Narrative:

En route from den, co, to las, nv, by way of fmn, NM, and pga, az. 2 people on board, my wife and me. Gross weight was well within the limits of the aircraft and was properly loaded within the center of gravity range. Between pga, az, and las, nv, we experienced an unrpted headwind which decreased my speed and increased my fuel consumption over calculations. Upon contacting mccarran approach I advised that fuel was not a factor unless a delay occurred. Approach responded that no delay was foreseen and only light traffic was in the area. I advised that I was not familiar with the airport. At approximately 5 mi out approach asked if I had the twin in sight that was on final for runway 19R. I replied affirmative. At that point I was handed off to tower. Upon contacting mccarran tower I stated that I could no longer see the twin, as it had disappeared from my sight in the bright lights of the city, however, I did have the airport in sight. Tower responded to maintain my present course (270 degrees). Tower then directed me to a heading of 190 degrees and cleared me to land. I responded that I was having difficulty making out the runways, all myself and my passenger could see was the darkness that I perceived as the airport. Tower informed me that I was directly over the runway and was cleared to land. I did not feel safe diving at an unseen runway without any idea how much room I had for errors. I prepared myself and the aircraft for an aborted landing and subsequent go around. I immediately reported my intentions to the tower. Tower instructed me to 'turn right, no left and prepare to land on runway 7L.' upon completing a turn of approximately 45 degrees I replied negative to land since there was a commercial airliner landing from the opposite direction on runway 7L. Tower responded with instructions not to land and to continue a go around and set up for another landing attempt on runway 19R. On a downwind for runway 19R I requested tower assistance to the runway. I was not receiving a response. I requested assistance again. Tower then directed me to turn onto base and asked if I had the runway in sight. I responded negative. (The lights from the city in contrast to the darkness of the airport area made it difficult for me, or my passenger, to distinguish between runway 19L and runway 19R.) tower then directed me to turn onto final for runway 19R and cleared me to land. I did not realize how close in to the runways I was and must have been over the threshold immediately upon turning to final. I told tower that I was not sure of the runway I was lined up with. Tower responded that I was over runway 19L and cleared me to land. My fuel reserves were beginning to play on my thinking at this point. I prepared for a landing with the shortest roll and proceeded. Not until I had actually touched down did I realize that I was on the back end side of the runway. I then requested directions to a taxiway ramp. Tower directed me to turn around and proceed to taxiway B. Upon traveling to the nearest runway exit I contacted tower that I was at taxiway west. Tower responded that that was right and to contact ground. This situation could have been avoided if mccarran had a better lighting system either with the runway designators in lights or brighter runway lights. Tower was aware of my fuel reserves becoming low and my desire for assistance on my first attempt as well as my second. Being low on fuel did not make the situation easier, but I do not feel it played a major role in the difficulty of this situation. As I was becoming more disoriented, tower was also beginning to make mistakes. 6 days after this incident on a return flight from san diego I was faced with the same situation except I had full fuel. It was dark and once again, difficult to see the runways on the airport. I requested direct assistance to the runway threshold and received it. Even after being more familiar with the airport it was very difficult to see the runway I was cleared to land on.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INEXPERIENCED PVT PLT HAD DIFFICULTY FINDING RWYS AT NIGHT AND NEEDED REPEATED ASSISTANCE FROM TWR FOR VECTORS.

