Narrative:

My roommate, who was PIC, and myself were preparing to depart fort lauderdale hollywood international (fll) back to daytona beach regional (dab). I checked the fuel by checking the tanks visually and draining the fuel drains for proper gas, dirt, and/or water. My roommate was filing the VFR flight plan. We were at the holding area doing the runup. My roommate executed the checklist for the runup. No problems were detected. We received our clearance for takeoff (i.e. To maintain runway heading and to climb and maintain 2000 ft). At approximately 1200 ft, we were handed off to miami approach. We were then told to climb and maintain our filed altitude of 4500 ft and turn to a heading of 060 degree. Passing through 3500 ft, we experienced a sudden engine vibration. My roommate leveled off and reduced the power. I leaned out the mixture. It happened again, but not as strong. I called miami approach and requested a vector (heading of 250 degree was given) back to the airport (fll). He asked if I required assistance. I said 'no' because the engine was still running. We were handed off to tower at 3500 ft and approximately 5-8 NM northeast of the airport. Tower told us to descend at pilot's discretion by spiraling down. As my roommate began spiraling down, tower instructed us to remain clear of 9L- 27R. I sensed my roommate was a little disoriented and wasn't sure if he heard the clearance correctly, so I took control of the airplane and executed s-turns instead of a steep spiral to keep my eye on the airport and other traffic arriving or departing from 9L (one of the active runways). Tower came back and asked if we would like runway 13. I accepted the offer, and received vector of north for right base runway 13. I experienced slight disorientation based on my location of being approximately 3 mi northwest of the airport heading wbound. While on right base, I saw runway lights and thought that it was runway 13. I did not bother to look at the heading indicator or compass to confirm the runway to be 13, since I only saw 1 pair of runway lights. So, I started my final approach, now descending out of 1500 ft. Tower came back and asked me if I was on final for 9L. She flashed the lights for runway 13. They were on either low or medium intensity, while 9L was on high intensity, and probably the reason why I could not see runway 13's runway lights. I contacted ground control, went back to the FBO to check out the problem, detected nothing, and that was it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA RETURNS TO LAND AFTER ENG VIBRATION OCCURS TWICE. MAKES APCH WRONG RWY.

Narrative: MY ROOMMATE, WHO WAS PIC, AND MYSELF WERE PREPARING TO DEPART FORT LAUDERDALE HOLLYWOOD INTL (FLL) BACK TO DAYTONA BEACH REGIONAL (DAB). I CHKED THE FUEL BY CHKING THE TANKS VISUALLY AND DRAINING THE FUEL DRAINS FOR PROPER GAS, DIRT, AND/OR WATER. MY ROOMMATE WAS FILING THE VFR FLT PLAN. WE WERE AT THE HOLDING AREA DOING THE RUNUP. MY ROOMMATE EXECUTED THE CHKLIST FOR THE RUNUP. NO PROBLEMS WERE DETECTED. WE RECEIVED OUR CLRNC FOR TKOF (I.E. TO MAINTAIN RWY HDG AND TO CLB AND MAINTAIN 2000 FT). AT APPROX 1200 FT, WE WERE HANDED OFF TO MIAMI APCH. WE WERE THEN TOLD TO CLB AND MAINTAIN OUR FILED ALT OF 4500 FT AND TURN TO A HDG OF 060 DEG. PASSING THROUGH 3500 FT, WE EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN ENG VIBRATION. MY ROOMMATE LEVELED OFF AND REDUCED THE PWR. I LEANED OUT THE MIXTURE. IT HAPPENED AGAIN, BUT NOT AS STRONG. I CALLED MIAMI APCH AND REQUESTED A VECTOR (HDG OF 250 DEG WAS GIVEN) BACK TO THE ARPT (FLL). HE ASKED IF I REQUIRED ASSISTANCE. I SAID 'NO' BECAUSE THE ENG WAS STILL RUNNING. WE WERE HANDED OFF TO TWR AT 3500 FT AND APPROX 5-8 NM NE OF THE ARPT. TWR TOLD US TO DSND AT PLT'S DISCRETION BY SPIRALING DOWN. AS MY ROOMMATE BEGAN SPIRALING DOWN, TWR INSTRUCTED US TO REMAIN CLR OF 9L- 27R. I SENSED MY ROOMMATE WAS A LITTLE DISORIENTED AND WASN'T SURE IF HE HEARD THE CLRNC CORRECTLY, SO I TOOK CTL OF THE AIRPLANE AND EXECUTED S-TURNS INSTEAD OF A STEEP SPIRAL TO KEEP MY EYE ON THE ARPT AND OTHER TFC ARRIVING OR DEPARTING FROM 9L (ONE OF THE ACTIVE RWYS). TWR CAME BACK AND ASKED IF WE WOULD LIKE RWY 13. I ACCEPTED THE OFFER, AND RECEIVED VECTOR OF N FOR R BASE RWY 13. I EXPERIENCED SLIGHT DISORIENTATION BASED ON MY LOCATION OF BEING APPROX 3 MI NW OF THE ARPT HDG WBOUND. WHILE ON R BASE, I SAW RWY LIGHTS AND THOUGHT THAT IT WAS RWY 13. I DID NOT BOTHER TO LOOK AT THE HDG INDICATOR OR COMPASS TO CONFIRM THE RWY TO BE 13, SINCE I ONLY SAW 1 PAIR OF RWY LIGHTS. SO, I STARTED MY FINAL APCH, NOW DSNDING OUT OF 1500 FT. TWR CAME BACK AND ASKED ME IF I WAS ON FINAL FOR 9L. SHE FLASHED THE LIGHTS FOR RWY 13. THEY WERE ON EITHER LOW OR MEDIUM INTENSITY, WHILE 9L WAS ON HIGH INTENSITY, AND PROBABLY THE REASON WHY I COULD NOT SEE RWY 13'S RWY LIGHTS. I CONTACTED GND CTL, WENT BACK TO THE FBO TO CHK OUT THE PROBLEM, DETECTED NOTHING, AND THAT WAS IT.

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.