Originally Posted by
DesertNomad
They can probably be turned off with a circuit breaker, but it may be in the cockpit or otherwise inconvenient to access.
It may also turn off some required lights onboard when pulled.
However I'm shocked they would take off with lights on. They turn off lights for safety during night takeoff. If you crash, you won't be able to see properly at first, thus night time lights go off.