Narrative:

We had absorbed an approximately 3 hour rolling delay earlier in the morning. Our arriving aircraft had encountered WX delays and was very late getting to our station. Our day was scheduled as a 3 leg day. By the time we arrived in ZZZ we were running 86 mins late. Our last leg included an aircraft change. When I got to the jet it had already been loaded with the outbound passenger. The flight deck was dark and unattended. It became immediately apparent that the flight deck had not been preflted nor had the emergency lighting system been placed on. We had an airplane parked at the gate loaded with passenger without an operational emergency lighting system. Prior to loading passenger make sure the emergency lighting system is operational and functioning.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLT CREW ARRIVED AT ACFT TO DISCOVER THAT THE PASSENGERS HAD BEEN BOARDED; BUT THE EMER LIGHT SYSTEM WAS NOT ARMED FOR ACTIVATION.

Narrative: WE HAD ABSORBED AN APPROX 3 HR ROLLING DELAY EARLIER IN THE MORNING. OUR ARRIVING ACFT HAD ENCOUNTERED WX DELAYS AND WAS VERY LATE GETTING TO OUR STATION. OUR DAY WAS SCHEDULED AS A 3 LEG DAY. BY THE TIME WE ARRIVED IN ZZZ WE WERE RUNNING 86 MINS LATE. OUR LAST LEG INCLUDED AN ACFT CHANGE. WHEN I GOT TO THE JET IT HAD ALREADY BEEN LOADED WITH THE OUTBOUND PAX. THE FLT DECK WAS DARK AND UNATTENDED. IT BECAME IMMEDIATELY APPARENT THAT THE FLT DECK HAD NOT BEEN PREFLTED NOR HAD THE EMER LIGHTING SYS BEEN PLACED ON. WE HAD AN AIRPLANE PARKED AT THE GATE LOADED WITH PAX WITHOUT AN OPERATIONAL EMER LIGHTING SYS. PRIOR TO LOADING PAX MAKE SURE THE EMER LIGHTING SYS IS OPERATIONAL AND FUNCTIONING.

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.