Narrative:

I received a message from dispatch regarding my inquiry as to my legality for an approach to runway 4R at bos with the runway edge lights inoperative with WX at the time of 3/4 mi visibility in snow at night that stated 'chief pilot; say you are legal for a CAT I approach with runway edge lights inoperative at night.' I cannot find any pilot or union safety person that agrees with this. Approach legality chart said edge lights are required. It was only a partial failure of the edge lights -- first 3000 ft -- and that does not seem to be addressed but the message I received seemed to say we could accept an approach without any edge lights. We ended up doing a runway 4L ILS circle-to-land runway 4L because the WX came up to 5 mi visibility; but I hear this is a constant problem at bos and if the WX had stayed the same (3/4 mi visibility) the only runways clear of snow were runway 4L (no approach) runway 9 (no approach) and runway 4R so you would either be diverting or following the interpretation of the chief pilot message and doing a CAT I approach without edge lights.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757-200 FLT CREW WAS INFORMED THAT THE RWY EDGE LIGHTS WERE OUT FOR A PORTION OF RWY 4R AT BOS DURING NIGHT OPERATIONS. THE COMPANY ATTEMPTED TO CONVINCE THE FLT CREW THAT IT WAS LEGAL TO CONDUCT A CAT I ILS APCH AND LAND ON THE RWY.

Narrative: I RECEIVED A MESSAGE FROM DISPATCH REGARDING MY INQUIRY AS TO MY LEGALITY FOR AN APCH TO RWY 4R AT BOS WITH THE RWY EDGE LIGHTS INOP WITH WX AT THE TIME OF 3/4 MI VISIBILITY IN SNOW AT NIGHT THAT STATED 'CHIEF PLT; SAY YOU ARE LEGAL FOR A CAT I APCH WITH RWY EDGE LIGHTS INOP AT NIGHT.' I CANNOT FIND ANY PLT OR UNION SAFETY PERSON THAT AGREES WITH THIS. APCH LEGALITY CHART SAID EDGE LIGHTS ARE REQUIRED. IT WAS ONLY A PARTIAL FAILURE OF THE EDGE LIGHTS -- FIRST 3000 FT -- AND THAT DOES NOT SEEM TO BE ADDRESSED BUT THE MESSAGE I RECEIVED SEEMED TO SAY WE COULD ACCEPT AN APCH WITHOUT ANY EDGE LIGHTS. WE ENDED UP DOING A RWY 4L ILS CIRCLE-TO-LAND RWY 4L BECAUSE THE WX CAME UP TO 5 MI VISIBILITY; BUT I HEAR THIS IS A CONSTANT PROB AT BOS AND IF THE WX HAD STAYED THE SAME (3/4 MI VISIBILITY) THE ONLY RWYS CLR OF SNOW WERE RWY 4L (NO APCH) RWY 9 (NO APCH) AND RWY 4R SO YOU WOULD EITHER BE DIVERTING OR FOLLOWING THE INTERP OF THE CHIEF PLT MESSAGE AND DOING A CAT I APCH WITHOUT EDGE LIGHTS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.