Narrative:

I was the flight instructor on a student's first night flight in a C172. We were doing a night cross country. I have done this night route many times. My experience caused me to be complacent (I should not have let this happen) and the following occurred. The student called runway in sight. I did not bother to have my chart in front of me to back this up. That was my first mistake. The runway idented was not ZZZ; but instead a military base; about 6 mi north of ZZZ. Eventually ZZZ tower informed us that we were lined up for the military base! Luckily; they did a good job of spotting this and redirecting us. If I had my chart out and if I was doing my job and navigating carefully this never would have happened. Even worse; I was nervous and did not remember to get fuel in ZZZ. I knew we had enough fuel to get back. However; we did not get a direct route because of traffic volume in the bravo. I think we came close to busting the bravo airspace before getting our clearance. We landed at about 8 gals of fuel remaining; the plane being very close to being under the 45 min fuel reserve required. I am very ashamed after this flight. I have 900 hours of dual given and yet I allowed the above events to transpire. I admitted my mistake to my student. I want to be a good instructor and teach safe habits. I told him that everyone will make mistakes and that is the reason we must be careful. My student was never worried or scared by the ordeal. On lessons before he has seen a tower controller make mistakes and forget that we were told to extend the downwind and call our base; only then to have the controller forget he gave us that instruction. I think my student was happy to see that everyone makes mistakes and even more so that I was willing to admit that I make mistakes too. I hope that he learns from this as I certainly have; complacency is dangerous. Although I am ashamed by what I did; perhaps I can turn this shame into a positive and use it as motivation to keep my safety record clean and more importantly; teach safe flying to others.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR REPORTS STUDENT MISIDENTIFIES DESTINATION ARPT AND LINES UP TO LAND AT AFB. MUCH TO THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR'S CHAGRIN; THE ERROR IS CAUGHT BY THE DESTINATION TOWER CONTROLLER.

Narrative: I WAS THE FLT INSTRUCTOR ON A STUDENT'S FIRST NIGHT FLT IN A C172. WE WERE DOING A NIGHT XCOUNTRY. I HAVE DONE THIS NIGHT RTE MANY TIMES. MY EXPERIENCE CAUSED ME TO BE COMPLACENT (I SHOULD NOT HAVE LET THIS HAPPEN) AND THE FOLLOWING OCCURRED. THE STUDENT CALLED RWY IN SIGHT. I DID NOT BOTHER TO HAVE MY CHART IN FRONT OF ME TO BACK THIS UP. THAT WAS MY FIRST MISTAKE. THE RWY IDENTED WAS NOT ZZZ; BUT INSTEAD A MIL BASE; ABOUT 6 MI N OF ZZZ. EVENTUALLY ZZZ TWR INFORMED US THAT WE WERE LINED UP FOR THE MIL BASE! LUCKILY; THEY DID A GOOD JOB OF SPOTTING THIS AND REDIRECTING US. IF I HAD MY CHART OUT AND IF I WAS DOING MY JOB AND NAVING CAREFULLY THIS NEVER WOULD HAVE HAPPENED. EVEN WORSE; I WAS NERVOUS AND DID NOT REMEMBER TO GET FUEL IN ZZZ. I KNEW WE HAD ENOUGH FUEL TO GET BACK. HOWEVER; WE DID NOT GET A DIRECT RTE BECAUSE OF TFC VOLUME IN THE BRAVO. I THINK WE CAME CLOSE TO BUSTING THE BRAVO AIRSPACE BEFORE GETTING OUR CLRNC. WE LANDED AT ABOUT 8 GALS OF FUEL REMAINING; THE PLANE BEING VERY CLOSE TO BEING UNDER THE 45 MIN FUEL RESERVE REQUIRED. I AM VERY ASHAMED AFTER THIS FLT. I HAVE 900 HRS OF DUAL GIVEN AND YET I ALLOWED THE ABOVE EVENTS TO TRANSPIRE. I ADMITTED MY MISTAKE TO MY STUDENT. I WANT TO BE A GOOD INSTRUCTOR AND TEACH SAFE HABITS. I TOLD HIM THAT EVERYONE WILL MAKE MISTAKES AND THAT IS THE REASON WE MUST BE CAREFUL. MY STUDENT WAS NEVER WORRIED OR SCARED BY THE ORDEAL. ON LESSONS BEFORE HE HAS SEEN A TWR CTLR MAKE MISTAKES AND FORGET THAT WE WERE TOLD TO EXTEND THE DOWNWIND AND CALL OUR BASE; ONLY THEN TO HAVE THE CTLR FORGET HE GAVE US THAT INSTRUCTION. I THINK MY STUDENT WAS HAPPY TO SEE THAT EVERYONE MAKES MISTAKES AND EVEN MORE SO THAT I WAS WILLING TO ADMIT THAT I MAKE MISTAKES TOO. I HOPE THAT HE LEARNS FROM THIS AS I CERTAINLY HAVE; COMPLACENCY IS DANGEROUS. ALTHOUGH I AM ASHAMED BY WHAT I DID; PERHAPS I CAN TURN THIS SHAME INTO A POSITIVE AND USE IT AS MOTIVATION TO KEEP MY SAFETY RECORD CLEAN AND MORE IMPORTANTLY; TEACH SAFE FLYING TO OTHERS.

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.