RWY THRESHOLD AND RWY EDGE LIGHTS OTS TEMPORARY LIGHTS IN PLACE ACR X MADE UNAUTH LNDG ACCORDING TO COMPANY FLT OPS MANUAL.
Synopsis
RWY THRESHOLD AND RWY EDGE LIGHTS OTS TEMPORARY LIGHTS IN PLACE ACR X MADE UNAUTH LNDG ACCORDING TO COMPANY FLT OPS MANUAL.
Narrative
ACR X APCHING LGA; WE RECEIVED A SELCAL VIA ACARS ABOUT RWY LIGHTING OUTAGES AT OUR DEST. UPON LISTENING TO ATIS; WE LEARNED THAT RWY AND THRESHOLD LIGHTING WERE OUT; APPARENTLY DUE TO HVY RAIN EARLIER IN THE DAY; AS THE CAPT ASSESSED THE FLT OPS MANUAL; WHEN THESE LIGHTS ARE OUT; SUBSTITUTE LIGHTING CAN BE USED AT 1/2 THE NUMBER FOR THE RWY EDGE LIGHTS; AND ALL THE THRESHOLD.; IN THIS CASE AT LGA; RWY 4; ONLY HALF THE LIGHTS WERE BEING SUBSTITUTED FOR BOTH EDGE AND THRESHOLD. FOR SOME REASON; AS THE CAPT READ THE LIGHTING REQUIREMENTS FOR VISIBILITY LESS THAN 3 MI AT NIGHT; HE EITHER OVERLOOKED THE FACT THAT ALL THRESHOLD LIGHTS WERE REQUIRED; OR ELSE DID NOT REALIZE THAT THE ATIS RPTED ONLY 1/2 OF THE LIGHTS WERE BEING SUBSTITUTED. I AM NOT REQUIRED TO CARRY MY COPY OF THE FOM; SO I NEVER READ THAT PAGE AFTER THE CAPT DID. IN RETROSPECT; I SHOULD HAVE: 2 HEADS ARE BETTER THAN 1. AS WE BROKE OUT OF THE OVCST; IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT THE THRESHOLD LIGHTS WERE ALL ON AND VERY BRIGHT; BUT WE COULD NOT MAKE OUT THE EDGE LIGHTING UNTIL CLOSER. AFTER LNDG; DISPATCHER AND CAPT DISCUSSED SIT. WE LATER TOOK OFF ON SAME RWY; AFTER THE AIRLINE COMPLAINED TO PORT AUTH. ARRS WERE PUT ON RWY 31; NOT RWY 4. AS WE TAXIED INTO POS ON RWY 4 FOR TKOF; ALL THRESHOLD PRIMARY LIGHTS WERE ON; WITH THE SUBSTITUTE LIGHTS STILL THERE BUT NOT ON; AND THE ATIS STILL RPTING THE THRESHOLD LIGHTS OUT WITH 1/2 SUBSTITUTION. I BELIEVE THE THRESHOLD LIGHTS WERE ALL WORKING THE WHOLE TIME; EVEN WHILE WE LANDED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 286943: A NOTAM WAS IN EFFECT THAT SHOWED LAGUARDIA RWY 4/22 RWY LIGHTS WERE OTS. A COMPANY FIELD CONDITION RPT INDICATED THAT SUBSTITUTE LIGHTING WAS EMPLOYED. A PHONE CALL TO THE LGA ATIS INDICATED THAT WHILE THE RWY EDGE LIGHTING WAS SUFFICIENT TO MEET THE COMPANY OPS SPECS; THE SUBSTITUTE THRESHOLD LIGHTING ON RWY 04 WAS OTS AND EVERY OTHER LIGHT WAS SUBSTITUTED WITH PORTABLE LIGHTING. IN A PHONE CONVERSATION LGA TWR PERSONNEL INITIALLY INDICATED THAT THE THRESHOLD LIGHT WAS COMPLETELY OTS WITH NO SUBSTITUTION. AFTER THEY HAD CHKED WITH THE ARPT MGMNT THEY CONFIRMED THAT ONLY EVERY OTHER THRESHOLD LIGHT HAD A SUBSTITUTE. COMPANY OPS SPECS REQUIRE THAT ALL THRESHOLD LIGHT BE OPERATIVE; OR BE SUBSTITUTED ON A 1 FOR 1 BASIS WHEN RWY EDGE LIGHTS ARE REQUIRED.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.