Narrative:

Was coming from mexico on IFR flight plan. Had advised san diego FSS to cancel DVFR flight plan as I was in mexico and had to file IFR because it was turning dark. I advised them at that time that I had 2 united states souls on board instead of the 5 that was on my DVFR flight plan. They acknowledged my requests. When I got to brown field (sdm) the ATC controller told me that the runway lights were out on both runways. Brown was my airport of entry for customs. I attempted to locate the runway in the dark but decided that it was too unsafe. They asked me if I would like to be vectored to gillespie (see) and they were very busy. I said ok and they did. Upon landing I called the tower and said I would need customs to come to the airport and kept my passenger at the airplane. The tower operator said ATC should have notified customs and someone dropped the ball. I had them call for me. I waited for 1 1/2 hours from my first call and the customs and police showed up with dope sniffing dogs. The officer kept telling me the lights were not out at sdm but they were and they were notamed out at just about our time of arrival and were notamed out when we were on the ground at see because I checked with FSS again. The customs person was asking where my 5 passenger were. I told him that I had amended that in the air and I did when I picked up my IFR clearance. San diego FSS took the amendment. See is not an airport of entry but I had understood that you can use a non entry airport with prior arrangement. I thought ATC was making that arrangement for me. I feel a lot of problems would be eliminated if the private FSS service was done away with. I've never had so many lost flight plans and errors in FSS in my flying career. In the last month alone I've had about 4-6 flight plans totally lost. P.south. Problem caused by no communication between FSS; ATC and customs. Customs and homeland security was not very happy about situation. They acted like they caught me red handed for landing at see. I was the one that informed them.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA ARR FROM MEXICO WAS UNABLE TO LAND SDM; FILED ENTRY POINT; BECAUSE OF RWY LIGHT FAILURE; LANDED SEE; RESULTED IN DELAYS AND SECURITY QUESTIONS.

Narrative: WAS COMING FROM MEXICO ON IFR FLT PLAN. HAD ADVISED SAN DIEGO FSS TO CANCEL DVFR FLT PLAN AS I WAS IN MEXICO AND HAD TO FILE IFR BECAUSE IT WAS TURNING DARK. I ADVISED THEM AT THAT TIME THAT I HAD 2 UNITED STATES SOULS ON BOARD INSTEAD OF THE 5 THAT WAS ON MY DVFR FLT PLAN. THEY ACKNOWLEDGED MY REQUESTS. WHEN I GOT TO BROWN FIELD (SDM) THE ATC CTLR TOLD ME THAT THE RWY LIGHTS WERE OUT ON BOTH RWYS. BROWN WAS MY ARPT OF ENTRY FOR CUSTOMS. I ATTEMPTED TO LOCATE THE RWY IN THE DARK BUT DECIDED THAT IT WAS TOO UNSAFE. THEY ASKED ME IF I WOULD LIKE TO BE VECTORED TO GILLESPIE (SEE) AND THEY WERE VERY BUSY. I SAID OK AND THEY DID. UPON LNDG I CALLED THE TWR AND SAID I WOULD NEED CUSTOMS TO COME TO THE ARPT AND KEPT MY PAX AT THE AIRPLANE. THE TWR OPERATOR SAID ATC SHOULD HAVE NOTIFIED CUSTOMS AND SOMEONE DROPPED THE BALL. I HAD THEM CALL FOR ME. I WAITED FOR 1 1/2 HRS FROM MY FIRST CALL AND THE CUSTOMS AND POLICE SHOWED UP WITH DOPE SNIFFING DOGS. THE OFFICER KEPT TELLING ME THE LIGHTS WERE NOT OUT AT SDM BUT THEY WERE AND THEY WERE NOTAMED OUT AT JUST ABOUT OUR TIME OF ARR AND WERE NOTAMED OUT WHEN WE WERE ON THE GND AT SEE BECAUSE I CHKED WITH FSS AGAIN. THE CUSTOMS PERSON WAS ASKING WHERE MY 5 PAX WERE. I TOLD HIM THAT I HAD AMENDED THAT IN THE AIR AND I DID WHEN I PICKED UP MY IFR CLRNC. SAN DIEGO FSS TOOK THE AMENDMENT. SEE IS NOT AN ARPT OF ENTRY BUT I HAD UNDERSTOOD THAT YOU CAN USE A NON ENTRY ARPT WITH PRIOR ARRANGEMENT. I THOUGHT ATC WAS MAKING THAT ARRANGEMENT FOR ME. I FEEL A LOT OF PROBS WOULD BE ELIMINATED IF THE PVT FSS SVC WAS DONE AWAY WITH. I'VE NEVER HAD SO MANY LOST FLT PLANS AND ERRORS IN FSS IN MY FLYING CAREER. IN THE LAST MONTH ALONE I'VE HAD ABOUT 4-6 FLT PLANS TOTALLY LOST. P.S. PROB CAUSED BY NO COM BTWN FSS; ATC AND CUSTOMS. CUSTOMS AND HOMELAND SECURITY WAS NOT VERY HAPPY ABOUT SITUATION. THEY ACTED LIKE THEY CAUGHT ME RED HANDED FOR LNDG AT SEE. I WAS THE ONE THAT INFORMED THEM.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.