Narrative:

While I was not flying the aircraft at the time, it might be implied because I had checked/signed the aircraft out. I and another pilot rented an aircraft from flying club. I flew the aircraft on the first leg from dobbins to mccolloy, and then to gainesville, where I landed and switched to the right seat because I am not night current and it was getting dark. Other pilot is night current. Legal, but looking back, not really proficient. As we approached dobbins, our landing lights and all cockpit lights failed. We had a flashlight, but after about 5 mins it became too dim to use. Neither one of us had been into dobbins AFB at night before and we had trouble finding the airport/runway. We became so consumed with the lack of lights in the cockpit that I'm not sure if we busted any airspace altitudes or not. When the PF finally became oriented with the airport, she was too high, too close and had to ask for a go around, at which time our radios decided to act up. With all of these distrs and intermittent radio, I'm not sure if all the tower instructions were followed correctly. An extra flashlight and batteries could have helped this situation. Also being just barely legal for night flight going into an unfamiliar airport at night is not a good mix.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 2 PVT PLTS HAD DIFFICULTY LNDG AT DOBBINS AFB AT NIGHT WHEN COCKPIT LIGHTS FAILED AND RADIO BECAME ERRATIC.

Narrative: WHILE I WAS NOT FLYING THE ACFT AT THE TIME, IT MIGHT BE IMPLIED BECAUSE I HAD CHKED/SIGNED THE ACFT OUT. I AND ANOTHER PLT RENTED AN ACFT FROM FLYING CLUB. I FLEW THE ACFT ON THE FIRST LEG FROM DOBBINS TO MCCOLLOY, AND THEN TO GAINESVILLE, WHERE I LANDED AND SWITCHED TO THE RIGHT SEAT BECAUSE I AM NOT NIGHT CURRENT AND IT WAS GETTING DARK. OTHER PLT IS NIGHT CURRENT. LEGAL, BUT LOOKING BACK, NOT REALLY PROFICIENT. AS WE APCHED DOBBINS, OUR LNDG LIGHTS AND ALL COCKPIT LIGHTS FAILED. WE HAD A FLASHLIGHT, BUT AFTER ABOUT 5 MINS IT BECAME TOO DIM TO USE. NEITHER ONE OF US HAD BEEN INTO DOBBINS AFB AT NIGHT BEFORE AND WE HAD TROUBLE FINDING THE ARPT/RWY. WE BECAME SO CONSUMED WITH THE LACK OF LIGHTS IN THE COCKPIT THAT I'M NOT SURE IF WE BUSTED ANY AIRSPACE ALTS OR NOT. WHEN THE PF FINALLY BECAME ORIENTED WITH THE ARPT, SHE WAS TOO HIGH, TOO CLOSE AND HAD TO ASK FOR A GAR, AT WHICH TIME OUR RADIOS DECIDED TO ACT UP. WITH ALL OF THESE DISTRS AND INTERMITTENT RADIO, I'M NOT SURE IF ALL THE TWR INSTRUCTIONS WERE FOLLOWED CORRECTLY. AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT AND BATTERIES COULD HAVE HELPED THIS SITUATION. ALSO BEING JUST BARELY LEGAL FOR NIGHT FLT GOING INTO AN UNFAMILIAR ARPT AT NIGHT IS NOT A GOOD MIX.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.