Narrative: ENRTE FROM DEN, CO, TO LAS, NV, BY WAY OF FMN, NM, AND PGA, AZ. 2 PEOPLE ON BOARD, MY WIFE AND ME. GROSS WT WAS WELL WITHIN THE LIMITS OF THE ACFT AND WAS PROPERLY LOADED WITHIN THE CTR OF GRAVITY RANGE. BTWN PGA, AZ, AND LAS, NV, WE EXPERIENCED AN UNRPTED HEADWIND WHICH DECREASED MY SPD AND INCREASED MY FUEL CONSUMPTION OVER CALCULATIONS. UPON CONTACTING MCCARRAN APCH I ADVISED THAT FUEL WAS NOT A FACTOR UNLESS A DELAY OCCURRED. APCH RESPONDED THAT NO DELAY WAS FORESEEN AND ONLY LIGHT TFC WAS IN THE AREA. I ADVISED THAT I WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT. AT APPROX 5 MI OUT APCH ASKED IF I HAD THE TWIN IN SIGHT THAT WAS ON FINAL FOR RWY 19R. I REPLIED AFFIRMATIVE. AT THAT POINT I WAS HANDED OFF TO TWR. UPON CONTACTING MCCARRAN TWR I STATED THAT I COULD NO LONGER SEE THE TWIN, AS IT HAD DISAPPEARED FROM MY SIGHT IN THE BRIGHT LIGHTS OF THE CITY, HOWEVER, I DID HAVE THE ARPT IN SIGHT. TWR RESPONDED TO MAINTAIN MY PRESENT COURSE (270 DEGS). TWR THEN DIRECTED ME TO A HDG OF 190 DEGS AND CLRED ME TO LAND. I RESPONDED THAT I WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY MAKING OUT THE RWYS, ALL MYSELF AND MY PAX COULD SEE WAS THE DARKNESS THAT I PERCEIVED AS THE ARPT. TWR INFORMED ME THAT I WAS DIRECTLY OVER THE RWY AND WAS CLRED TO LAND. I DID NOT FEEL SAFE DIVING AT AN UNSEEN RWY WITHOUT ANY IDEA HOW MUCH ROOM I HAD FOR ERRORS. I PREPARED MYSELF AND THE ACFT FOR AN ABORTED LNDG AND SUBSEQUENT GAR. I IMMEDIATELY RPTED MY INTENTIONS TO THE TWR. TWR INSTRUCTED ME TO 'TURN R, NO L AND PREPARE TO LAND ON RWY 7L.' UPON COMPLETING A TURN OF APPROX 45 DEGS I REPLIED NEGATIVE TO LAND SINCE THERE WAS A COMMERCIAL AIRLINER LNDG FROM THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION ON RWY 7L. TWR RESPONDED WITH INSTRUCTIONS NOT TO LAND AND TO CONTINUE A GAR AND SET UP FOR ANOTHER LNDG ATTEMPT ON RWY 19R. ON A DOWNWIND FOR RWY 19R I REQUESTED TWR ASSISTANCE TO THE RWY. I WAS NOT RECEIVING A RESPONSE. I REQUESTED ASSISTANCE AGAIN. TWR THEN DIRECTED ME TO TURN ONTO BASE AND ASKED IF I HAD THE RWY IN SIGHT. I RESPONDED NEGATIVE. (THE LIGHTS FROM THE CITY IN CONTRAST TO THE DARKNESS OF THE ARPT AREA MADE IT DIFFICULT FOR ME, OR MY PAX, TO DISTINGUISH BTWN RWY 19L AND RWY 19R.) TWR THEN DIRECTED ME TO TURN ONTO FINAL FOR RWY 19R AND CLRED ME TO LAND. I DID NOT REALIZE HOW CLOSE IN TO THE RWYS I WAS AND MUST HAVE BEEN OVER THE THRESHOLD IMMEDIATELY UPON TURNING TO FINAL. I TOLD TWR THAT I WAS NOT SURE OF THE RWY I WAS LINED UP WITH. TWR RESPONDED THAT I WAS OVER RWY 19L AND CLRED ME TO LAND. MY FUEL RESERVES WERE BEGINNING TO PLAY ON MY THINKING AT THIS POINT. I PREPARED FOR A LNDG WITH THE SHORTEST ROLL AND PROCEEDED. NOT UNTIL I HAD ACTUALLY TOUCHED DOWN DID I REALIZE THAT I WAS ON THE BACK END SIDE OF THE RWY. I THEN REQUESTED DIRECTIONS TO A TXWY RAMP. TWR DIRECTED ME TO TURN AROUND AND PROCEED TO TXWY B. UPON TRAVELING TO THE NEAREST RWY EXIT I CONTACTED TWR THAT I WAS AT TXWY W. TWR RESPONDED THAT THAT WAS RIGHT AND TO CONTACT GND. THIS SIT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF MCCARRAN HAD A BETTER LIGHTING SYS EITHER WITH THE RWY DESIGNATORS IN LIGHTS OR BRIGHTER RWY LIGHTS. TWR WAS AWARE OF MY FUEL RESERVES BECOMING LOW AND MY DESIRE FOR ASSISTANCE ON MY FIRST ATTEMPT AS WELL AS MY SECOND. BEING LOW ON FUEL DID NOT MAKE THE SIT EASIER, BUT I DO NOT FEEL IT PLAYED A MAJOR ROLE IN THE DIFFICULTY OF THIS SIT. AS I WAS BECOMING MORE DISORIENTED, TWR WAS ALSO BEGINNING TO MAKE MISTAKES. 6 DAYS AFTER THIS INCIDENT ON A RETURN FLT FROM SAN DIEGO I WAS FACED WITH THE SAME SIT EXCEPT I HAD FULL FUEL. IT WAS DARK AND ONCE AGAIN, DIFFICULT TO SEE THE RWYS ON THE ARPT. I REQUESTED DIRECT ASSISTANCE TO THE RWY THRESHOLD AND RECEIVED IT. EVEN AFTER BEING MORE FAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE THE RWY I WAS CLRED TO LAND ON.

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.