Narrative:

On ILS 28 tvc and upon passing gwenn LOM we reported gwenn inbound as requested and we were cleared to land. At 200' AGL captain called runway in sight. I was flying. When I transitioned to visual reference I noticed that the runway lights were illuminated but the approach lights were not illuminated. I asked tvc tower if the approach lights were out of service. He said that the lights were operative but the switch was not turned on. It should be noted that ATIS information observation reported sky partially obscured and indefinite 1500' scattered estimated 3200' overcast, visibility 2 1/2 mi variable light snow showers. After we passed the final approach fix and were established on the approach tower reported visibility as a 1/2 mi visibility. At the time that we made visual contact with the runway, we noticed 3/4 mi visibility which is at the minimum published for an ILS 28 tvc with approach lights inoperative. If the visibility had dropped anymore then we would have had to miss the approach simply because someone forgot to turn on the approach lights.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATCT LCL CTLR FAILED TO TURN ON RWY APCH LIGHTS WHEN VISIBILITY DROPPED BELOW THE MINIMUM FOR OPERATION WITH APCH LIGHTS OUT. FLT CREW NOTICED PROBLEM AT ARPT WX MINIMUMS FOR LNDG AND CONTINUED.

Narrative: ON ILS 28 TVC AND UPON PASSING GWENN LOM WE RPTED GWENN INBND AS REQUESTED AND WE WERE CLRED TO LAND. AT 200' AGL CAPT CALLED RWY IN SIGHT. I WAS FLYING. WHEN I TRANSITIONED TO VISUAL REF I NOTICED THAT THE RWY LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED BUT THE APCH LIGHTS WERE NOT ILLUMINATED. I ASKED TVC TWR IF THE APCH LIGHTS WERE OUT OF SVC. HE SAID THAT THE LIGHTS WERE OPERATIVE BUT THE SWITCH WAS NOT TURNED ON. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT ATIS INFO OBSERVATION RPTED SKY PARTIALLY OBSCURED AND INDEFINITE 1500' SCATTERED ESTIMATED 3200' OVCST, VIS 2 1/2 MI VARIABLE LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS. AFTER WE PASSED THE FINAL APCH FIX AND WERE ESTABLISHED ON THE APCH TWR RPTED VIS AS A 1/2 MI VIS. AT THE TIME THAT WE MADE VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE RWY, WE NOTICED 3/4 MI VIS WHICH IS AT THE MINIMUM PUBLISHED FOR AN ILS 28 TVC WITH APCH LIGHTS INOP. IF THE VIS HAD DROPPED ANYMORE THEN WE WOULD HAVE HAD TO MISS THE APCH SIMPLY BECAUSE SOMEONE FORGOT TO TURN ON THE APCH LIGHTS.

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.