Narrative:

Flew from tki to rvs on a VFR flight. While flying north through oklahoma, extreme hazy conditions were encountered from farmers burning prior yr's crops from fields. A cold front moving south over tulsa was compressing haze, making for even more difficult conditions and lower visibility. Radios in rental aircraft were malfunctioning. #1 radio stopped transmitting and #2 radio/intercom had tremendous amount of static. Radar services were terminated north of okm due to low altitude that I had to keep in order to stay in visual contact with ground. Kept transmitting call sign for tulsa approach, but would not get back any response. Finally, crossed the front as we came over the lighted area of tulsa. Continued broadcasting without response as we were disoriented and not exactly sure of how far out I was from tul. When passed by a large jet on approach to tul, realized that there was definitely a radio problem. Recycled the radios and was able to establish contact with tulsa approach who vectored me over to rvs. In the distraction of flying in non visual conditions from dusk into dark, I had forgotten to turn on my navigation lights, strobes, and landing lights. Riverside tower instructed me to turn on lights, which I was in the process of doing as I had realized they were not on. Landed safely with no further consequences. Last 25 mins of flight had required use of instruments to remain straight and level.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A LOW TIME C172 PLT GETS INVOLVED WITH EXTENSIVE SMOKE FROM FARMERS BURNING, ENTERS TUL CLASS C AND IS RADAR VECTORED TO RSV WITHOUT EXTERIOR LIGHTING DURING A NIGHT APCH.

Narrative: FLEW FROM TKI TO RVS ON A VFR FLT. WHILE FLYING N THROUGH OKLAHOMA, EXTREME HAZY CONDITIONS WERE ENCOUNTERED FROM FARMERS BURNING PRIOR YR'S CROPS FROM FIELDS. A COLD FRONT MOVING S OVER TULSA WAS COMPRESSING HAZE, MAKING FOR EVEN MORE DIFFICULT CONDITIONS AND LOWER VISIBILITY. RADIOS IN RENTAL ACFT WERE MALFUNCTIONING. #1 RADIO STOPPED XMITTING AND #2 RADIO/INTERCOM HAD TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF STATIC. RADAR SVCS WERE TERMINATED N OF OKM DUE TO LOW ALT THAT I HAD TO KEEP IN ORDER TO STAY IN VISUAL CONTACT WITH GND. KEPT XMITTING CALL SIGN FOR TULSA APCH, BUT WOULD NOT GET BACK ANY RESPONSE. FINALLY, CROSSED THE FRONT AS WE CAME OVER THE LIGHTED AREA OF TULSA. CONTINUED BROADCASTING WITHOUT RESPONSE AS WE WERE DISORIENTED AND NOT EXACTLY SURE OF HOW FAR OUT I WAS FROM TUL. WHEN PASSED BY A LARGE JET ON APCH TO TUL, REALIZED THAT THERE WAS DEFINITELY A RADIO PROB. RECYCLED THE RADIOS AND WAS ABLE TO ESTABLISH CONTACT WITH TULSA APCH WHO VECTORED ME OVER TO RVS. IN THE DISTR OF FLYING IN NON VISUAL CONDITIONS FROM DUSK INTO DARK, I HAD FORGOTTEN TO TURN ON MY NAV LIGHTS, STROBES, AND LNDG LIGHTS. RIVERSIDE TWR INSTRUCTED ME TO TURN ON LIGHTS, WHICH I WAS IN THE PROCESS OF DOING AS I HAD REALIZED THEY WERE NOT ON. LANDED SAFELY WITH NO FURTHER CONSEQUENCES. LAST 25 MINS OF FLT HAD REQUIRED USE OF INSTS TO REMAIN STRAIGHT AND LEVEL.

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.