Narrative:

My flight plan called for leaving bdl by XX00 pm. That should have allowed ample time to get to my destination, N85 before dark. I was aware of the fact that the runway lights at N85 were out of service. My clearance was quite different from the one filed, and it took my 15 mins to sort the change out. It took me off of the chart I had planned to use, and simply determining which chart or charts had to be used took some time. Traffic delays on the ground (fourth in the que) caused additional delay in getting airborne. I had not anticipated the fact that I would be given a route well to the west of the straight line course. That added about 1/2 an hour to my flight. In addition, winds out of the southwest rather than out of the northwest provided a substantial reduction in ground speed. My several attempts to get a more direct routing were unsuccessful. By the time I had reached allentown airspace it was twilight. Allentown gave me a nearly direct routing to N85. Allentown cleared me down to 3000 ft near mosso intersection. They were too busy to assist with the assigned visual approach. I was asked to cancel IFR as soon as I had the field in sight. I replied that I might cancel on the ground. The controller accepted this with some reluctance. Frequency change was approved. At this point my concerns were 2 fold. First to find N85 in the dark, and second the possibility of needing help to get back to allentown if all else failed. I was in VFR conditions at this time, and my mind set was no longer in an IFR mode, but rather in a VFR landing mode. I could not find N85. At this point I was talking with N85 via unicom. I made 1 attempt at locating the dark field, then climbed back to about 1500-2000 ft and went back out to the FAF, and turned inbound again. I did not talk to abe to report a miss or other considerations. This time I did locate the field with help from the ground on unicom. I made 2 attempts at a landing, both were gars. While on my second final unicom informed me abe was on the phone and insisting I cancel IFR. I did this with the min possible conversation (I was on a dark final). This was the second aborted attempt. At this point ground advised me to go to N40 and land with available runway lights. By now it was full dark. N40 is about 4 mi from N85. The approach and landing were without incident. Errors as I see them. The time for the flight was too tight, particularly in view of my lack of night experience. The allowance of 2 to 2 1/4 hours was not enough. I should have filed to N40, with lights, and diverted to N85 if everything went as planned. Considering the conditions, MVFR at altitude, I might have cancelled IFR and flown VFR direct to avoid the delays and subsequent night arrival. After arriving at N85 with the problem, I should have cancelled IFR and requested continuation of flight following. That would have given me the protection of standby help if needed. My failure to communication with allentown between their releasing me to change frequency, and my subsequent call back to cancel, was not good, but all considered, the better task to put off in the sequence of aviate, navigation, and communication.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ON INST APCH AT ARPT WITH NO LIGHTS MAKES 2 GARS, DIVERTS TO LIGHTED FIELD.

