Hello, how u doing?

I just arrived home from school and I saw something interesting on a plane. I live near MMMX and I get to look at aiplanes no matter how high they go  ;)  So I believe I saw a Boeing 737-700 from Aeromexico turning for final approach for 05L or R runways for at least 20 seconds and I'm pretty sure their stobe lights were off. It was already late dusk and I was very surprised only beacon, navigation and wing lights were on.

I thought they were a MUST lights for traffic caution or/and a FAA rule.
Maybe pilots missed to turned them on, I don't believe people at AM would let it fly if it had a light problem.

Rigo

I thought the rule was that they had to turn them on as or just before they entered the runway for takeoff and turn them off as they left the runway after landing.

But I willing to accept I'm wrong. That's how I learn. 8-)

Mark

Your right guys, strobes on entering runway, off after landing leaving the runway. You can however operate without them providing you have positioning lights (nav, beacon etc.) it was they call a permissible unserviceability, but generally if fitted they must be used. Maybe they were U/S or they could have forgotten, it happens.

Was it a cloudy day or night? When flying throu clouds strobes are sometimes switched off to get rid of the disco lights into the cockpit, and to keep your night vision.

Maybe they just forgotten ?  :o

Talking about irregularities I've just returned home from spotting at MEX and saw (90% dark) a KLM B744 land without landing or taxi lights and a UPS A306 takeoff without strobe lights... haha I better get over it   :o ;D

They usually use the running lights at all times, especially in the United States. Soem airlines, like Delta, have a timer attached to the rotating beacon so when its turned on (after aircraft startup) it begins the clock that calculates the pilots' work time. So there was always that pesky new flight engineer who may have forgotten to turn the light on until too late...