GA small aircraft on dual cross-country got lost and had to declare an emergency.

Attributes
ACN	123617
Time
Date	198909
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : aia
State Reference	NE
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5500 msl bound upper : 5500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdv
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 1600 flight time type : 6
ASRS Report	123617
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time total : 350
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter other other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : became reoriented other
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On a night VFR x-country from aberdeen, sd, to scotts bluff, nb, I mistook alliance, nb, for scotts bluff and could not turn on the runway lights as I was on the wrong frequency. At that time, due to unforecast headwinds, it was my belief that I had 15-20 mins fuel left. I was unable to contact any of the rco's and called a mayday on 121.5. A mats aircraft picked up my mayday and called ZDV. ZDV called scotts bluff airport manager to have him turn on the lights, and it was relayed to me that it would take 15-20 mins for them to be turned on. I said that I may not have 15-20 mins fuel remaining and to please tell them to expedite the process if possible. The mats aircraft then gave me center frequency. Upon contacting ZDV, and talking about the problem, we decided to go to torrington, about 30 mi away. Center did not have us on their radar at that time, and as we climbed to heading, center picked us up 1 mi northeast of alliance airport. We then got alliance's frequency and called up the lights and landed safely. The problem arose due to unforecast headwinds--the trip took 30 mins longer than planned. Also, I had been flying for 10 hours already that day and fatigue played a major factor in the event. I was so tired, I had let a 350 hour private pilot fly most of leg, and had dozed off and on for most of it. I also assumed that since it was visible from chadron VOR, and in about the right place, that alliance had to be scotts bluff, and it never entered my mind that I was anywhere but. Scotts bluff sits in a valley and cannot be seen until you are about 15 mi from it. I believe that my rigid mindset was also due to fatigue. After I discovered that there was a problem, I did ask for help from what seemed to be the only frequency avail, 121.5, but wasted too much time and possibly gas trying every other available frequency to no avail. I believe that every pilot is extremely reluctant to declare an emergency due to a fear of retribution from the FAA. If this is the case, it should be changed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA ON DUAL CROSS-COUNTRY GOT LOST AND HAD TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY.

Narrative: ON A NIGHT VFR X-COUNTRY FROM ABERDEEN, SD, TO SCOTTS BLUFF, NB, I MISTOOK ALLIANCE, NB, FOR SCOTTS BLUFF AND COULD NOT TURN ON THE RWY LIGHTS AS I WAS ON THE WRONG FREQ. AT THAT TIME, DUE TO UNFORECAST HEADWINDS, IT WAS MY BELIEF THAT I HAD 15-20 MINS FUEL LEFT. I WAS UNABLE TO CONTACT ANY OF THE RCO'S AND CALLED A MAYDAY ON 121.5. A MATS ACFT PICKED UP MY MAYDAY AND CALLED ZDV. ZDV CALLED SCOTTS BLUFF ARPT MGR TO HAVE HIM TURN ON THE LIGHTS, AND IT WAS RELAYED TO ME THAT IT WOULD TAKE 15-20 MINS FOR THEM TO BE TURNED ON. I SAID THAT I MAY NOT HAVE 15-20 MINS FUEL REMAINING AND TO PLEASE TELL THEM TO EXPEDITE THE PROCESS IF POSSIBLE. THE MATS ACFT THEN GAVE ME CENTER FREQ. UPON CONTACTING ZDV, AND TALKING ABOUT THE PROB, WE DECIDED TO GO TO TORRINGTON, ABOUT 30 MI AWAY. CENTER DID NOT HAVE US ON THEIR RADAR AT THAT TIME, AND AS WE CLBED TO HDG, CENTER PICKED US UP 1 MI NE OF ALLIANCE ARPT. WE THEN GOT ALLIANCE'S FREQ AND CALLED UP THE LIGHTS AND LANDED SAFELY. THE PROB AROSE DUE TO UNFORECAST HEADWINDS--THE TRIP TOOK 30 MINS LONGER THAN PLANNED. ALSO, I HAD BEEN FLYING FOR 10 HRS ALREADY THAT DAY AND FATIGUE PLAYED A MAJOR FACTOR IN THE EVENT. I WAS SO TIRED, I HAD LET A 350 HR PVT PLT FLY MOST OF LEG, AND HAD DOZED OFF AND ON FOR MOST OF IT. I ALSO ASSUMED THAT SINCE IT WAS VISIBLE FROM CHADRON VOR, AND IN ABOUT THE RIGHT PLACE, THAT ALLIANCE HAD TO BE SCOTTS BLUFF, AND IT NEVER ENTERED MY MIND THAT I WAS ANYWHERE BUT. SCOTTS BLUFF SITS IN A VALLEY AND CANNOT BE SEEN UNTIL YOU ARE ABOUT 15 MI FROM IT. I BELIEVE THAT MY RIGID MINDSET WAS ALSO DUE TO FATIGUE. AFTER I DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS A PROB, I DID ASK FOR HELP FROM WHAT SEEMED TO BE THE ONLY FREQ AVAIL, 121.5, BUT WASTED TOO MUCH TIME AND POSSIBLY GAS TRYING EVERY OTHER AVAILABLE FREQ TO NO AVAIL. I BELIEVE THAT EVERY PLT IS EXTREMELY RELUCTANT TO DECLARE AN EMER DUE TO A FEAR OF RETRIBUTION FROM THE FAA. IF THIS IS THE CASE, IT SHOULD BE CHANGED.

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.