Narrative:

While on a nighttime VFR flight I inadvertently landed at a military airport. I left the international airport later than expected and thereby flew the majority of the flight at nighttime. I was the pilot of the small transport and my flight experience in this aircraft was less than 10 hours. As this aircraft lacked sophisticated navigation equipment, I decided to fly by VOR navaids. I flew direct abilene, then brownwood, and then toward waco. My route toward waco was to avoid flying through the restr area. When I was approximately 22 mi from the waco VOR I turned toward the south and flew to the temple VOR. I had earlier contacted the waco FSS for WX conditions and decided a landing on runway 15 was appropriate. After announcing my intentions on CTAF, I flew to the west side of the airport, avoiding the downwind pattern. I found that I was too high and decided to perform a 360 degree turn to lose altitude. After completing my 360 degree turn, I was still too high and I repeated the 360 degree turn. Upon rolling out of the 360 degree turn, I spotted the brightly lit runway. The brightly lit runway was a military use airport, not the public airport of intent (which was dimly lit). This incident points to my inability to navigation under nighttime VFR conditions in unfamiliar areas. To prevent a recurrent of this I have done the following: review basic airport lighting; reinforce the need for careful flight planning with attention to pilotage, dead-reckoning, utilization of flight following, making use of FSS for direction finding capabilities, reviewing airport of intent diagrams, and making my descent to air traffic area's in advance to prevent disorientation; and begin working on my instrument rating to improve my airplane handling capacity and navigation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMT WRONG ARPT LNDG.

Narrative: WHILE ON A NIGHTTIME VFR FLT I INADVERTENTLY LANDED AT A MIL ARPT. I LEFT THE INTL ARPT LATER THAN EXPECTED AND THEREBY FLEW THE MAJORITY OF THE FLT AT NIGHTTIME. I WAS THE PLT OF THE SMT AND MY FLT EXPERIENCE IN THIS ACFT WAS LESS THAN 10 HRS. AS THIS ACFT LACKED SOPHISTICATED NAV EQUIP, I DECIDED TO FLY BY VOR NAVAIDS. I FLEW DIRECT ABILENE, THEN BROWNWOOD, AND THEN TOWARD WACO. MY ROUTE TOWARD WACO WAS TO AVOID FLYING THROUGH THE RESTR AREA. WHEN I WAS APPROX 22 MI FROM THE WACO VOR I TURNED TOWARD THE S AND FLEW TO THE TEMPLE VOR. I HAD EARLIER CONTACTED THE WACO FSS FOR WX CONDITIONS AND DECIDED A LNDG ON RWY 15 WAS APPROPRIATE. AFTER ANNOUNCING MY INTENTIONS ON CTAF, I FLEW TO THE W SIDE OF THE ARPT, AVOIDING THE DOWNWIND PATTERN. I FOUND THAT I WAS TOO HIGH AND DECIDED TO PERFORM A 360 DEG TURN TO LOSE ALT. AFTER COMPLETING MY 360 DEG TURN, I WAS STILL TOO HIGH AND I REPEATED THE 360 DEG TURN. UPON ROLLING OUT OF THE 360 DEG TURN, I SPOTTED THE BRIGHTLY LIT RWY. THE BRIGHTLY LIT RWY WAS A MIL USE ARPT, NOT THE PUBLIC ARPT OF INTENT (WHICH WAS DIMLY LIT). THIS INCIDENT POINTS TO MY INABILITY TO NAV UNDER NIGHTTIME VFR CONDITIONS IN UNFAMILIAR AREAS. TO PREVENT A RECURRENT OF THIS I HAVE DONE THE FOLLOWING: REVIEW BASIC ARPT LIGHTING; REINFORCE THE NEED FOR CAREFUL FLT PLANNING WITH ATTN TO PILOTAGE, DEAD-RECKONING, UTILIZATION OF FLT FOLLOWING, MAKING USE OF FSS FOR DIRECTION FINDING CAPABILITIES, REVIEWING ARPT OF INTENT DIAGRAMS, AND MAKING MY DSCNT TO ATA'S IN ADVANCE TO PREVENT DISORIENTATION; AND BEGIN WORKING ON MY INSTRUMENT RATING TO IMPROVE MY AIRPLANE HANDLING CAPACITY AND NAV.

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.