CAPT OF AN ACR MLG LANDED AT NIGHT WITH ONE SIDE OF THE RWY EDGE LIGHTING OUT. FLC QUESTION THE LACK OF CLARIFICATION IN THE WORDING OF THE AIRWAY MANUAL IN DETERMINING THE LEGAL REQUIREMENT OF NECESSARY RWY LIGHTING FOR LNDG.

Narrative

RECEIVED MOBILE WX APPROX 30 MINS OUT. MOBILE CALLING CLR SKIES; WINDS 340 DEGS AT 8 KTS. AT APPROX 20 MINS OUT; ATIS WAS CALLING CLR SKIES AND WINDS 340 DEGS AT 4 KTS. WE CONTACTED APCH. THEY ADVISED US THE WINDS WERE 140 DEGS AT 4 KTS. BECAUSE OF THE PREVAILING WINDS FROM THE N; WE REQUESTED A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 32 WITH A L DOWNWIND. HE CLRED US FOR A VISUAL APCH; R DOWNWIND AND CLRED TO LAND. HE THEN INFORMED US THAT THE W EDGE LIGHTS OF RWY 32 WERE OUT. IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT I EVER SAW 1/2 OF ALL RWY EDGE LIGHTS INOP. WE REFED PG 3-6 'RWY EDGE LIGHTS INOP' PAGE OF THE AIRWAY MANUAL. IT WAS NIGHT VMC; THE WX WAS CLR; THE RWY HAD MALSR APCH LIGHTS; AND A VASI WAS ON THE L-HAND SIDE. RWY DID NOT HAVE CTRLINE LIGHTS. BECAUSE OF THE STRUCTURE OF THAT PAGE AND THE REQUIRED LIGHTING SECTION; WE WERE UNCLR WHETHER CTRLINE LIGHTS WERE REQUIRED FOR THIS APCH AND LNDG. THE SENTENCE STRUCTURE LEADS ONE TO BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE NOT. BECAUSE HE DID HAVE THE OTHER REQUIRED LIGHTS AND 1/2 OF THE RWY EDGE LIGHTS; I FELT THAT IT WAS ABSOLUTELY SAFE TO LAND ON RWY 32 WITH THESE FACTORS TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION AND THE WX. WE FLEW AN UNEVENTFUL DOWNWIND AND UNEVENTFUL BASE AND LNDG. PARENTHETICALLY; NO OTHER RWY WAS AVAILABLE (4365 FT). I RECOMMEND THAT THIS SECTION OF THE AIRWAY MANUAL BE CLARIFIED SO THAT NO AMBIGUITY EXISTS. THIS LEG WAS THE LAST ONE OF A LONG DAY THAT COMPLETED 3 LONG ON-DUTY DAYS. THIS CONTRIBUTED TO THE AMBIGUITY.