Narrative:

After extensive delays, I departed 3r5 at PM00 local, for my destination ads. Approximately 15 mi east/northeast of ads. I contacted the ads tower. Ads tower acknowledged the callup but informed me they were to close for the night soon and that I should use the tower frequency as the CTAF. At this point I would have preferred to be with the tower or been handed off to approach control, but due to the very good WX and using the dfw VOR as a backup, I turned west/southwest toward ads. Showing myself centered on the dfw 050 degree radial, what I thought was the ads beacon come into view barely discernable amongst the city lights. Also, a beacon to the north (F69) verified the field location. Approximately 5 mi out I started following the aircraft using the ads CTAF closely. This helped develop my problem with airport identify. The traffic using the CTAF were in the exact position in the traffic pattern as the airport I had in view and believed to be ads. I announced my intentions on the CTAF and entered the pattern. I entered downwind and could only make out the 1 landing runway amongst the many city lights (all runway lights were on dim). Very busy with collision avoidance and landing procedures, I turned base, final, and landed uneventfully without an ATC contact. Only on taxi did I discover my error. My performance was very poor, and days later I cannot comprehend how I made such poor decisions. The most important factor I believe was my near exhausted state. I had been awake for 32 hours. I felt fine for departure, but after 2.5 hours of moderate turbulence and an airplane with nil cockpit lighting, I felt ill and fatigued. I believe the prime reason for my error was my fatigue which prevented me from recognizing my errors. I was familiar with the dallas area as far as FAA publications, but had little personal experience operating there. 1 misconception I had was that the dallas city center (downtown) was north of dal. This is not the case, however. I wish sectional charts could show city ctrs to help with positioning. Even with my flashlight operating, the dim cockpit lights made it difficult to see radio frequencys which lead to my setting the wrong radial in the VOR navigation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT FLYING AT NIGHT IN NON LIGHTED COCKPIT MIS-SETS RADIAL. LANDS WRONG ARPT.

Narrative: AFTER EXTENSIVE DELAYS, I DEPARTED 3R5 AT PM00 LCL, FOR MY DEST ADS. APPROX 15 MI E/NE OF ADS. I CONTACTED THE ADS TWR. ADS TWR ACKNOWLEDGED THE CALLUP BUT INFORMED ME THEY WERE TO CLOSE FOR THE NIGHT SOON AND THAT I SHOULD USE THE TWR FREQ AS THE CTAF. AT THIS POINT I WOULD HAVE PREFERRED TO BE WITH THE TWR OR BEEN HANDED OFF TO APCH CTL, BUT DUE TO THE VERY GOOD WX AND USING THE DFW VOR AS A BACKUP, I TURNED W/SW TOWARD ADS. SHOWING MYSELF CTRED ON THE DFW 050 DEG RADIAL, WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE ADS BEACON COME INTO VIEW BARELY DISCERNABLE AMONGST THE CITY LIGHTS. ALSO, A BEACON TO THE N (F69) VERIFIED THE FIELD LOCATION. APPROX 5 MI OUT I STARTED FOLLOWING THE ACFT USING THE ADS CTAF CLOSELY. THIS HELPED DEVELOP MY PROBLEM WITH ARPT IDENT. THE TFC USING THE CTAF WERE IN THE EXACT POS IN THE TFC PATTERN AS THE ARPT I HAD IN VIEW AND BELIEVED TO BE ADS. I ANNOUNCED MY INTENTIONS ON THE CTAF AND ENTERED THE PATTERN. I ENTERED DOWNWIND AND COULD ONLY MAKE OUT THE 1 LNDG RWY AMONGST THE MANY CITY LIGHTS (ALL RWY LIGHTS WERE ON DIM). VERY BUSY WITH COLLISION AVOIDANCE AND LNDG PROCS, I TURNED BASE, FINAL, AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY WITHOUT AN ATC CONTACT. ONLY ON TAXI DID I DISCOVER MY ERROR. MY PERFORMANCE WAS VERY POOR, AND DAYS LATER I CANNOT COMPREHEND HOW I MADE SUCH POOR DECISIONS. THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR I BELIEVE WAS MY NEAR EXHAUSTED STATE. I HAD BEEN AWAKE FOR 32 HRS. I FELT FINE FOR DEP, BUT AFTER 2.5 HRS OF MODERATE TURB AND AN AIRPLANE WITH NIL COCKPIT LIGHTING, I FELT ILL AND FATIGUED. I BELIEVE THE PRIME REASON FOR MY ERROR WAS MY FATIGUE WHICH PREVENTED ME FROM RECOGNIZING MY ERRORS. I WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE DALLAS AREA AS FAR AS FAA PUBLICATIONS, BUT HAD LITTLE PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OPERATING THERE. 1 MISCONCEPTION I HAD WAS THAT THE DALLAS CITY CTR (DOWNTOWN) WAS N OF DAL. THIS IS NOT THE CASE, HOWEVER. I WISH SECTIONAL CHARTS COULD SHOW CITY CTRS TO HELP WITH POSITIONING. EVEN WITH MY FLASHLIGHT OPERATING, THE DIM COCKPIT LIGHTS MADE IT DIFFICULT TO SEE RADIO FREQS WHICH LEAD TO MY SETTING THE WRONG RADIAL IN THE VOR NAV.

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.