GA small aircraft observed taking off at night without proper navigation lights.

Attributes
ACN	122136
Time
Date	198909
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dtw
State Reference	MI
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 2 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground : holding ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 20000
ASRS Report	122136
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Taxiing for takeoff to 3C at dtw. Following a small twin noticed no tail lights nor rotating beacon on the twin. I keyed the microphone and said to the light twin, 'aircraft number one for 3C should turn some lights on'. He didn't acknowledge but tower answered and said he was on a different frequency. Then they relayed my comment, but no more lights appeared. The twin was cleared into position. I repeated my statement to the tower, but they did not answer. Instead they cleared him for takeoff. At that point a strobe appeared from the right wing only, and he took off. I told the tower that I had tried to advise them that an airplane was about to depart with insufficient lighting, but they had cleared him to take off anyway. Their reply was that the twin pilot had told them all his light switches were on. My answer to that was that I was outside looking at him, and that his switches may have been on, but that was all.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA OBSERVED TAKING OFF AT NIGHT WITHOUT PROPER NAVIGATION LIGHTS.

Narrative: TAXIING FOR TKOF TO 3C AT DTW. FOLLOWING A SMALL TWIN NOTICED NO TAIL LIGHTS NOR ROTATING BEACON ON THE TWIN. I KEYED THE MIC AND SAID TO THE LIGHT TWIN, 'ACFT NUMBER ONE FOR 3C SHOULD TURN SOME LIGHTS ON'. HE DIDN'T ACKNOWLEDGE BUT TWR ANSWERED AND SAID HE WAS ON A DIFFERENT FREQ. THEN THEY RELAYED MY COMMENT, BUT NO MORE LIGHTS APPEARED. THE TWIN WAS CLRED INTO POSITION. I REPEATED MY STATEMENT TO THE TWR, BUT THEY DID NOT ANSWER. INSTEAD THEY CLRED HIM FOR TKOF. AT THAT POINT A STROBE APPEARED FROM THE RIGHT WING ONLY, AND HE TOOK OFF. I TOLD THE TWR THAT I HAD TRIED TO ADVISE THEM THAT AN AIRPLANE WAS ABOUT TO DEPART WITH INSUFFICIENT LIGHTING, BUT THEY HAD CLRED HIM TO TAKE OFF ANYWAY. THEIR REPLY WAS THAT THE TWIN PLT HAD TOLD THEM ALL HIS LIGHT SWITCHES WERE ON. MY ANSWER TO THAT WAS THAT I WAS OUTSIDE LOOKING AT HIM, AND THAT HIS SWITCHES MAY HAVE BEEN ON, BUT THAT WAS ALL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.