Narrative:

I departed dfw en route to killeen (ile) texas. There were thunderstorms to the south and west of ile but none encountered on the trip there. Reaching little intersection 36 NM south of waco (altitude) killeen was seen with clear skies within 5 NM, however, thunderstorms were painting on the radar to the south, west and north. We were approaching from the east. The rotating beacon was observed, gray approach was advised and we were given a vector to the field and clearance for a visual approach. At this time I asked my first officer to make sure the pilot control lighting was up on its highest intensity. Note: ile was still in the clear but thunderstorms were moving in. If the lights would have illuminated the approach and landing would have been uneventful. This was not the case, only the approach lights illuminated no runway lights. There were no NOTAMS listed for ile. We circled south of the field to determine a plan of action where we concluded that the WX that was north of the field was moving southeast restricting a retreat to the east. The WX south was moving north and was now becoming a factor for us circling to the south. In our opinion the only option was a landing at ile. Localizer and GS were tuned for guidance and the landing was uneventful. Note: prior to our arrival another regional carrier landed without any problems and 1 hour after a company aircraft landed. The correct pilot controlled lighting frequency was used because the approach lights changed intensity.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER ACFT ENCOUNTERS LNDG SIT WITH INOP RWY LIGHTS.

Narrative: I DEPARTED DFW ENRTE TO KILLEEN (ILE) TEXAS. THERE WERE TSTMS TO THE S AND W OF ILE BUT NONE ENCOUNTERED ON THE TRIP THERE. REACHING LITTLE INTXN 36 NM S OF WACO (ALT) KILLEEN WAS SEEN WITH CLR SKIES WITHIN 5 NM, HOWEVER, TSTMS WERE PAINTING ON THE RADAR TO THE S, W AND N. WE WERE APCHING FROM THE E. THE ROTATING BEACON WAS OBSERVED, GRAY APCH WAS ADVISED AND WE WERE GIVEN A VECTOR TO THE FIELD AND CLRNC FOR A VISUAL APCH. AT THIS TIME I ASKED MY FO TO MAKE SURE THE PLT CTL LIGHTING WAS UP ON ITS HIGHEST INTENSITY. NOTE: ILE WAS STILL IN THE CLR BUT TSTMS WERE MOVING IN. IF THE LIGHTS WOULD HAVE ILLUMINATED THE APCH AND LNDG WOULD HAVE BEEN UNEVENTFUL. THIS WAS NOT THE CASE, ONLY THE APCH LIGHTS ILLUMINATED NO RWY LIGHTS. THERE WERE NO NOTAMS LISTED FOR ILE. WE CIRCLED S OF THE FIELD TO DETERMINE A PLAN OF ACTION WHERE WE CONCLUDED THAT THE WX THAT WAS N OF THE FIELD WAS MOVING SE RESTRICTING A RETREAT TO THE E. THE WX S WAS MOVING N AND WAS NOW BECOMING A FACTOR FOR US CIRCLING TO THE S. IN OUR OPINION THE ONLY OPTION WAS A LNDG AT ILE. LOC AND GS WERE TUNED FOR GUIDANCE AND THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. NOTE: PRIOR TO OUR ARR ANOTHER REGIONAL CARRIER LANDED WITHOUT ANY PROBS AND 1 HR AFTER A COMPANY ACFT LANDED. THE CORRECT PCL FREQ WAS USED BECAUSE THE APCH LIGHTS CHANGED INTENSITY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.