B737 flight crew is informed during a CAT ii ILS approach that the approach light system is out of s...

Narrative:

Weather was bad at tpa and with 100 foot ceilings reported. We were number 3 being vectored for the ILS runway 18L. The first aircraft had gone missed approach and it seemed as though the controller was unsure of that aircraft's intentions. Number 2 was another carrier ahead of us that ATC broke off the approach and gave them vectors back around (possibly due to the aircraft ahead). We were told to fly 180 to the FAF and had just been vectored across final and given a reintercept heading from the east side of the localizer course. We were then told that the approach lights for runway 18L were inoperative. The current ATIS did not reflect that nor did the NOTAMS that we had for the field. The captain elected to hand fly the aircraft with the HUD for the CAT ii approach into runway 18L. The approach was flown to near minimums with runway lighting acquisition and an uneventful landing. I think that the approach controllers should have been more proactive as to the lack of available instrument lighting for the approach to that runway. We were not informed until after the approach had already begun as to any failure of airport equipment. CAT ii approaches are flown so infrequently that maybe further training as to required equipment would be helpful.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 Flight Crew is informed during a CAT II ILS approach that the approach light system is out of service. Approach is continued and runway lights are acquired prior to minimums.

Narrative: Weather was bad at TPA and with 100 foot ceilings reported. We were number 3 being vectored for the ILS Runway 18L. The first aircraft had gone missed approach and it seemed as though the Controller was unsure of that aircraft's intentions. Number 2 was another carrier ahead of us that ATC broke off the approach and gave them vectors back around (possibly due to the aircraft ahead). We were told to fly 180 to the FAF and had just been vectored across final and given a reintercept heading from the east side of the LOC course. We were then told that the approach lights for Runway 18L were inoperative. The current ATIS did not reflect that nor did the NOTAMS that we had for the field. The Captain elected to hand fly the aircraft with the HUD for the CAT II approach into Runway 18L. The approach was flown to near minimums with runway lighting acquisition and an uneventful landing. I think that the Approach Controllers should have been more proactive as to the lack of available instrument lighting for the approach to that runway. We were not informed until after the approach had already begun as to any failure of airport equipment. CAT II approaches are flown so infrequently that maybe further training as to required equipment would be helpful.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.

Attributes
ACN	863834
Time
Date	200912
Local Time Of Day	1801-2400
Place
Locale Reference	TPA.Airport
State Reference	FL
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	B737 Next Generation Undifferentiated
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Landing
Route In Use	Vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	First Officer Pilot Not Flying
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 146
Person 2
Function	Pilot Flying Captain
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 198
Events
Anomaly	ATC Issue All Types Deviation - Procedural FAR Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence

B737 flight crew is informed during a CAT ii ILS approach that the approach light system is out of service. Approach is continued and runway lights are acquired prior to minimums.