Lights timing out on final

Morne

Morne

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Morne
This happened awhile ago, but I thought I'd pose the question anyways:

Back when I was a student pilot my CFI and I were doing some night flying (maybe the night XC). We went to an uncontrolled field and keyed up the pilot controlled lighting. After landing and getting clear, we dug out the airport diagram and stared at it under the lights for a minute to figure out where we needed to taxi. Finally got that straight and meandered over. The whole time we're discussing some of the oral exam questions. Finally take off and fly the pattern. Just as I turn final...

THE LIGHTS SUDDENLY GO OUT

It was a touch disconcerting and my first instinct was to go around. My CFI just quickly clicked the mic 7 times and everything reappeared (right where it was supposed to be).

If this happened to you (solo) today, what would you do?

I think I'd execute the go around and do my 7 clicks once I returned to pattern altitude.
 
I key up on pattern entry or at the final approach fix, and the lights have always stayed on long enough for me.
 
When using pilot controlled lighting, I was in the habit of clicking the mic 5 or 7 times as I was on Base leg and made my position call. Just in case :)
 
Most lights at uncontrolled fields are on a timer - not sure what the 'standard' time is on that timer, though.

Since doing my IR, I have gotten in the habit of clicking the lights up few times while on approach - I don't want to fly an entire approach and then get in the 'clear' only to realize that they lights have timed out. Even if the lights are on, you can click them on again and that will reset the timer. If you're doing a lot of bump-n-go's at night, you might get in the habit of clicking the lights on again while on downwind or something.
 
I now get the whole "key it up again so you don't have to worry about it" practice. Great habit to get into.

But the question remains - for whatever reason (maybe a power outage?) if the lights go out on final, what do you do?
 
I'd probably go around, and if I couldn't get them re-lit then I'd decide whether to land or go elsewhere.
 
If real familiar with the airport and on short final when they went out, I'd try to re-click them on and even if they didn't, I'd likely continue the approach with the landing light guiding the way. If on base and they went out, I'd click, if nothing, click again, if nothing, climb out and go around. My training airport (Perkiomen N10) was able to get good signal to the reciever when overtop of the airport better than when on Base leg for 27. May have been the position of the equipment.
 
During my instrument training I was number two departing from KMIV. After the first plane had taken off I made my calls and rolled out on the runway. I kept it rolling and powered up, about 50-55 kts the runway lights went out. I repeated fly the plane a few times and rotated around 65kts. My main concern was the potential for deer at Millville and my (at the time) crap wing tip landing light in my Sundowner. I've since switched to an LED.

Lesson learned sitting at the hold short, click the lights to reset the timer!
 
p1l0t said:
If you adjust the intensity I THINK that resets the timer again.

<---<^>--->
Click to expand...

It does. They are timed to illuminate for 15 minutes from the last activation. I have had the lights go out on short final once, but never again. VFR, I activate high intensity at 10 miles out and then reduce to medium intensity on pattern entry. IFR, I activate high intensity when starting the approach and also at the FAF.
 
Key the lights? wuss. Just land without 'em :D ... as I actually did when the lights turned off on me once when I was not just on final, but 50 feet off the ground on final a couple seconds before the flare. With my landing lights off because I forgot to turn them on. Oh, my poor heart. Switched on the landing light and landed without the runway lights (I could have keyed the mike but I was afraid turning them on while on flare would be blinding), wondering the whole time "what if the bulb chose that moment to burn out?". The funny part was that my passenger didn't even realize anything was particularly wrong - all she did was note after we were down that "it seemed awfully dark for a moment there". Yeah, hon. It sure did.

Ever since that incident, I have acquired the same habit others are mentioning, which is to key the mike again on downwind or base, just to be sure.

I do love flying at night though, so much so that over half my time in the air since getting my PPL a few months ago is at night, and most of my landings. Fetish. I sometimes do a stop-n-go often just for kicks - hence the above, on a second go around.
 
I don't turn the lights on until I'm within 2 minutes of the airport. It better not take me 13 minutes to land.
 
If you're already on final, you should already be on a glide path for the touchdown zone. Just keep your glide path consistent with other visible ground reference and land. It's happened to me before.
 
Alan's going to show up here in a second and say he just pointed the NightSun on the bottom of the helicopter at the runway... :)

Someone mentioned 15 minutes. There's no requirement for it to be that long, as far as I can find...
 
This happened to me TWICE in a week. Two night flights recently. I told the airport manager and he said it was a known issue that happened right after they switched from lights on all night (bright) to 3-intensity-pilot-controlled lighting (off when not activated).

