Narrative:

I was on approach to gmu at approximately XA45 hours on aug/tue/97, when I was cleared for a left base for runway 36. I had the airport light beacon and saw larnes road which is perpendicular with runway 36 when I thought I saw the runway. I then started to turn on final and was also told by ATC I was cleared to land. I then realized that I was too high. I was looking for the runway more then I was watching my altitude. I was at 2000 ft MSL when I should have been at 1500-1600 ft MSL at that point in time. While starting the turn for runway 36 I started losing altitude as quickly as possible and lost the runway as I did not see any white runway lights. I focused on the blue taxiway light for an unknown reason as if I had tunnel vision. I continued on the approach until I was just about to land when at that moment I realized the mistake I had made. I was about to land on a taxiway and I still did not see any runway lights. I then gave full throttle to do a go around when the C152 did not seem to want to climb. The plane was maybe a 100 ft off the ground at this point. ATC then yelled over the radio, 'what are you doing,' and my reply was, 'I made a mistake.' the plane started to climb slowly and when I looked back I saw the runway lights. I then did a go around and landed on runway 36 with no problem. It was a good landing. I do not know if the runway lights were off or on low intensely and blended in with the large quantity of commercial lights from the business and their parking lots around the airport. The airport is hard to make out at night with all of the lights in the area around it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT OF A C152 MADE APCH TO A TXWY DURING NIGHT TRAINING. RECOGNIZED HIS MISTAKE AND MADE A GAR. TWR ASKED HIM WHAT HE WAS DOING WHICH HE REPLIED THAT HE HAD MADE A MISTAKE.

Narrative: I WAS ON APCH TO GMU AT APPROX XA45 HRS ON AUG/TUE/97, WHEN I WAS CLRED FOR A L BASE FOR RWY 36. I HAD THE ARPT LIGHT BEACON AND SAW LARNES ROAD WHICH IS PERPENDICULAR WITH RWY 36 WHEN I THOUGHT I SAW THE RWY. I THEN STARTED TO TURN ON FINAL AND WAS ALSO TOLD BY ATC I WAS CLRED TO LAND. I THEN REALIZED THAT I WAS TOO HIGH. I WAS LOOKING FOR THE RWY MORE THEN I WAS WATCHING MY ALT. I WAS AT 2000 FT MSL WHEN I SHOULD HAVE BEEN AT 1500-1600 FT MSL AT THAT POINT IN TIME. WHILE STARTING THE TURN FOR RWY 36 I STARTED LOSING ALT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE AND LOST THE RWY AS I DID NOT SEE ANY WHITE RWY LIGHTS. I FOCUSED ON THE BLUE TXWY LIGHT FOR AN UNKNOWN REASON AS IF I HAD TUNNEL VISION. I CONTINUED ON THE APCH UNTIL I WAS JUST ABOUT TO LAND WHEN AT THAT MOMENT I REALIZED THE MISTAKE I HAD MADE. I WAS ABOUT TO LAND ON A TXWY AND I STILL DID NOT SEE ANY RWY LIGHTS. I THEN GAVE FULL THROTTLE TO DO A GAR WHEN THE C152 DID NOT SEEM TO WANT TO CLB. THE PLANE WAS MAYBE A 100 FT OFF THE GND AT THIS POINT. ATC THEN YELLED OVER THE RADIO, 'WHAT ARE YOU DOING,' AND MY REPLY WAS, 'I MADE A MISTAKE.' THE PLANE STARTED TO CLB SLOWLY AND WHEN I LOOKED BACK I SAW THE RWY LIGHTS. I THEN DID A GAR AND LANDED ON RWY 36 WITH NO PROB. IT WAS A GOOD LNDG. I DO NOT KNOW IF THE RWY LIGHTS WERE OFF OR ON LOW INTENSELY AND BLENDED IN WITH THE LARGE QUANTITY OF COMMERCIAL LIGHTS FROM THE BUSINESS AND THEIR PARKING LOTS AROUND THE ARPT. THE ARPT IS HARD TO MAKE OUT AT NIGHT WITH ALL OF THE LIGHTS IN THE AREA AROUND 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.