Narrative:

I was the captain on flight ab ord to sea on jul/fri/04 with no APU. On descent, I made sure sea operations knew we had no APU and to standby with external power. Upon arrival at the gate I shut down the #2 engine and was waiting for the external power. The power was not good. I motioned to the ramp agent that we needed a power cart. Meanwhile the gate agent did not want to bring the jetway to the aircraft. I could not get her attention. The first officer for the next flight was down with the ramp agents also trying to get an external power cart. After a few mins with no power, no jetway, and passenger starting to worry about connections, I elected to shut down the #1 engine. Before I did that, I informed the passenger of it being a little dark and there would be some emergency lights on for a little bit of time. At XA30Z it was still day but it was still dark in the cabin and I wanted some light for a short time so the passenger could see better. Knowing there was some time to recharge the batteries but not knowing how long I opted to turn the emergency lights off after 5-7 mins. During this time I kept thinking that external power was going to get hooked up. The power never did get hooked up and after 20 mins I left the aircraft after gathering my things and talking to the oncoming crew. Nothing was said or known about the aircraft having a write-up in the logbook. Looking back, I should have mentioned the use of the emergency lights. I had no idea it takes 2 hour for every min past 2 mins to recharge. After finding this out, I asked a dozen pilots and they had no idea either, since there is no training on this or in our manuals.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-400 CREW USED THE EMER EXIT LIGHTS TO DEPLANE THE PAX. THE APU WAS MEL'ED INOP, AND GND PWR WAS UNAVAILABLE.

Narrative: I WAS THE CAPT ON FLT AB ORD TO SEA ON JUL/FRI/04 WITH NO APU. ON DSCNT, I MADE SURE SEA OPS KNEW WE HAD NO APU AND TO STANDBY WITH EXTERNAL PWR. UPON ARR AT THE GATE I SHUT DOWN THE #2 ENG AND WAS WAITING FOR THE EXTERNAL PWR. THE PWR WAS NOT GOOD. I MOTIONED TO THE RAMP AGENT THAT WE NEEDED A PWR CART. MEANWHILE THE GATE AGENT DID NOT WANT TO BRING THE JETWAY TO THE ACFT. I COULD NOT GET HER ATTN. THE FO FOR THE NEXT FLT WAS DOWN WITH THE RAMP AGENTS ALSO TRYING TO GET AN EXTERNAL PWR CART. AFTER A FEW MINS WITH NO PWR, NO JETWAY, AND PAX STARTING TO WORRY ABOUT CONNECTIONS, I ELECTED TO SHUT DOWN THE #1 ENG. BEFORE I DID THAT, I INFORMED THE PAX OF IT BEING A LITTLE DARK AND THERE WOULD BE SOME EMER LIGHTS ON FOR A LITTLE BIT OF TIME. AT XA30Z IT WAS STILL DAY BUT IT WAS STILL DARK IN THE CABIN AND I WANTED SOME LIGHT FOR A SHORT TIME SO THE PAX COULD SEE BETTER. KNOWING THERE WAS SOME TIME TO RECHARGE THE BATTERIES BUT NOT KNOWING HOW LONG I OPTED TO TURN THE EMER LIGHTS OFF AFTER 5-7 MINS. DURING THIS TIME I KEPT THINKING THAT EXTERNAL PWR WAS GOING TO GET HOOKED UP. THE PWR NEVER DID GET HOOKED UP AND AFTER 20 MINS I LEFT THE ACFT AFTER GATHERING MY THINGS AND TALKING TO THE ONCOMING CREW. NOTHING WAS SAID OR KNOWN ABOUT THE ACFT HAVING A WRITE-UP IN THE LOGBOOK. LOOKING BACK, I SHOULD HAVE MENTIONED THE USE OF THE EMER LIGHTS. I HAD NO IDEA IT TAKES 2 HR FOR EVERY MIN PAST 2 MINS TO RECHARGE. AFTER FINDING THIS OUT, I ASKED A DOZEN PLTS AND THEY HAD NO IDEA EITHER, SINCE THERE IS NO TRAINING ON THIS OR IN OUR MANUALS.

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.