Narrative:

I was wbound on a VOR-a approach at T41 (class G airspace) at night, preparing for an instrument check ride. My GPS (not IFR certified) was set to hub VOR. T41 is approximately 4 NM northeast of efd at 11 NM east of hou. The airport at night is difficult to spot and the runway lights were not activated when my microphone was keyed. There was no other traffic in the pattern. I continued in a southwesterly direction to line up for downwind on runway 5, still keying the microphone, unintentionally flying beyond T41 into efd (class D) airspace. Although the GPS placed me 2 NM past T41, I ignored the data as a brightly lit runway loomed just ahead. My directional gyro confirmed runway 5, so I announced a downwind entry over the T41 CTAF. Only 1 other aircraft was in the pattern at efd, which is what I would have expected at T41. As I descended to 700-800 ft, turning base to final, I realized my error and that the runway was runway 4 (not runway 5), so I executed a low approach while climbing to 1500 ft on a northeast heading to exit the pattern. I reset my GPS from hub to T41 to confirm my location, and flew direct to a prominent local landmark east of T41, to regain orientation. The runway lights at T41 were lit from other traffic, so I landed without further difficulties. I was unable to locate T41 at night in the middle of factory lights and experienced momentary loss of orientation. Instead of properly reading my GPS and taking immediate corrective action, I continued past T41 on a southwesterly heading towards what I believed was runway 5 at T41. Fatigue, a child, and a ringing cell phone aggravated the situation. The entire problem could have been avoided by any one of several actions: 1) executing an immediate missed approach, 2) ignoring my VFR instincts and relying instead on skills learned during my instrument flight training, or 3) by immediately reversing course and flying to the baytown bridge for a VFR approach. As difficult as it is to spot T41 at night, this has not happened before (after nearly 3 yrs at this airport). This was my first solo, nighttime, practice instrument approach at this airport, so I may have missed my usual visual cues as I concentrated on flying the approach.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PREPARING FOR AN INST CHK RIDE, PA28 PLT BECOMES DISORIENTED WHILE CONDUCTING A VFR VOR APCH TO T41, OVERSHOOTS ARPT AND PENETRATES AN ADJACENT CLASS D AIRSPACE.

Narrative: I WAS WBOUND ON A VOR-A APCH AT T41 (CLASS G AIRSPACE) AT NIGHT, PREPARING FOR AN INST CHK RIDE. MY GPS (NOT IFR CERTIFIED) WAS SET TO HUB VOR. T41 IS APPROX 4 NM NE OF EFD AT 11 NM E OF HOU. THE ARPT AT NIGHT IS DIFFICULT TO SPOT AND THE RWY LIGHTS WERE NOT ACTIVATED WHEN MY MIKE WAS KEYED. THERE WAS NO OTHER TFC IN THE PATTERN. I CONTINUED IN A SOUTHWESTERLY DIRECTION TO LINE UP FOR DOWNWIND ON RWY 5, STILL KEYING THE MIKE, UNINTENTIONALLY FLYING BEYOND T41 INTO EFD (CLASS D) AIRSPACE. ALTHOUGH THE GPS PLACED ME 2 NM PAST T41, I IGNORED THE DATA AS A BRIGHTLY LIT RWY LOOMED JUST AHEAD. MY DIRECTIONAL GYRO CONFIRMED RWY 5, SO I ANNOUNCED A DOWNWIND ENTRY OVER THE T41 CTAF. ONLY 1 OTHER ACFT WAS IN THE PATTERN AT EFD, WHICH IS WHAT I WOULD HAVE EXPECTED AT T41. AS I DSNDED TO 700-800 FT, TURNING BASE TO FINAL, I REALIZED MY ERROR AND THAT THE RWY WAS RWY 4 (NOT RWY 5), SO I EXECUTED A LOW APCH WHILE CLBING TO 1500 FT ON A NE HDG TO EXIT THE PATTERN. I RESET MY GPS FROM HUB TO T41 TO CONFIRM MY LOCATION, AND FLEW DIRECT TO A PROMINENT LCL LANDMARK E OF T41, TO REGAIN ORIENTATION. THE RWY LIGHTS AT T41 WERE LIT FROM OTHER TFC, SO I LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER DIFFICULTIES. I WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE T41 AT NIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF FACTORY LIGHTS AND EXPERIENCED MOMENTARY LOSS OF ORIENTATION. INSTEAD OF PROPERLY READING MY GPS AND TAKING IMMEDIATE CORRECTIVE ACTION, I CONTINUED PAST T41 ON A SOUTHWESTERLY HDG TOWARDS WHAT I BELIEVED WAS RWY 5 AT T41. FATIGUE, A CHILD, AND A RINGING CELL PHONE AGGRAVATED THE SIT. THE ENTIRE PROB COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BY ANY ONE OF SEVERAL ACTIONS: 1) EXECUTING AN IMMEDIATE MISSED APCH, 2) IGNORING MY VFR INSTINCTS AND RELYING INSTEAD ON SKILLS LEARNED DURING MY INST FLT TRAINING, OR 3) BY IMMEDIATELY REVERSING COURSE AND FLYING TO THE BAYTOWN BRIDGE FOR A VFR APCH. AS DIFFICULT AS IT IS TO SPOT T41 AT NIGHT, THIS HAS NOT HAPPENED BEFORE (AFTER NEARLY 3 YRS AT THIS ARPT). THIS WAS MY FIRST SOLO, NIGHTTIME, PRACTICE INST APCH AT THIS ARPT, SO I MAY HAVE MISSED MY USUAL VISUAL CUES AS I CONCENTRATED ON FLYING THE APCH.

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.