AN ACR MLG LANDED AT NIGHT WITHOUT RWY LIGHTS. THE PLT OPERATED LIGHTS TIMED OUT JUST BEFORE THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN.

Narrative

WE APCHED ITHICA ARPT AFTER XA00. THE TWR AT ITH CLOSES AT XA00. ELMIRA APCH VECTORED US TO ILS RWY 32 AND CLRED US FOR THE APCH. INBOUND TO THE MARKER; THE CAPT KEYED THE TWR FREQ TO ACTIVATE THE RWY LIGHTING; AND RPTED IN THE BLIND THAT WE WERE ON THE ILS APCH TO RWY 32. WE BROKE OUT AT ABOUT 1200 FT AGL AND HAD THE RWY IN SIGHT. THE CAPT KEYED THE MIKE AGAIN TO DIM THE RWY LIGHTS. AT ABOUT THAT TIME THE LIGHTS WENT OFF. ONLY THE VASI WAS OPERATIONAL. WE COULD SEE THE RWY IN THE LNDG LIGHTS AND ELECTED IT TO BE SAFE TO LAND AT THIS POINT. AFTER LNDG; THE RWY AND TAXI LIGHTS CAME BACK ON. WE TAXIED TO THE GATE WITHOUT EVENT. AN ARPT EMPLOYEE SEEMED TO HAVE A PROB WITH THIS. HE TOLD US THE ONLY WAY HE KNOWS AN AIRPLANE IS ON APCH IS BY THE LIGHTS BEING ON; AND THAT HE COULD HAVE BEEN OUT THERE SANDING. WE ASKED HIM IF HE MONITORS THE FREQ. HE REPLIED THAT HE WAS NOT IN THE TRUCK AT THE TIME; AND THE LIGHTS WERE STILL ON FROM A PREVIOUS ACFT LNDG AND THAT HE SWITCHED THE RWY LIGHTS BACK ON. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR IS A FO ON THE FK10. HIS CAPT ALSO RPTED THIS INCIDENT TO THE ASRS. THE ITH ARPT MGR SENT A LETTER TO THE RPTR'S CHIEF PLT STATING THAT THERE WAS A TRUCK ON THE RWY WHEN THE ACFT LANDED. THE RPTR DID NOT SEE ANY TRUCK. THE RPTR BELIEVES THAT A COPY OF THE LETTER WAS ALSO SENT TO THE FAA; HOWEVER HE HAS NOT HEARD FROM THEM. THE LIGHTS CAME BACK ON AFTER THE ACFT WAS ON THE GND. THE VEHICLE DRIVER CLAIMS THAT HE TURNED THEM ON; AS THERE WAS NO OTHER ACFT IN THE VICINITY. THE RPTR IS NOW AWARE THAT ONE MUST HAVE RWY LIGHTS TO LAND WITH ACR PAX AT NIGHT; AND THAT IT IS A GOOD IDEA TO BE STANDING AT THE READY TO RESTART THE LIGHT CYCLE. THE LIGHTS WENT OFF WHEN THE ACFT WAS ON VERY SHORT FINAL. THE CREW DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO DO MUCH MORE THAN LAND; THEN TALK ABOUT IT.