Narrative:

A flight on our airline was dispatched 'jay only' due to emergency overwing exit light being inoperative. Flight departed newark, nj, at XA50 local. Sunset was at XC37 local. Flight time en route was scheduled to be 2:27 hours making the arrival time in fll at XD17, 10 mins past official night time. I thought the flight time was added to block out plus a few mins for taxi. Our taxi time was 1:09 due to local traffic and WX conditions. This excess taxi time put us over the night time rule by 10 mins. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the flight crew was flying a B727-200 with an overwing emergency exit exterior light inoperative and they were restr by the MEL to daylight operations only. An inordinate ground taxi delay was the cause for the aircraft landing at its destination approximately 10 mins after official sunset. Before takeoff the captain knew that the flight would arrive after sunset, but thought that the lighting conditions were going to satisfy the intent of the regulation. The FAA has not contacted the flight crew and the captain reports that the company had a 'white gloves' inspection shortly after this incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT EQUIP PROB -- ACR WITH AN MEL RESTR LIMITING OP TO DAYLIGHT HRS LANDS AFTER OFFICIAL SUNSET.

Narrative: A FLT ON OUR AIRLINE WAS DISPATCHED 'JAY ONLY' DUE TO EMER OVERWING EXIT LIGHT BEING INOP. FLT DEPARTED NEWARK, NJ, AT XA50 LCL. SUNSET WAS AT XC37 LCL. FLT TIME ENRTE WAS SCHEDULED TO BE 2:27 HRS MAKING THE ARR TIME IN FLL AT XD17, 10 MINS PAST OFFICIAL NIGHT TIME. I THOUGHT THE FLT TIME WAS ADDED TO BLOCK OUT PLUS A FEW MINS FOR TAXI. OUR TAXI TIME WAS 1:09 DUE TO LCL TFC AND WX CONDITIONS. THIS EXCESS TAXI TIME PUT US OVER THE NIGHT TIME RULE BY 10 MINS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE FLC WAS FLYING A B727-200 WITH AN OVERWING EMER EXIT EXTERIOR LIGHT INOP AND THEY WERE RESTR BY THE MEL TO DAYLIGHT OPS ONLY. AN INORDINATE GND TAXI DELAY WAS THE CAUSE FOR THE ACFT LNDG AT ITS DEST APPROX 10 MINS AFTER OFFICIAL SUNSET. BEFORE TKOF THE CAPT KNEW THAT THE FLT WOULD ARRIVE AFTER SUNSET, BUT THOUGHT THAT THE LIGHTING CONDITIONS WERE GOING TO SATISFY THE INTENT OF THE REG. THE FAA HAS NOT CONTACTED THE FLC AND THE CAPT RPTS THAT THE COMPANY HAD A 'WHITE GLOVES' INSPECTION SHORTLY AFTER THIS INCIDENT.

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.