Narrative:

I made an instrument approach to acv on an IFR flight plan in VMC at night. Acv has no AWOS or unicom, but ARTCC relayed observed winds from 040 degrees. They were strong but I don't remember the exact speed. A commuter brasilia was waiting for me to land for IFR release. Given the winds, I was shooting the VOR 2 vice the ILS/DME 32. Runway 32 is the 'preferred' runway and has approach lights. Still, I didn't want to land my seneca I in a strong crosswind if I had the choice. NOTAMS gave pilot controled lighting frequencys as 123.5 (CTAF) for runway 14/32 and 123.3 for runway 2/20. Note that this is contrary to the aim which says pilot controled lighting for all runways is on the same frequency. Try as I might, I couldn't get lighting on runway 2. I was single radio so the frequency changes kept me off of CTAF. It was my first time into acv and I couldn't find the field without the lights. Eventually, I got close enough that I picked up dim lights for runway 32. I decided I would have to accept the crosswind since I couldn't get lights on the favored runway. Because of the confusion, I was getting behind the aircraft. I was able to intensify the lights for runway 32 as I entered a long base. Another aircraft promptly dimmed them. Then a military helicopter made a call that it was on final to runway 2 (the unlit one). I got sight of the helicopter and asked it if it would cross runway 32. It said no. By now, I was on final. The distraction of conflicting traffic and being behind the airplane had me on a high, fast approach. When a large burble of orographic turbulence lifted my right wing 30 degrees (at about 90 ft AGL) I decided to take it around. I canceled with center so the brasilia could leave, took a lap around the pattern to try to get runway 2 lights. An arrow waiting for takeoff couldn't figure it out either. Still behind the plane, I flew a too-low approach with reduced flaps (my first in this aircraft) to landing. I later learned from lcls that runway 2/20 lighting cannot be lit until runway 32/14 lights have timed out. With the amount of commercial traffic there, it may not time out for a long time. Furthermore, if runway 2/20 lights are on, actuation of the runway 32/14 lights will preempt them and turn them off! The inability to light the runway favored by the wind led to 1) a fixed wing twin landing in a dangerous crosswind, 2) a helicopter landing on an unlit runway, and 3) the 2 aircraft having a potential conflict. Recommendation: CTAF frequency pilot controled lighting for all runways!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA34-200 SENECA PLT HAS A DIFFICULT TIME LNDG AT ACV, CA, DUE TO HIS INABILITY TO LAND INTO THE WIND IN A NIGHT OP. HE WAS UNABLE TO TURN ON THE PLT CTLED RWY LIGHTS FOR RWY 2 AND HAD TO SETTLE FOR A XWIND LNDG ON RWY 32 INSTEAD.

Narrative: I MADE AN INST APCH TO ACV ON AN IFR FLT PLAN IN VMC AT NIGHT. ACV HAS NO AWOS OR UNICOM, BUT ARTCC RELAYED OBSERVED WINDS FROM 040 DEGS. THEY WERE STRONG BUT I DON'T REMEMBER THE EXACT SPD. A COMMUTER BRASILIA WAS WAITING FOR ME TO LAND FOR IFR RELEASE. GIVEN THE WINDS, I WAS SHOOTING THE VOR 2 VICE THE ILS/DME 32. RWY 32 IS THE 'PREFERRED' RWY AND HAS APCH LIGHTS. STILL, I DIDN'T WANT TO LAND MY SENECA I IN A STRONG XWIND IF I HAD THE CHOICE. NOTAMS GAVE PLT CTLED LIGHTING FREQS AS 123.5 (CTAF) FOR RWY 14/32 AND 123.3 FOR RWY 2/20. NOTE THAT THIS IS CONTRARY TO THE AIM WHICH SAYS PLT CTLED LIGHTING FOR ALL RWYS IS ON THE SAME FREQ. TRY AS I MIGHT, I COULDN'T GET LIGHTING ON RWY 2. I WAS SINGLE RADIO SO THE FREQ CHANGES KEPT ME OFF OF CTAF. IT WAS MY FIRST TIME INTO ACV AND I COULDN'T FIND THE FIELD WITHOUT THE LIGHTS. EVENTUALLY, I GOT CLOSE ENOUGH THAT I PICKED UP DIM LIGHTS FOR RWY 32. I DECIDED I WOULD HAVE TO ACCEPT THE XWIND SINCE I COULDN'T GET LIGHTS ON THE FAVORED RWY. BECAUSE OF THE CONFUSION, I WAS GETTING BEHIND THE ACFT. I WAS ABLE TO INTENSIFY THE LIGHTS FOR RWY 32 AS I ENTERED A LONG BASE. ANOTHER ACFT PROMPTLY DIMMED THEM. THEN A MIL HELI MADE A CALL THAT IT WAS ON FINAL TO RWY 2 (THE UNLIT ONE). I GOT SIGHT OF THE HELI AND ASKED IT IF IT WOULD CROSS RWY 32. IT SAID NO. BY NOW, I WAS ON FINAL. THE DISTR OF CONFLICTING TFC AND BEING BEHIND THE AIRPLANE HAD ME ON A HIGH, FAST APCH. WHEN A LARGE BURBLE OF OROGRAPHIC TURB LIFTED MY R WING 30 DEGS (AT ABOUT 90 FT AGL) I DECIDED TO TAKE IT AROUND. I CANCELED WITH CTR SO THE BRASILIA COULD LEAVE, TOOK A LAP AROUND THE PATTERN TO TRY TO GET RWY 2 LIGHTS. AN ARROW WAITING FOR TKOF COULDN'T FIGURE IT OUT EITHER. STILL BEHIND THE PLANE, I FLEW A TOO-LOW APCH WITH REDUCED FLAPS (MY FIRST IN THIS ACFT) TO LNDG. I LATER LEARNED FROM LCLS THAT RWY 2/20 LIGHTING CANNOT BE LIT UNTIL RWY 32/14 LIGHTS HAVE TIMED OUT. WITH THE AMOUNT OF COMMERCIAL TFC THERE, IT MAY NOT TIME OUT FOR A LONG TIME. FURTHERMORE, IF RWY 2/20 LIGHTS ARE ON, ACTUATION OF THE RWY 32/14 LIGHTS WILL PREEMPT THEM AND TURN THEM OFF! THE INABILITY TO LIGHT THE RWY FAVORED BY THE WIND LED TO 1) A FIXED WING TWIN LNDG IN A DANGEROUS XWIND, 2) A HELI LNDG ON AN UNLIT RWY, AND 3) THE 2 ACFT HAVING A POTENTIAL CONFLICT. RECOMMENDATION: CTAF FREQ PLT CTLED LIGHTING FOR ALL RWYS!

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.