Narrative:

I contacted tulsa approach to notify them that I was inbound to land at harvey young airport and requested flight following. The controller acknowledged my request and vectored me into the proximity of harvey young. The controller told me to turn to a heading of 020 degrees and harvey young was 6 mi ahead at 12 O'clock position. I changed my heading as instructed and as I came into the proximity of my route, I switched my radio to 122.8 and clicked 3 times to activate the lights at harvey young. As I flew in the proximity searching for the runway lights or beacon, my passenger pointed to runway lights ahead and to the left. I changed my heading and proceeded to land, thinking I was at harvey young. Just before setting down on the runway, I noticed large airplanes and more runway lights and knew I was at the wrong airport. I immediately taxied off the active and switched back to tulsa approach and notified them of my location, which they already knew. I was given progressive taxi instructions to taxi to J-18 and departed to the south. As I became airborne again, the controller vectored me over the harvey young airport and stayed with me until I was over harvey young. The ATC made an attempt to contact the manager of harvey young to request that he activate the lights manually. I was then instructed to switch to 122.8 and clicked 3 times to activate the runway lights. (The controller was concerned enough to switch frequencys with me, to make sure the lights activated.) I did notice 5 or 6 small, unevenly spaced lights in a row come on. The controller told me that the lights were only on the west side of the runway. I was able to land and notified ATC that I had made a safe landing. He gave me a number to call and I discussed the situation with an ATC supervisor. I called and gave the gentleman my information. I believe the cause of the problem was a combination of my inexperience in flying in controled airspace and the lack of adequate lighting at harvey young. I sincerely apologized for the inconvenience my actions caused to the controllers and other craft in the area. I assure you I learned a great deal from this incident and I will review ATC procedures. Being based out of duncan (duc), I have little experience with ATC, or controled airspace. I should have stayed on the approach frequency and talked to the controller rather than switching to 122.8 to activate the runway lights. This is the first time that I have been lost while flying and hopefully my last. Due to the inadequate lighting at harvey young, I will never attempt another landing there after dark again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C152 PLT, ADMITTEDLY UNFAMILIAR WITH ATC AND CTLED AIRSPACE, ALLOWED HER PAX TO HELP WITH HER PILOTAGE, CAUSING HER TO LAND AT THE WRONG ARPT.

Narrative: I CONTACTED TULSA APCH TO NOTIFY THEM THAT I WAS INBOUND TO LAND AT HARVEY YOUNG ARPT AND REQUESTED FLT FOLLOWING. THE CTLR ACKNOWLEDGED MY REQUEST AND VECTORED ME INTO THE PROX OF HARVEY YOUNG. THE CTLR TOLD ME TO TURN TO A HDG OF 020 DEGS AND HARVEY YOUNG WAS 6 MI AHEAD AT 12 O'CLOCK POS. I CHANGED MY HDG AS INSTRUCTED AND AS I CAME INTO THE PROX OF MY RTE, I SWITCHED MY RADIO TO 122.8 AND CLICKED 3 TIMES TO ACTIVATE THE LIGHTS AT HARVEY YOUNG. AS I FLEW IN THE PROX SEARCHING FOR THE RWY LIGHTS OR BEACON, MY PAX POINTED TO RWY LIGHTS AHEAD AND TO THE L. I CHANGED MY HDG AND PROCEEDED TO LAND, THINKING I WAS AT HARVEY YOUNG. JUST BEFORE SETTING DOWN ON THE RWY, I NOTICED LARGE AIRPLANES AND MORE RWY LIGHTS AND KNEW I WAS AT THE WRONG ARPT. I IMMEDIATELY TAXIED OFF THE ACTIVE AND SWITCHED BACK TO TULSA APCH AND NOTIFIED THEM OF MY LOCATION, WHICH THEY ALREADY KNEW. I WAS GIVEN PROGRESSIVE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO TAXI TO J-18 AND DEPARTED TO THE S. AS I BECAME AIRBORNE AGAIN, THE CTLR VECTORED ME OVER THE HARVEY YOUNG ARPT AND STAYED WITH ME UNTIL I WAS OVER HARVEY YOUNG. THE ATC MADE AN ATTEMPT TO CONTACT THE MGR OF HARVEY YOUNG TO REQUEST THAT HE ACTIVATE THE LIGHTS MANUALLY. I WAS THEN INSTRUCTED TO SWITCH TO 122.8 AND CLICKED 3 TIMES TO ACTIVATE THE RWY LIGHTS. (THE CTLR WAS CONCERNED ENOUGH TO SWITCH FREQS WITH ME, TO MAKE SURE THE LIGHTS ACTIVATED.) I DID NOTICE 5 OR 6 SMALL, UNEVENLY SPACED LIGHTS IN A ROW COME ON. THE CTLR TOLD ME THAT THE LIGHTS WERE ONLY ON THE W SIDE OF THE RWY. I WAS ABLE TO LAND AND NOTIFIED ATC THAT I HAD MADE A SAFE LNDG. HE GAVE ME A NUMBER TO CALL AND I DISCUSSED THE SIT WITH AN ATC SUPVR. I CALLED AND GAVE THE GENTLEMAN MY INFO. I BELIEVE THE CAUSE OF THE PROB WAS A COMBINATION OF MY INEXPERIENCE IN FLYING IN CTLED AIRSPACE AND THE LACK OF ADEQUATE LIGHTING AT HARVEY YOUNG. I SINCERELY APOLOGIZED FOR THE INCONVENIENCE MY ACTIONS CAUSED TO THE CTLRS AND OTHER CRAFT IN THE AREA. I ASSURE YOU I LEARNED A GREAT DEAL FROM THIS INCIDENT AND I WILL REVIEW ATC PROCS. BEING BASED OUT OF DUNCAN (DUC), I HAVE LITTLE EXPERIENCE WITH ATC, OR CTLED AIRSPACE. I SHOULD HAVE STAYED ON THE APCH FREQ AND TALKED TO THE CTLR RATHER THAN SWITCHING TO 122.8 TO ACTIVATE THE RWY LIGHTS. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT I HAVE BEEN LOST WHILE FLYING AND HOPEFULLY MY LAST. DUE TO THE INADEQUATE LIGHTING AT HARVEY YOUNG, I WILL NEVER ATTEMPT ANOTHER LNDG THERE AFTER DARK 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.