Narrative:

Approaching roseburg (rbg) I was focusing on a forest fire that was approximately 5 mi from the field. I reported the fire to ZSE then started a descent to tpa. The fire was producing a lot of smoke and my attention was focused on that situation and on my need to rapidly lose altitude. I would say that this was poor CRM on my part, and I was not focused on preparing for landing at rbg appropriately. I was navigating using pilotage and also an aviation GPS moving map (anywhere map on a pda). As I approached the field the GPS started to act erratically and stopped providing useful navigation information. I was unfamiliar with the area as this was my first approach into roseburg. The loss of GPS and lack of pilotage skills for the local area resulted in pilot disorientation. I circled the city of roseburg at approximately 1500 ft AGL looking for the field. I thought I had a field in sight, but there were no runway markings and the strip looked too small to be roseburg. I circled over the strip, and decided that this was, in fact, not roseburg. My passenger and I were concerned about our exact location as another aircraft was giving position reports for the roseburg pattern for runway 34. I was radioing my position -- at first incorrectly due to my disorientation. I reset the GPS, climbed to gain more visual cues, and eventually spotted roseburg about 3 NM away. I started to head directly to the field, aligned with runway 16. The field was recently repaved, and had no markings whatsoever on the runway. I mistook runway 16 for runway 34. Why I did not check my directional gyro or magnetic compass I cannot say. My GPS does not provide runway details, and I was disoriented and highly stressed because of my earlier mistaken identify of the field. Approaching runway 16, I radioed a 'straight-in approach to runway 34.' I spotted an aircraft ahead, approximately 1000 ft horizontal, 500 ft vertical in the opposite direction and heading towards me. This aircraft radioed 'on downwind to runway 34.' we both spotted each other, and I apologized (thinking, incorrectly that I had cut him off on final approach). Since the runway had no markings, I was unable to determine my mistake in thinking I was aligned with runway 34, when I was in fact aligned with runway 16. I landed without incident but required significant breaking pressure due to a 10 KT tailwind. At this point I was still not aware of my mistake. Only after a CFI (and ATP) rated pilot on the field approached me and asked why I landed against the traffic flow did I realize what I had done. I think my inexperience as a pilot, coupled with the stress of becoming lost close to the destination were contributing factors. I think the lack of runway markings on the field was also a contributing factor. In the future, I would recommend that a NOTAM that specifically stated that 'the field has no markings' should be released to FSS. In my case, FSS only indicated' non standard' markings -- which is not a specific enough indication of the hazards of a totally unmarked field.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT LANDS IN THE WRONG DIRECTION AT RBG, AN UNCTLED ARPT.

Narrative: APCHING ROSEBURG (RBG) I WAS FOCUSING ON A FOREST FIRE THAT WAS APPROX 5 MI FROM THE FIELD. I RPTED THE FIRE TO ZSE THEN STARTED A DSCNT TO TPA. THE FIRE WAS PRODUCING A LOT OF SMOKE AND MY ATTN WAS FOCUSED ON THAT SIT AND ON MY NEED TO RAPIDLY LOSE ALT. I WOULD SAY THAT THIS WAS POOR CRM ON MY PART, AND I WAS NOT FOCUSED ON PREPARING FOR LNDG AT RBG APPROPRIATELY. I WAS NAVING USING PILOTAGE AND ALSO AN AVIATION GPS MOVING MAP (ANYWHERE MAP ON A PDA). AS I APCHED THE FIELD THE GPS STARTED TO ACT ERRATICALLY AND STOPPED PROVIDING USEFUL NAV INFO. I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA AS THIS WAS MY FIRST APCH INTO ROSEBURG. THE LOSS OF GPS AND LACK OF PILOTAGE SKILLS FOR THE LCL AREA RESULTED IN PLT DISORIENTATION. I CIRCLED THE CITY OF ROSEBURG AT APPROX 1500 FT AGL LOOKING FOR THE FIELD. I THOUGHT I HAD A FIELD IN SIGHT, BUT THERE WERE NO RWY MARKINGS AND THE STRIP LOOKED TOO SMALL TO BE ROSEBURG. I CIRCLED OVER THE STRIP, AND DECIDED THAT THIS WAS, IN FACT, NOT ROSEBURG. MY PAX AND I WERE CONCERNED ABOUT OUR EXACT LOCATION AS ANOTHER ACFT WAS GIVING POS RPTS FOR THE ROSEBURG PATTERN FOR RWY 34. I WAS RADIOING MY POS -- AT FIRST INCORRECTLY DUE TO MY DISORIENTATION. I RESET THE GPS, CLBED TO GAIN MORE VISUAL CUES, AND EVENTUALLY SPOTTED ROSEBURG ABOUT 3 NM AWAY. I STARTED TO HEAD DIRECTLY TO THE FIELD, ALIGNED WITH RWY 16. THE FIELD WAS RECENTLY REPAVED, AND HAD NO MARKINGS WHATSOEVER ON THE RWY. I MISTOOK RWY 16 FOR RWY 34. WHY I DID NOT CHK MY DIRECTIONAL GYRO OR MAGNETIC COMPASS I CANNOT SAY. MY GPS DOES NOT PROVIDE RWY DETAILS, AND I WAS DISORIENTED AND HIGHLY STRESSED BECAUSE OF MY EARLIER MISTAKEN IDENT OF THE FIELD. APCHING RWY 16, I RADIOED A 'STRAIGHT-IN APCH TO RWY 34.' I SPOTTED AN ACFT AHEAD, APPROX 1000 FT HORIZ, 500 FT VERT IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION AND HEADING TOWARDS ME. THIS ACFT RADIOED 'ON DOWNWIND TO RWY 34.' WE BOTH SPOTTED EACH OTHER, AND I APOLOGIZED (THINKING, INCORRECTLY THAT I HAD CUT HIM OFF ON FINAL APCH). SINCE THE RWY HAD NO MARKINGS, I WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE MY MISTAKE IN THINKING I WAS ALIGNED WITH RWY 34, WHEN I WAS IN FACT ALIGNED WITH RWY 16. I LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT BUT REQUIRED SIGNIFICANT BREAKING PRESSURE DUE TO A 10 KT TAILWIND. AT THIS POINT I WAS STILL NOT AWARE OF MY MISTAKE. ONLY AFTER A CFI (AND ATP) RATED PLT ON THE FIELD APCHED ME AND ASKED WHY I LANDED AGAINST THE TFC FLOW DID I REALIZE WHAT I HAD DONE. I THINK MY INEXPERIENCE AS A PLT, COUPLED WITH THE STRESS OF BECOMING LOST CLOSE TO THE DEST WERE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS. I THINK THE LACK OF RWY MARKINGS ON THE FIELD WAS ALSO A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. IN THE FUTURE, I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT A NOTAM THAT SPECIFICALLY STATED THAT 'THE FIELD HAS NO MARKINGS' SHOULD BE RELEASED TO FSS. IN MY CASE, FSS ONLY INDICATED' NON STANDARD' MARKINGS -- WHICH IS NOT A SPECIFIC ENOUGH INDICATION OF THE HAZARDS OF A TOTALLY UNMARKED FIELD.

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.