Narrative:

I was flying from ukiah to oakland after dark. The WX at ukiah was nearly clear; just a few clouds with a ceiling of 4000 ft. The forecast for my arrival at oakland was 5000 ft scattered. I was flying at 3500 ft. The first problem was a radio that wouldn't work; I had to push the 'test' button to hear any xmissions. It seemed that the squelch was overpowering and I couldn't adjust it. Maybe it could have been done with a small screwdriver if I'd had one. I tried; but was unable to check in with ZOA for flight following under those conditions. Secondly; south of santa rosa the ceiling started lowering instead of rising. I was finding myself in and out of cloud bases and when I was finally down to 2000 ft and heard the ATIS at oakland reporting 1300 ft few; 2600 ft overcast and knowing I didn't have a way to operate in class C easily I decided to look for other options. I noticed fog forming over san pablo bay (unforecast) and knowing that it can form rapidly under the right conditions; I started feeling an urgency to get on the ground. The dark night; occasional flight into lowering cloud bases; ground fog formation; and an inoperative radio was increasing my anxiety level rapidly. ZZZ was just behind and to my left; so I decided to try and get in with my handheld. I managed with some difficulty in the dark to get the handheld set up; but by the time I was ready to transmit; it's possible I was already in the class D airspace. The tower asked me to report a right downwind for runway 6; but in my anxious state; I lined up for the opposite end; runway 24. My handheld has a weakness in that there is no way to lock in the frequency. It got bumped off the frequency so I didn't hear the tower telling me I was heading for the wrong runway and I didn't realize my mistake until my landing light lit up the numbers on short final. I was too anxious to get on the ground so I landed anyway. As a result of this experience; I have decided to take extra precautions when flying at night; especially. I will get WX updates more often; I will have the handheld more accessible and I will check the radio operation sooner rather than later; preferably on the ground.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NON INSTRUMENT RATED COMMERCIAL PLT WITH RADIO PROBLEMS FLIES INTO DETERIORATING VISIBILITY CONDITIONS ON NIGHT FLT INTO OAK. DIVERTS AND LANDS WRONG DIRECTION AT ANOTHER ARPT.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING FROM UKIAH TO OAKLAND AFTER DARK. THE WX AT UKIAH WAS NEARLY CLR; JUST A FEW CLOUDS WITH A CEILING OF 4000 FT. THE FORECAST FOR MY ARR AT OAKLAND WAS 5000 FT SCATTERED. I WAS FLYING AT 3500 FT. THE FIRST PROB WAS A RADIO THAT WOULDN'T WORK; I HAD TO PUSH THE 'TEST' BUTTON TO HEAR ANY XMISSIONS. IT SEEMED THAT THE SQUELCH WAS OVERPOWERING AND I COULDN'T ADJUST IT. MAYBE IT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE WITH A SMALL SCREWDRIVER IF I'D HAD ONE. I TRIED; BUT WAS UNABLE TO CHK IN WITH ZOA FOR FLT FOLLOWING UNDER THOSE CONDITIONS. SECONDLY; S OF SANTA ROSA THE CEILING STARTED LOWERING INSTEAD OF RISING. I WAS FINDING MYSELF IN AND OUT OF CLOUD BASES AND WHEN I WAS FINALLY DOWN TO 2000 FT AND HEARD THE ATIS AT OAKLAND RPTING 1300 FT FEW; 2600 FT OVCST AND KNOWING I DIDN'T HAVE A WAY TO OPERATE IN CLASS C EASILY I DECIDED TO LOOK FOR OTHER OPTIONS. I NOTICED FOG FORMING OVER SAN PABLO BAY (UNFORECAST) AND KNOWING THAT IT CAN FORM RAPIDLY UNDER THE RIGHT CONDITIONS; I STARTED FEELING AN URGENCY TO GET ON THE GND. THE DARK NIGHT; OCCASIONAL FLT INTO LOWERING CLOUD BASES; GND FOG FORMATION; AND AN INOP RADIO WAS INCREASING MY ANXIETY LEVEL RAPIDLY. ZZZ WAS JUST BEHIND AND TO MY L; SO I DECIDED TO TRY AND GET IN WITH MY HANDHELD. I MANAGED WITH SOME DIFFICULTY IN THE DARK TO GET THE HANDHELD SET UP; BUT BY THE TIME I WAS READY TO XMIT; IT'S POSSIBLE I WAS ALREADY IN THE CLASS D AIRSPACE. THE TWR ASKED ME TO RPT A R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 6; BUT IN MY ANXIOUS STATE; I LINED UP FOR THE OPPOSITE END; RWY 24. MY HANDHELD HAS A WEAKNESS IN THAT THERE IS NO WAY TO LOCK IN THE FREQ. IT GOT BUMPED OFF THE FREQ SO I DIDN'T HEAR THE TWR TELLING ME I WAS HEADING FOR THE WRONG RWY AND I DIDN'T REALIZE MY MISTAKE UNTIL MY LNDG LIGHT LIT UP THE NUMBERS ON SHORT FINAL. I WAS TOO ANXIOUS TO GET ON THE GND SO I LANDED ANYWAY. AS A RESULT OF THIS EXPERIENCE; I HAVE DECIDED TO TAKE EXTRA PRECAUTIONS WHEN FLYING AT NIGHT; ESPECIALLY. I WILL GET WX UPDATES MORE OFTEN; I WILL HAVE THE HANDHELD MORE ACCESSIBLE AND I WILL CHK THE RADIO OP SOONER RATHER THAN LATER; PREFERABLY ON THE GND.

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.