Narrative:

We were flying into lynchburg, va. The winds at 2000 were 290 at 45 KTS. There are several mountains around, so it was very bumpy. On downwind for runway 21 I was holding about 20 degrees of correction and about 1 mi from the runway on a right downwind. I called for the gear down and flaps. As I was turning base, my first officer said the winds up here sure are strong and if you aren't careful, you're going to overshoot. I rolled back wings level and saw what I thought was runway 21 and, sure enough, I was about to overshoot the runway (17). I increased the bank angle and set up for final, not paying attention to my actual heading. As we set up to land the control tower told me to go around. I was lined up on the wrong runway. The controller told me to give him a call and he said he was sorry he had left the runway lights on 17-35 after he had them checked earlier, and had his back turned to runway 17, and wasn't paying attention to where I was in the pattern. All of this still doesn't relieve me of my responsibility of making the mistake and lining up on the wrong runway. If I had only done what I've been taught since my instrument instruction and set the VOR DME for runway 21, and turn my heading bug to the runway heading, this incident wouldn't have happened. I usually do set in the approach, if one is available, for the landing runway, but I thought I knew this airport (the runway lights for 17-35 have always been off at night) except for tonight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WRONG RWY APCH IN A NIGHT OP.

Narrative: WE WERE FLYING INTO LYNCHBURG, VA. THE WINDS AT 2000 WERE 290 AT 45 KTS. THERE ARE SEVERAL MOUNTAINS AROUND, SO IT WAS VERY BUMPY. ON DOWNWIND FOR RWY 21 I WAS HOLDING ABOUT 20 DEGS OF CORRECTION AND ABOUT 1 MI FROM THE RWY ON A R DOWNWIND. I CALLED FOR THE GEAR DOWN AND FLAPS. AS I WAS TURNING BASE, MY FO SAID THE WINDS UP HERE SURE ARE STRONG AND IF YOU AREN'T CAREFUL, YOU'RE GOING TO OVERSHOOT. I ROLLED BACK WINGS LEVEL AND SAW WHAT I THOUGHT WAS RWY 21 AND, SURE ENOUGH, I WAS ABOUT TO OVERSHOOT THE RWY (17). I INCREASED THE BANK ANGLE AND SET UP FOR FINAL, NOT PAYING ATTN TO MY ACTUAL HDG. AS WE SET UP TO LAND THE CTL TWR TOLD ME TO GAR. I WAS LINED UP ON THE WRONG RWY. THE CTLR TOLD ME TO GIVE HIM A CALL AND HE SAID HE WAS SORRY HE HAD LEFT THE RWY LIGHTS ON 17-35 AFTER HE HAD THEM CHKED EARLIER, AND HAD HIS BACK TURNED TO RWY 17, AND WASN'T PAYING ATTN TO WHERE I WAS IN THE PATTERN. ALL OF THIS STILL DOESN'T RELIEVE ME OF MY RESPONSIBILITY OF MAKING THE MISTAKE AND LINING UP ON THE WRONG RWY. IF I HAD ONLY DONE WHAT I'VE BEEN TAUGHT SINCE MY INST INSTRUCTION AND SET THE VOR DME FOR RWY 21, AND TURN MY HDG BUG TO THE RWY HDG, THIS INCIDENT WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED. I USUALLY DO SET IN THE APCH, IF ONE IS AVAILABLE, FOR THE LNDG RWY, BUT I THOUGHT I KNEW THIS ARPT (THE RWY LIGHTS FOR 17-35 HAVE ALWAYS BEEN OFF AT NIGHT) EXCEPT FOR TONIGHT.

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.