Narrative:

Flight was cleared by lax approach to 'approach runway 25L and land runway 25R.' as the flight lined up with runway 25R it became apparent that part of the runway lights were not operational. Both left and right edge of runway lights were off or very dim for the first 2/3 of the runway. All other lights were in operations. Lax tower could not understand what we were telling them about lights out. Their reply, 'all lights are on as far as our indications show.' uneventful landing made on runway 25R with runway side lights out. Lax tower could not understand how the lights could be out. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: even though the tower could not understand what flight crew told them, that part of the lights were out, they did react, and when same crew departed short time later all of the lights were working, so were either fixed or another switch turned on. What reporter could not understand was tower personnel not being able to see runway lights. I explained to him that some airports, and especially lax, cannot necessarily see all of the runway lights due to location of tower.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT ON APCH FOUND FIRST TWO THIRDS OF RWY LIGHTS EITHER INOPERATIVE OR VERY DIM.

Narrative: FLT WAS CLRED BY LAX APCH TO 'APCH RWY 25L AND LAND RWY 25R.' AS THE FLT LINED UP WITH RWY 25R IT BECAME APPARENT THAT PART OF THE RWY LIGHTS WERE NOT OPERATIONAL. BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT EDGE OF RWY LIGHTS WERE OFF OR VERY DIM FOR THE FIRST 2/3 OF THE RWY. ALL OTHER LIGHTS WERE IN OPERATIONS. LAX TWR COULD NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT WE WERE TELLING THEM ABOUT LIGHTS OUT. THEIR REPLY, 'ALL LIGHTS ARE ON AS FAR AS OUR INDICATIONS SHOW.' UNEVENTFUL LNDG MADE ON RWY 25R WITH RWY SIDE LIGHTS OUT. LAX TWR COULD NOT UNDERSTAND HOW THE LIGHTS COULD BE OUT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: EVEN THOUGH THE TWR COULD NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT FLT CREW TOLD THEM, THAT PART OF THE LIGHTS WERE OUT, THEY DID REACT, AND WHEN SAME CREW DEPARTED SHORT TIME LATER ALL OF THE LIGHTS WERE WORKING, SO WERE EITHER FIXED OR ANOTHER SWITCH TURNED ON. WHAT RPTR COULD NOT UNDERSTAND WAS TWR PERSONNEL NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE RWY LIGHTS. I EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT SOME ARPTS, AND ESPECIALLY LAX, CANNOT NECESSARILY SEE ALL OF THE RWY LIGHTS DUE TO LOCATION OF TWR.

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