Narrative:

I was on a flight from healdsburg (031) to tsp. Upon arriving over tsp, I was unable to get the runway lights on. After several passes and attempts, I made the decision to land at bakersfield instead. I turned on my flashlight to study the airport and frequencys, and after a brief flicker, the flashlight died. I changed the batteries, but it was no use. The bulb was dead. Except for faint panel lights, the inside of my airplane was almost completely dark, and I could not read the chart or airport facility/directory. Being relatively unfamiliar with the area, I figured bakersfield was still my best bet, since I could find it easily. I flew over at 6000 ft and attempted to find the tower frequency by starting at 118.00 and working up to 119.00, and calling 'radio check.' this failed, except I did find the ATIS (118.60). Meanwhile, I circled the airport working my way down to 4000 ft, wagging my wings and looking for light gun signals. After this failed, I figured I had better go ahead and drop below the class D ceiling to 2000 ft. After circling several times and getting no response from the tower, I entered a left downwind pattern for runway 12L (the ATIS reported winds from 140 at 6 KTS). I flew by the tower at 1500 ft in the pattern, then broke off to make one more entry, hoping the tower would see me. On the second entry, I received no light gun signals. Seeing no one else in the pattern, I went ahead and landed. After touching down, I witnessed a single engine plane enter runway 30R and begin takeoff roll. Due to the length of the runway (10,857 ft) we were well over 1 mi apart, but I pulled off the runway to the right anyway, and watched the airplane fly past. I then taxied back across and parked and waited for someone to arrive. Security took my identify, and I found out from them, the tower never saw me until the other airplane was in the air. I then contacted the tower via security's cell phone and discussed it with them. They asked me why my landing lights were not on, and I informed them that my plane has no landing lights (it's a 1947 cessna 120). Better trip planning, including at least 2 flashlights, or overhead lighting, plus flashlights, would have prevented this problem. Also, installing a landing light to compliment my strobes and navigation lights would be a good idea.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN UNPREPARED LOW TIME C120 OWNER LANDED AT BFL WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: I WAS ON A FLT FROM HEALDSBURG (031) TO TSP. UPON ARRIVING OVER TSP, I WAS UNABLE TO GET THE RWY LIGHTS ON. AFTER SEVERAL PASSES AND ATTEMPTS, I MADE THE DECISION TO LAND AT BAKERSFIELD INSTEAD. I TURNED ON MY FLASHLIGHT TO STUDY THE ARPT AND FREQS, AND AFTER A BRIEF FLICKER, THE FLASHLIGHT DIED. I CHANGED THE BATTERIES, BUT IT WAS NO USE. THE BULB WAS DEAD. EXCEPT FOR FAINT PANEL LIGHTS, THE INSIDE OF MY AIRPLANE WAS ALMOST COMPLETELY DARK, AND I COULD NOT READ THE CHART OR ARPT FACILITY/DIRECTORY. BEING RELATIVELY UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA, I FIGURED BAKERSFIELD WAS STILL MY BEST BET, SINCE I COULD FIND IT EASILY. I FLEW OVER AT 6000 FT AND ATTEMPTED TO FIND THE TWR FREQ BY STARTING AT 118.00 AND WORKING UP TO 119.00, AND CALLING 'RADIO CHK.' THIS FAILED, EXCEPT I DID FIND THE ATIS (118.60). MEANWHILE, I CIRCLED THE ARPT WORKING MY WAY DOWN TO 4000 FT, WAGGING MY WINGS AND LOOKING FOR LIGHT GUN SIGNALS. AFTER THIS FAILED, I FIGURED I HAD BETTER GO AHEAD AND DROP BELOW THE CLASS D CEILING TO 2000 FT. AFTER CIRCLING SEVERAL TIMES AND GETTING NO RESPONSE FROM THE TWR, I ENTERED A L DOWNWIND PATTERN FOR RWY 12L (THE ATIS RPTED WINDS FROM 140 AT 6 KTS). I FLEW BY THE TWR AT 1500 FT IN THE PATTERN, THEN BROKE OFF TO MAKE ONE MORE ENTRY, HOPING THE TWR WOULD SEE ME. ON THE SECOND ENTRY, I RECEIVED NO LIGHT GUN SIGNALS. SEEING NO ONE ELSE IN THE PATTERN, I WENT AHEAD AND LANDED. AFTER TOUCHING DOWN, I WITNESSED A SINGLE ENG PLANE ENTER RWY 30R AND BEGIN TKOF ROLL. DUE TO THE LENGTH OF THE RWY (10,857 FT) WE WERE WELL OVER 1 MI APART, BUT I PULLED OFF THE RWY TO THE R ANYWAY, AND WATCHED THE AIRPLANE FLY PAST. I THEN TAXIED BACK ACROSS AND PARKED AND WAITED FOR SOMEONE TO ARRIVE. SECURITY TOOK MY IDENT, AND I FOUND OUT FROM THEM, THE TWR NEVER SAW ME UNTIL THE OTHER AIRPLANE WAS IN THE AIR. I THEN CONTACTED THE TWR VIA SECURITY'S CELL PHONE AND DISCUSSED IT WITH THEM. THEY ASKED ME WHY MY LNDG LIGHTS WERE NOT ON, AND I INFORMED THEM THAT MY PLANE HAS NO LNDG LIGHTS (IT'S A 1947 CESSNA 120). BETTER TRIP PLANNING, INCLUDING AT LEAST 2 FLASHLIGHTS, OR OVERHEAD LIGHTING, PLUS FLASHLIGHTS, WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS PROB. ALSO, INSTALLING A LNDG LIGHT TO COMPLIMENT MY STROBES AND NAV LIGHTS WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA.

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.