Narrative:

With an early morning local time departure under clear skies and a full moon from las, we took off on a unlit runway. While boarding passenger, it was evident that runway 25R was the only suitable runway for takeoff due to the runway length. The ATIS was broadcasting that runway 25R was closed so the first officer notified ground control and requested runway 25R and ground said ok we will have to remove the men and equipment from the runway. We were the only aircraft taxiing to runway 25R and as soon as we reached the runway we were cleared into position and hold. We were in position for about 30 seconds (due to crossing traffic further down the runway). At a speed between 100 KTS and V1 the first officer was the first to notice and stated 'the runway lights are out,' and as our company procedure is to only abort a takeoff when between 100 KTS and V1 is for an engine failure or if the aircraft is unsafe for flight, so we continued and had a normal uneventful takeoff. As the B727 flight engineer, my duties (company procedures and checklists) keep me rather busy and my head in the cockpit right up until gear retraction. Other contributing factors were the clear sky with a full moon which provided excellent lighting. The early morning departure time, the captain and first officer had done this flight 2 nights in a row which interfered with their sleep pattern, we're not used to such an early morning flight. Also the runway previously being closed so the runway lights were turned off.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727-200 WAS CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 25 AND AT V1 SPD CREW NOTED THE RWY LIGHTING WAS OFF.

Narrative: WITH AN EARLY MORNING LCL TIME DEP UNDER CLR SKIES AND A FULL MOON FROM LAS, WE TOOK OFF ON A UNLIT RWY. WHILE BOARDING PAX, IT WAS EVIDENT THAT RWY 25R WAS THE ONLY SUITABLE RWY FOR TKOF DUE TO THE RWY LENGTH. THE ATIS WAS BROADCASTING THAT RWY 25R WAS CLOSED SO THE FO NOTIFIED GND CTL AND REQUESTED RWY 25R AND GND SAID OK WE WILL HAVE TO REMOVE THE MEN AND EQUIP FROM THE RWY. WE WERE THE ONLY ACFT TAXIING TO RWY 25R AND AS SOON AS WE REACHED THE RWY WE WERE CLRED INTO POS AND HOLD. WE WERE IN POS FOR ABOUT 30 SECONDS (DUE TO XING TFC FURTHER DOWN THE RWY). AT A SPD BTWN 100 KTS AND V1 THE FO WAS THE FIRST TO NOTICE AND STATED 'THE RWY LIGHTS ARE OUT,' AND AS OUR COMPANY PROC IS TO ONLY ABORT A TKOF WHEN BTWN 100 KTS AND V1 IS FOR AN ENG FAILURE OR IF THE ACFT IS UNSAFE FOR FLT, SO WE CONTINUED AND HAD A NORMAL UNEVENTFUL TKOF. AS THE B727 FE, MY DUTIES (COMPANY PROCS AND CHKLISTS) KEEP ME RATHER BUSY AND MY HEAD IN THE COCKPIT RIGHT UP UNTIL GEAR RETRACTION. OTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE THE CLR SKY WITH A FULL MOON WHICH PROVIDED EXCELLENT LIGHTING. THE EARLY MORNING DEP TIME, THE CAPT AND FO HAD DONE THIS FLT 2 NIGHTS IN A ROW WHICH INTERFERED WITH THEIR SLEEP PATTERN, WE'RE NOT USED TO SUCH AN EARLY MORNING FLT. ALSO THE RWY PREVIOUSLY BEING CLOSED SO THE RWY LIGHTS WERE TURNED OFF.

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.