A C150 private pilot passes up the destination airport of laughlin bullhead on a night operation. Pi...

Attributes
ACN	414897
Time
Date	199809
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lsv
State Reference	NV
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : las tower : lsv
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cessna 150
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other other other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 190 flight time type : 5
ASRS Report	414897
Person 2
Affiliation	government : military
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar pilot : military
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We made an emergency landing on sep/xa/98 at XX35 due to engine failure in-flight. Received clearance to land on runway 3L from the tower at nellis AFB. We were heading for laughlin/bullhead, got off course and ended up passing it in the darkness. When we realized this 'mistake' of ours we didn't have enough fuel to turn around and go back. Instead, we headed for the city we saw in the distance without knowing that this was las vegas since we only had a sectional chart over arizona to look at. When we got closer to the city we decided to stay on the inside of the 'south mountains' since our engine was running rough and we wanted to stay close to available emergency landing places. That's when we entered class B airspace without knowing. At this point we were trying to figure out exactly where we were and what frequencys to call up. Then everything happened so fast, the engine started to cut out, we had just found the frequency to nellis AFB and I called them up since we were just about 2 mi away from the base. We declared an emergency, got lined up with the runway and got the clearance from the tower to land. Afterward we called a man named mr X at the FAA there and explained the situation for him. We realized that we caused a lot of problems for the control tower at las and for that we apologize deeply. We are going to take precautionary action and receive recurrency training in night flying so that this 'mistake' won't occur ever again.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C150 PVT PLT PASSES UP THE DEST ARPT OF LAUGHLIN BULLHEAD ON A NIGHT OP. PLT CONTINUES ON TO AND PENETRATES THE LAS CLASS B AIRSPACE, LNDG WITH A ROUGH ENG AT LVS, NELLIS AFB.

Narrative: WE MADE AN EMER LNDG ON SEP/XA/98 AT XX35 DUE TO ENG FAILURE INFLT. RECEIVED CLRNC TO LAND ON RWY 3L FROM THE TWR AT NELLIS AFB. WE WERE HDG FOR LAUGHLIN/BULLHEAD, GOT OFF COURSE AND ENDED UP PASSING IT IN THE DARKNESS. WHEN WE REALIZED THIS 'MISTAKE' OF OURS WE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH FUEL TO TURN AROUND AND GO BACK. INSTEAD, WE HEADED FOR THE CITY WE SAW IN THE DISTANCE WITHOUT KNOWING THAT THIS WAS LAS VEGAS SINCE WE ONLY HAD A SECTIONAL CHART OVER ARIZONA TO LOOK AT. WHEN WE GOT CLOSER TO THE CITY WE DECIDED TO STAY ON THE INSIDE OF THE 'SOUTH MOUNTAINS' SINCE OUR ENG WAS RUNNING ROUGH AND WE WANTED TO STAY CLOSE TO AVAILABLE EMER LNDG PLACES. THAT'S WHEN WE ENTERED CLASS B AIRSPACE WITHOUT KNOWING. AT THIS POINT WE WERE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHERE WE WERE AND WHAT FREQS TO CALL UP. THEN EVERYTHING HAPPENED SO FAST, THE ENG STARTED TO CUT OUT, WE HAD JUST FOUND THE FREQ TO NELLIS AFB AND I CALLED THEM UP SINCE WE WERE JUST ABOUT 2 MI AWAY FROM THE BASE. WE DECLARED AN EMER, GOT LINED UP WITH THE RWY AND GOT THE CLRNC FROM THE TWR TO LAND. AFTERWARD WE CALLED A MAN NAMED MR X AT THE FAA THERE AND EXPLAINED THE SIT FOR HIM. WE REALIZED THAT WE CAUSED A LOT OF PROBS FOR THE CTL TWR AT LAS AND FOR THAT WE APOLOGIZE DEEPLY. WE ARE GOING TO TAKE PRECAUTIONARY ACTION AND RECEIVE RECURRENCY TRAINING IN NIGHT FLYING SO THAT THIS 'MISTAKE' WON'T OCCUR EVER AGAIN.

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.

A C150 private pilot passes up the destination airport of laughlin bullhead on a night operation. Pilot continues on to and penetrates the las class B airspace, landing with a rough engine at lvs, nellis AFB.