the captain was turning on the lights for us. After we leveled off at cruise, I told him what I saw and asked if he had turned the lights on. He said no. This was my first night takeoff out of lihue and only my second no tower operation -- ever. I had just recently returned to flying. I had flown 2 hawaii trips the week before and felt rusty and told the captain that. I felt more up to speed on this lihue trip. However, with the possible WX on departure, the unusual confign for takeoff, I was feeling task saturated but felt up to speed and ready to fly the takeoff and departure once we got all the checklists done. I did not question the captain about my hearing the microphone clicks and if he was the one. I should have -- that might have reminded us to do so. Our communication broke down. Supplemental information from acn 542549: on the 4 prior trips I had to lihue during the 10 months I've been on this airplane, my first officer's (who had been there many times) took care of the runway lights. The runway lights appeared dim on this night but I was not concerned because many pilots want the runway lights turned down so as not to distract them. Turning the lights on low is one thing -- not turning the lights on at all is another. I always ask my first officer 'how are the interior lights?' before releasing the brakes and taxiing at night. Now I will add 'how are runway lights?' before we even taxi onto the runway. If the lights have not been turned on, that is when we should find out and remedy the situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LGT CREW DEPARTED AFTER THE PHL TWR WAS CLOSED FOR THE NIGHT. THEY FORGOT TO ACTIVATE THE RWY LIGHTS.

Narrative: FOR A NIGHT TKOF (WITH THE TWR CLOSED) TO THE MAINLAND, OUR ACFT WAS TO BE CONFIGURED: MAX PWR, FLAPS 20 DEGS, BLEEDS OFF. AFTER ENG START, I CALLED ON THE CTAF AND ANNOUNCED OUR TAXI INTENTIONS. ZHN HAD RELEASED US AND WE TAXIED TO THE HOLD SHORT WHERE WE COMPLETED ALL CHKLISTS. I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT HVY RAIN SHOWERS ON OUR DEP AND ASKED THE CAPT TO TURN UP THE RADAR AND CHK OUR RTE. WE DID NOT SEE ANY CELLS AND DECIDED WE WERE READY TO GO. I MADE THE APPROPRIATE ADVISORY CALLS WHILE THE CAPT TAXIED THE ACFT INTO POS FOR TKOF. HE THEN TOLD ME IT WAS MY ACFT AND I INITIATED A NORMAL TKOF. I FELT THE TKOF WAS NORMAL UNTIL AROUND 100 KTS. I THOUGHT THE RWY LOOKED DIFFERENT. I THEN DISCOVERED I HAD NO RWY LIGHTS ON MY SIDE (R SIDE). I THOUGHT I SAW THE LIGHTS VERY DIMLY ON THE L SIDE. NEXT I REMEMBERED THAT I HAD NOT MADE SEVERAL MIKE CLICKS TO TURN THE LIGHTS ON AND PERHAPS THEY WERE OFF! I REALIZED THIS AT OR CLOSE TO V1 VR. PRIOR TO ENG START, I HAD HEARD SEVERAL CLICKS ON THE ADVISORY FREQ AND THOUGHT THE CAPT WAS TURNING ON THE LIGHTS FOR US. AFTER WE LEVELED OFF AT CRUISE, I TOLD HIM WHAT I SAW AND ASKED IF HE HAD TURNED THE LIGHTS ON. HE SAID NO. THIS WAS MY FIRST NIGHT TKOF OUT OF LIHUE AND ONLY MY SECOND NO TWR OP -- EVER. I HAD JUST RECENTLY RETURNED TO FLYING. I HAD FLOWN 2 HAWAII TRIPS THE WK BEFORE AND FELT RUSTY AND TOLD THE CAPT THAT. I FELT MORE UP TO SPD ON THIS LIHUE TRIP. HOWEVER, WITH THE POSSIBLE WX ON DEP, THE UNUSUAL CONFIGN FOR TKOF, I WAS FEELING TASK SATURATED BUT FELT UP TO SPD AND READY TO FLY THE TKOF AND DEP ONCE WE GOT ALL THE CHKLISTS DONE. I DID NOT QUESTION THE CAPT ABOUT MY HEARING THE MIKE CLICKS AND IF HE WAS THE ONE. I SHOULD HAVE -- THAT MIGHT HAVE REMINDED US TO DO SO. OUR COM BROKE DOWN. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 542549: ON THE 4 PRIOR TRIPS I HAD TO LIHUE DURING THE 10 MONTHS I'VE BEEN ON THIS AIRPLANE, MY FO'S (WHO HAD BEEN THERE MANY TIMES) TOOK CARE OF THE RWY LIGHTS. THE RWY LIGHTS APPEARED DIM ON THIS NIGHT BUT I WAS NOT CONCERNED BECAUSE MANY PLTS WANT THE RWY LIGHTS TURNED DOWN SO AS NOT TO DISTRACT THEM. TURNING THE LIGHTS ON LOW IS ONE THING -- NOT TURNING THE LIGHTS ON AT ALL IS ANOTHER. I ALWAYS ASK MY FO 'HOW ARE THE INTERIOR LIGHTS?' BEFORE RELEASING THE BRAKES AND TAXIING AT NIGHT. NOW I WILL ADD 'HOW ARE RWY LIGHTS?' BEFORE WE EVEN TAXI ONTO THE RWY. IF THE LIGHTS HAVE NOT BEEN TURNED ON, THAT IS WHEN WE SHOULD FIND OUT AND REMEDY THE SIT.

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.