Narrative:

I departed fll in a C208B with 9 passenger, en route myam in the bahamas. Before departure, dispatch assured me that arrangements were made with bahamas auths to have special permission for a night landing as well as runway lighting, customs, and immigration to handle the arrival. Time off at fll was at about sunset for the area. Upon arrival near marsh harbor, I had difficulty in locating the airport, since it was very dark, a bit more than 1 hour after sunset and the promised runway illumination was not provided. I made 3 attempts to land. The first was aborted early at about 800 ft AGL because I lost sight of the runway. On the second attempt, I rejected the landing by applying takeoff power within approximately 50 ft of the surface because of higher than expected apparent sink rate and misalignment with the runway. Both main wheels made contact with the runway momentarily before the aircraft began to climb. On the third attempt to land, I set up for an approach to the opposite (runway 27). The ramp area adjacent to this runway made it easier to identify the touchdown zone. This time the landing was made. I taxied the aircraft to the ramp and completed the deplaning of passenger and unloading of baggage. After landing I began to reflect on the flight and the repeated approachs to the unlighted runway. Although there was no injury or damage to anyone or anything, the reality of the dangerous situation I had put us in became clear. It also became clear to me that a return to fll was what should have been executed as soon as it was discovered that no runway lighting was in use. I felt, as I do now, that I had focused and fixated on the mission of delivering my passenger to their destination. I should have focused instead on our safety.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C208B CHARTER PLT EXPERIENCED SELF-DOUBT AFTER LNDG AT MYAM AT NIGHT WITHOUT BENEFIT OF ARPT LIGHTING.

Narrative: I DEPARTED FLL IN A C208B WITH 9 PAX, ENRTE MYAM IN THE BAHAMAS. BEFORE DEP, DISPATCH ASSURED ME THAT ARRANGEMENTS WERE MADE WITH BAHAMAS AUTHS TO HAVE SPECIAL PERMISSION FOR A NIGHT LNDG AS WELL AS RWY LIGHTING, CUSTOMS, AND IMMIGRATION TO HANDLE THE ARR. TIME OFF AT FLL WAS AT ABOUT SUNSET FOR THE AREA. UPON ARR NEAR MARSH HARBOR, I HAD DIFFICULTY IN LOCATING THE ARPT, SINCE IT WAS VERY DARK, A BIT MORE THAN 1 HR AFTER SUNSET AND THE PROMISED RWY ILLUMINATION WAS NOT PROVIDED. I MADE 3 ATTEMPTS TO LAND. THE FIRST WAS ABORTED EARLY AT ABOUT 800 FT AGL BECAUSE I LOST SIGHT OF THE RWY. ON THE SECOND ATTEMPT, I REJECTED THE LNDG BY APPLYING TKOF PWR WITHIN APPROX 50 FT OF THE SURFACE BECAUSE OF HIGHER THAN EXPECTED APPARENT SINK RATE AND MISALIGNMENT WITH THE RWY. BOTH MAIN WHEELS MADE CONTACT WITH THE RWY MOMENTARILY BEFORE THE ACFT BEGAN TO CLB. ON THE THIRD ATTEMPT TO LAND, I SET UP FOR AN APCH TO THE OPPOSITE (RWY 27). THE RAMP AREA ADJACENT TO THIS RWY MADE IT EASIER TO IDENT THE TOUCHDOWN ZONE. THIS TIME THE LNDG WAS MADE. I TAXIED THE ACFT TO THE RAMP AND COMPLETED THE DEPLANING OF PAX AND UNLOADING OF BAGGAGE. AFTER LNDG I BEGAN TO REFLECT ON THE FLT AND THE REPEATED APCHS TO THE UNLIGHTED RWY. ALTHOUGH THERE WAS NO INJURY OR DAMAGE TO ANYONE OR ANYTHING, THE REALITY OF THE DANGEROUS SIT I HAD PUT US IN BECAME CLR. IT ALSO BECAME CLR TO ME THAT A RETURN TO FLL WAS WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN EXECUTED AS SOON AS IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT NO RWY LIGHTING WAS IN USE. I FELT, AS I DO NOW, THAT I HAD FOCUSED AND FIXATED ON THE MISSION OF DELIVERING MY PAX TO THEIR DEST. I SHOULD HAVE FOCUSED INSTEAD ON OUR SAFETY.

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.