Narrative:

A stationary wet WX pattern was in place at ord during my approach. Typical low summer rain clouds have ragged bottoms and as luck would have it a ragged bottom caused me to break out at 250 ft DH instead of 700 ft. My copilot called out the runway based on having observed the PAPI. Those lights have a three position light settings independent of the approach or runway lights five step system I understand. When I look up from the instruments; I saw nothing; no approach lights; no runway lights; and no runway 09L concrete! An instant later; I saw the gray figure of the runway with greater definition as I descended. The approach lights were not visible nor were the runway lights or the runway termination lights. If they were on; they were at such a low setting that they had no brilliance. I can not imagine that they were off but I saw no lights. I did not have sunglasses on. The two other pilots on the flight deck told me they did not see the 'approach lights' either while taxiing to parking. I have noticed a distinct lack of proper lighting at ord over the years since the new tower was built and the new computer controlled lighting system was installed. There is no brilliance to their lights. I suspect that the computer software that is controlling the ord approach and runway lights is not set correctly. My standard of measurement is simple as I approach the runway I ask myself do I see the approach or runway lights before seeing the gray of the runway concrete. I should see the lights in the distance first. There were no NOTAMS on runway 09L at that time. The way ord manages its approach and runway lights is very poor. When a pilot really needs the lights they are not there! I look to a prompt response from the FAA.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the runway 9L lighting system was notamed OTS; and the flight crew missed the notice that was sent to them via ACARS. He admitted that was the flight crew's mistake. However; the reporter stated that when comparing the runway lighting at ord to lax; there's a significant difference. He felt that the computer/software that controls the runway lighting system at ord appears to need 'tweaking' to increase the intensity during low light conditions. He has operated numerous times in and out of the runways at ord and the lighting is always less than other airports.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767-300 FLT CREW RPTS LESS THAN EXPECTED RWY/APCH LIGHTING INTENSITY DURING APCH TO RWY 9L AT ORD.

Narrative: A STATIONARY WET WX PATTERN WAS IN PLACE AT ORD DURING MY APCH. TYPICAL LOW SUMMER RAIN CLOUDS HAVE RAGGED BOTTOMS AND AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT A RAGGED BOTTOM CAUSED ME TO BREAK OUT AT 250 FT DH INSTEAD OF 700 FT. MY COPLT CALLED OUT THE RWY BASED ON HAVING OBSERVED THE PAPI. THOSE LIGHTS HAVE A THREE POSITION LIGHT SETTINGS INDEPENDENT OF THE APCH OR RWY LIGHTS FIVE STEP SYSTEM I UNDERSTAND. WHEN I LOOK UP FROM THE INSTRUMENTS; I SAW NOTHING; NO APCH LIGHTS; NO RWY LIGHTS; AND NO RWY 09L CONCRETE! AN INSTANT LATER; I SAW THE GRAY FIGURE OF THE RWY WITH GREATER DEFINITION AS I DSNDED. THE APCH LIGHTS WERE NOT VISIBLE NOR WERE THE RWY LIGHTS OR THE RWY TERMINATION LIGHTS. IF THEY WERE ON; THEY WERE AT SUCH A LOW SETTING THAT THEY HAD NO BRILLIANCE. I CAN NOT IMAGINE THAT THEY WERE OFF BUT I SAW NO LIGHTS. I DID NOT HAVE SUNGLASSES ON. THE TWO OTHER PLTS ON THE FLT DECK TOLD ME THEY DID NOT SEE THE 'APCH LIGHTS' EITHER WHILE TAXIING TO PARKING. I HAVE NOTICED A DISTINCT LACK OF PROPER LIGHTING AT ORD OVER THE YEARS SINCE THE NEW TWR WAS BUILT AND THE NEW COMPUTER CONTROLLED LIGHTING SYSTEM WAS INSTALLED. THERE IS NO BRILLIANCE TO THEIR LIGHTS. I SUSPECT THAT THE COMPUTER SOFTWARE THAT IS CONTROLLING THE ORD APCH AND RWY LIGHTS IS NOT SET CORRECTLY. MY STANDARD OF MEASUREMENT IS SIMPLE AS I APCH THE RWY I ASK MYSELF DO I SEE THE APCH OR RWY LIGHTS BEFORE SEEING THE GRAY OF THE RWY CONCRETE. I SHOULD SEE THE LIGHTS IN THE DISTANCE FIRST. THERE WERE NO NOTAMS ON RWY 09L AT THAT TIME. THE WAY ORD MANAGES ITS APCH AND RWY LIGHTS IS VERY POOR. WHEN A PLT REALLY NEEDS THE LIGHTS THEY ARE NOT THERE! I LOOK TO A PROMPT RESPONSE FROM THE FAA.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE RWY 9L LIGHTING SYSTEM WAS NOTAMED OTS; AND THE FLT CREW MISSED THE NOTICE THAT WAS SENT TO THEM VIA ACARS. HE ADMITTED THAT WAS THE FLT CREW'S MISTAKE. HOWEVER; THE RPTR STATED THAT WHEN COMPARING THE RWY LIGHTING AT ORD TO LAX; THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE. HE FELT THAT THE COMPUTER/SOFTWARE THAT CONTROLS THE RWY LIGHTING SYSTEM AT ORD APPEARS TO NEED 'TWEAKING' TO INCREASE THE INTENSITY DURING LOW LIGHT CONDITIONS. HE HAS OPERATED NUMEROUS TIMES IN AND OUT OF THE RWYS AT ORD AND THE LIGHTING IS ALWAYS LESS THAN OTHER ARPTS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.