Narrative:

It was the concluding leg of a cross country trip, being flown at night, I took off from ainsworth, northeast, approximately XA10 hours, it was getting dark but very clear night. Valentine, northeast was off to my right wing, I saw what I thought was gordon, northeast straight ahead in the distance. The flight course called for a 275 degree heading, but to fly to what I thought was gordon required a 300 degree heading. I had dialed in the VOR navigation aid from chadron, northeast, but was still too far out to receive. I continued to fly toward the distant city of what I thought was gordon, northeast, on a 300 degree heading. That city turned out to merriman, northeast, and on the course of 300 degree heading took me off course to my destination. When the VOR signals began to function I did not take corrective action because it seemed too far to the left which would have been a heading of 240 degrees. When I finally saw the distant lights of a larger city I anticipated that it was my destination of chadron, northeast. Upon arrival it was not, and I simply did not know where I was. I tried to call columbus radio for a DF steer to a known airport but could not raise them on the radio. I had been in the air for 3 hours without refueling now and was becoming concerned. I saw 2 airports, 1 much smaller than the other and since it was already XB00 hours and, thinking that the smaller airport might not have fuel or would be closed down for the night, I chose to land at the larger airport which turned out to be ellsworth AFB. My conclusion of this whole episode is 2-FOLD: 1) a fixation on a city while night flying thinking that it was one that was on my route of flight. 2) not believing my instruments when the navigational aids of the VOR began to function.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT OF SMA SEL LANDED AT THE WRONG ARPT AFTER BECOMING LOST AT NIGHT.

Narrative: IT WAS THE CONCLUDING LEG OF A XCOUNTRY TRIP, BEING FLOWN AT NIGHT, I TOOK OFF FROM AINSWORTH, NE, APPROX XA10 HRS, IT WAS GETTING DARK BUT VERY CLR NIGHT. VALENTINE, NE WAS OFF TO MY R WING, I SAW WHAT I THOUGHT WAS GORDON, NE STRAIGHT AHEAD IN THE DISTANCE. THE FLT COURSE CALLED FOR A 275 DEG HDG, BUT TO FLY TO WHAT I THOUGHT WAS GORDON REQUIRED A 300 DEG HDG. I HAD DIALED IN THE VOR NAV AID FROM CHADRON, NE, BUT WAS STILL TOO FAR OUT TO RECEIVE. I CONTINUED TO FLY TOWARD THE DISTANT CITY OF WHAT I THOUGHT WAS GORDON, NE, ON A 300 DEG HDG. THAT CITY TURNED OUT TO MERRIMAN, NE, AND ON THE COURSE OF 300 DEG HDG TOOK ME OFF COURSE TO MY DEST. WHEN THE VOR SIGNALS BEGAN TO FUNCTION I DID NOT TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION BECAUSE IT SEEMED TOO FAR TO THE L WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN A HDG OF 240 DEGS. WHEN I FINALLY SAW THE DISTANT LIGHTS OF A LARGER CITY I ANTICIPATED THAT IT WAS MY DEST OF CHADRON, NE. UPON ARR IT WAS NOT, AND I SIMPLY DID NOT KNOW WHERE I WAS. I TRIED TO CALL COLUMBUS RADIO FOR A DF STEER TO A KNOWN ARPT BUT COULD NOT RAISE THEM ON THE RADIO. I HAD BEEN IN THE AIR FOR 3 HRS WITHOUT REFUELING NOW AND WAS BECOMING CONCERNED. I SAW 2 ARPTS, 1 MUCH SMALLER THAN THE OTHER AND SINCE IT WAS ALREADY XB00 HRS AND, THINKING THAT THE SMALLER ARPT MIGHT NOT HAVE FUEL OR WOULD BE CLOSED DOWN FOR THE NIGHT, I CHOSE TO LAND AT THE LARGER ARPT WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE ELLSWORTH AFB. MY CONCLUSION OF THIS WHOLE EPISODE IS 2-FOLD: 1) A FIXATION ON A CITY WHILE NIGHT FLYING THINKING THAT IT WAS ONE THAT WAS ON MY RTE OF FLT. 2) NOT BELIEVING MY INSTS WHEN THE NAVIGATIONAL AIDS OF THE VOR BEGAN TO FUNCTION.

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.