The lights were not OUT but they were on the dimmest setting, barely visible. Add to that the 4-light PAPI on the brightest setting, blinding you. I said to my pilot passenger I was going to do a low pass, go around, then land, but when I got over the numbers I decided it was OK to land. The second time in a different plane I was ready for the "problem" and landed anyway. I would most likely land or attempt to land with the lights out if I could find the airport in the first place, since I have a rental plane and not sure how else I could tell the flight school that the plane is at another airport, get a taxi cab to take me back to my car which would be at the original lights out airport etc.
 
That happened to me when I was a low-time student. The lights went out as we turned final, and I laughed. The first thing I thought of was Airplane! Johnny, up in the tower, pulling the plug. At the same time, keyed the mike five times and landed normally. And then had to explain to the CFI what was so funny.
 
CJones said:
Most lights at uncontrolled fields are on a timer - not sure what the 'standard' time is on that timer, though.

Since doing my IR, I have gotten in the habit of clicking the lights up few times while on approach - I don't want to fly an entire approach and then get in the 'clear' only to realize that they lights have timed out. Even if the lights are on, you can click them on again and that will reset the timer. If you're doing a lot of bump-n-go's at night, you might get in the habit of clicking the lights on again while on downwind or something.
Click to expand...

My home airport toggles. Click 7 times, lights on. 7 more times, lights go out.
 
If someone forgot and left the test switch in the radio receiver in the "test" position, they time out really fast. Of course, I've never done that so I don't know how I know it.
 
Morne said:
If this happened to you (solo) today, what would you do?

I think I'd execute the go around and do my 7 clicks once I returned to pattern altitude.
Click to expand...
Probably I'd do exactly what your CFI did. If it happened just after turning final as in your case, I should be able to get the lights back on before being too far off course unless there is a gusting crosswind.

Now if I was on short final, no moon, very dark field, then I'd execute an immediate go-around -- on the gauges -- and then do as you said once at a safe altitude.
 
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One other point... Just make sure you have the 'current' frequency..

http://www.ntsb.gov/aviationquery/brief2.aspx?ev_id=20010105X00028&ntsbno=DEN01FA030&akey=1


I was plowing snow that morning and saw that plane approach the airport.. Didn't see any runway lights come on so I guessed it was a Missed approach... I continued to plow some more of my customers driveways when I look over to see two people running down the taxiway and head to the closed commercial terminal door... They banged on it for a while till someone opened it.. About that time I realized the plane I saw was down somewhere on the airport... I figured they slid off the runway because it was darn slick that night... Seems the crew didn't get the lights on by using the OLD freq so they lined up on the PAPI's thinking it was the runway end lights... BAD move :nono::nono::nono:.... Plane was destroyed like you cannot believe and actually have people not get hurt.. Oh yeah,,, the two people running down the taxiway was:dunno: Sandra Bullock and her friend coming home :rolleyes2:... That was one of her nine lives she used up that night.:yesnod::yesnod::idea:
 
TMetzinger said:
I key up on pattern entry or at the final approach fix, and the lights have always stayed on long enough for me.
Click to expand...

The OP landed, studied a taxi diagram, taxied, took off, and the lights timed out on his second pattern, final.

I know a lot of pilots that rekey the lights on downwind, so the don't go out in the flare.
 
Speaking as a matter of technique, I usually have the lights on high (7 clicks- when a high setting is available) while 10 miles out and when I join downwind I'll go to medium (5 clicks), and after turning final I'll set it to low (3 clicks).

This keeps the 15min clock running for the lights and on final it helps keep the lights from messing up your vision (high/medium settings can throw your depth perception off... Just depends on the person).

If doing touch and goes I usually key up to high or medium on upwind (setting depends on how city/other lights affect keeping airport in sight) and on final I do the same as I mentioned above - go to low. Pretty much all a matter of technique.... BUT, I wouldn't go around if I had the lights time out when on final. Just key the mic 3 times and continue. I don't think keying the mic on final adversely affects safety, but you can't put a time limit on safety so if you personally are uncomfortable about something with a landing don't hesitate to go around... It's the second guessing while on final that can bite you.
 
Hey guys I noticed quite a few issues that some of you had are covered in the AIM as to PCL. Look at 2-1-8 :)
 
ateamer said:
That happened to me when I was a low-time student. The lights went out as we turned final, and I laughed. The first thing I thought of was Airplane! Johnny, up in the tower, pulling the plug. At the same time, keyed the mike five times and landed normally. And then had to explain to the CFI what was so funny.
Click to expand...

+1

<---<^>--->
 
All depends on the field. If it was a large runway and my light was already picking up the runway i'd just land.

That said last night I had my landing light go out while I was dropping off a passenger at a small field with crappy lights. It was almost completely dark when I landed and I elected to catch a ride home instead of making the taxi and take off with no landing light. While I was deciding what to do, a bunch of deer walked across the ramp.
 
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