Narrative: MY FLT PLAN CALLED FOR LEAVING BDL BY XX00 PM. THAT SHOULD HAVE ALLOWED AMPLE TIME TO GET TO MY DEST, N85 BEFORE DARK. I WAS AWARE OF THE FACT THAT THE RWY LIGHTS AT N85 WERE OUT OF SVC. MY CLRNC WAS QUITE DIFFERENT FROM THE ONE FILED, AND IT TOOK MY 15 MINS TO SORT THE CHANGE OUT. IT TOOK ME OFF OF THE CHART I HAD PLANNED TO USE, AND SIMPLY DETERMINING WHICH CHART OR CHARTS HAD TO BE USED TOOK SOME TIME. TFC DELAYS ON THE GND (FOURTH IN THE QUE) CAUSED ADDITIONAL DELAY IN GETTING AIRBORNE. I HAD NOT ANTICIPATED THE FACT THAT I WOULD BE GIVEN A RTE WELL TO THE W OF THE STRAIGHT LINE COURSE. THAT ADDED ABOUT 1/2 AN HR TO MY FLT. IN ADDITION, WINDS OUT OF THE SW RATHER THAN OUT OF THE NW PROVIDED A SUBSTANTIAL REDUCTION IN GND SPD. MY SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO GET A MORE DIRECT ROUTING WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. BY THE TIME I HAD REACHED ALLENTOWN AIRSPACE IT WAS TWILIGHT. ALLENTOWN GAVE ME A NEARLY DIRECT ROUTING TO N85. ALLENTOWN CLRED ME DOWN TO 3000 FT NEAR MOSSO INTXN. THEY WERE TOO BUSY TO ASSIST WITH THE ASSIGNED VISUAL APCH. I WAS ASKED TO CANCEL IFR AS SOON AS I HAD THE FIELD IN SIGHT. I REPLIED THAT I MIGHT CANCEL ON THE GND. THE CTLR ACCEPTED THIS WITH SOME RELUCTANCE. FREQ CHANGE WAS APPROVED. AT THIS POINT MY CONCERNS WERE 2 FOLD. FIRST TO FIND N85 IN THE DARK, AND SECOND THE POSSIBILITY OF NEEDING HELP TO GET BACK TO ALLENTOWN IF ALL ELSE FAILED. I WAS IN VFR CONDITIONS AT THIS TIME, AND MY MIND SET WAS NO LONGER IN AN IFR MODE, BUT RATHER IN A VFR LNDG MODE. I COULD NOT FIND N85. AT THIS POINT I WAS TALKING WITH N85 VIA UNICOM. I MADE 1 ATTEMPT AT LOCATING THE DARK FIELD, THEN CLBED BACK TO ABOUT 1500-2000 FT AND WENT BACK OUT TO THE FAF, AND TURNED INBOUND AGAIN. I DID NOT TALK TO ABE TO RPT A MISS OR OTHER CONSIDERATIONS. THIS TIME I DID LOCATE THE FIELD WITH HELP FROM THE GND ON UNICOM. I MADE 2 ATTEMPTS AT A LNDG, BOTH WERE GARS. WHILE ON MY SECOND FINAL UNICOM INFORMED ME ABE WAS ON THE PHONE AND INSISTING I CANCEL IFR. I DID THIS WITH THE MIN POSSIBLE CONVERSATION (I WAS ON A DARK FINAL). THIS WAS THE SECOND ABORTED ATTEMPT. AT THIS POINT GND ADVISED ME TO GO TO N40 AND LAND WITH AVAILABLE RWY LIGHTS. BY NOW IT WAS FULL DARK. N40 IS ABOUT 4 MI FROM N85. THE APCH AND LNDG WERE WITHOUT INCIDENT. ERRORS AS I SEE THEM. THE TIME FOR THE FLT WAS TOO TIGHT, PARTICULARLY IN VIEW OF MY LACK OF NIGHT EXPERIENCE. THE ALLOWANCE OF 2 TO 2 1/4 HRS WAS NOT ENOUGH. I SHOULD HAVE FILED TO N40, WITH LIGHTS, AND DIVERTED TO N85 IF EVERYTHING WENT AS PLANNED. CONSIDERING THE CONDITIONS, MVFR AT ALT, I MIGHT HAVE CANCELLED IFR AND FLOWN VFR DIRECT TO AVOID THE DELAYS AND SUBSEQUENT NIGHT ARR. AFTER ARRIVING AT N85 WITH THE PROBLEM, I SHOULD HAVE CANCELLED IFR AND REQUESTED CONTINUATION OF FLT FOLLOWING. THAT WOULD HAVE GIVEN ME THE PROTECTION OF STANDBY HELP IF NEEDED. MY FAILURE TO COM WITH ALLENTOWN BTWN THEIR RELEASING ME TO CHANGE FREQ, AND MY SUBSEQUENT CALL BACK TO CANCEL, WAS NOT GOOD, BUT ALL CONSIDERED, THE BETTER TASK TO PUT OFF IN THE SEQUENCE OF AVIATE, NAV, AND COM.

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.