GA small aircraft landed at non tower airport at night without activating runway VASI lights.

Attributes
ACN	122133
Time
Date	198909
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : s50
State Reference	WA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 165 flight time total : 21600 flight time type : 350
ASRS Report	122133
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I was returning to auburn airport north a pleasure flight from portland, or and was in contact with seattle approach control for flight following. Approximately 3 mi from the airport approach control reported they had no information for auburn but gave me the seattle altimeter and cleared me from the frequency. Arrival at auburn was just after midnight and the WX was cavu. As I entered downwind I could not see the runway lights, I continued thinking the lights may be dim and would be visible as I turned to final. As I turned to final I was aware that the lights were out, but being familiar with the field and surrounding area I elected to continue and land. A normal landing was made without incident. Taxiing back to the parking area I thought to myself, that was a dumb thing to do. 1) it was not a safe procedure. 2) the airport was undoubtedly closed. 3) I could be in serious trouble, however, I was not past the point of no return and the safest action was to park the airplane. I believe approach control should have bee informed of any closure and passed it on to me. Had I been so informed I would have gone to an alternate airport. The desire to land at home base and location of my car plus my familiarity with auburn airport overrode my better judgement.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA LANDED AT NON TWR ARPT AT NIGHT WITHOUT ACTIVATING RWY VASI LIGHTS.

Narrative: I WAS RETURNING TO AUBURN ARPT N A PLEASURE FLT FROM PORTLAND, OR AND WAS IN CONTACT WITH SEATTLE APCH CTL FOR FLT FOLLOWING. APPROX 3 MI FROM THE ARPT APCH CTL REPORTED THEY HAD NO INFORMATION FOR AUBURN BUT GAVE ME THE SEATTLE ALTIMETER AND CLRED ME FROM THE FREQ. ARR AT AUBURN WAS JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT AND THE WX WAS CAVU. AS I ENTERED DOWNWIND I COULD NOT SEE THE RWY LIGHTS, I CONTINUED THINKING THE LIGHTS MAY BE DIM AND WOULD BE VISIBLE AS I TURNED TO FINAL. AS I TURNED TO FINAL I WAS AWARE THAT THE LIGHTS WERE OUT, BUT BEING FAMILIAR WITH THE FIELD AND SURROUNDING AREA I ELECTED TO CONTINUE AND LAND. A NORMAL LNDG WAS MADE WITHOUT INCIDENT. TAXIING BACK TO THE PARKING AREA I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, THAT WAS A DUMB THING TO DO. 1) IT WAS NOT A SAFE PROC. 2) THE ARPT WAS UNDOUBTEDLY CLOSED. 3) I COULD BE IN SERIOUS TROUBLE, HOWEVER, I WAS NOT PAST THE POINT OF NO RETURN AND THE SAFEST ACTION WAS TO PARK THE AIRPLANE. I BELIEVE APCH CTL SHOULD HAVE BEE INFORMED OF ANY CLOSURE AND PASSED IT ON TO ME. HAD I BEEN SO INFORMED I WOULD HAVE GONE TO AN ALTERNATE ARPT. THE DESIRE TO LAND AT HOME BASE AND LOCATION OF MY CAR PLUS MY FAMILIARITY WITH AUBURN ARPT OVERRODE MY BETTER JUDGEMENT.

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.