PA23 pilot was unprepared for night flight into a busy airport. He became disoriented; executed a mi...

Attributes
ACN	757647
Time
Date	200710
Place
Locale Reference	airport : teb.airport
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	msl single value : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : n90.tracon
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	PA-23-250 Aztec
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : go around
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 32 flight time total : 400 flight time type : 40
ASRS Report	757647
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : executed missed approach
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

A short flight to teb to drop off a fellow mechanic before continuing home after a day spent working on a broken aircraft. A delay in parts to complete the work and a miscom about my fellow mechanic needing a ride to teb led to a later than planned departure which put us in the middle of evening rush hour at the 2 airports. I was rushing to get to teb to continue home. I was not prepared properly for the approach to teb although the conditions were VMC. The approach in use was the VOR/DME a. I had failed to get the current ATIS information at teb which would have prepared me better. I was behind from the start. I had the wrong approach plate out. I had the VOR/DME runway 6 instead of the VOR/DME a which had my situational awareness all off course. I was instrument and night current at the time I thought. After a review of my records when I got home I was night current in single engine; not the twin I was flying. I was tired trying to get into an unfamiliar airport at night with the wrong approach plates out. I was so lost that tower tried to help but I decided to go missed which I was unprepared for anyway; but was vectored out and back to approach for resequencing. With the proper approach plate in hand and briefed and set up I was vectored to final approach course again. Started good but once I started my first descent I got preoccupied with trying to find the airport among the other ground lights. I drifted south of the airport and lost contact with reported traffic I was supposed to follow to the airport. I reported lost contact and no visual with the airport and that I was going missed when ATC issued instructions to descend and vectored me to where I found the airport and eventually made a safe landing. The moral of the story is even though you're current doesn't mean you're proficient and even though you're not planning a night flight; you should make sure you're current anyway.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA23 PLT WAS UNPREPARED FOR NIGHT FLIGHT INTO A BUSY ARPT. HE BECAME DISORIENTED; EXECUTED A MISSED APCH; AND WAS EVENTUALLY VECTORED TO THE ARPT FOR LNDG.

Narrative: A SHORT FLT TO TEB TO DROP OFF A FELLOW MECH BEFORE CONTINUING HOME AFTER A DAY SPENT WORKING ON A BROKEN ACFT. A DELAY IN PARTS TO COMPLETE THE WORK AND A MISCOM ABOUT MY FELLOW MECH NEEDING A RIDE TO TEB LED TO A LATER THAN PLANNED DEP WHICH PUT US IN THE MIDDLE OF EVENING RUSH HR AT THE 2 ARPTS. I WAS RUSHING TO GET TO TEB TO CONTINUE HOME. I WAS NOT PREPARED PROPERLY FOR THE APCH TO TEB ALTHOUGH THE CONDITIONS WERE VMC. THE APCH IN USE WAS THE VOR/DME A. I HAD FAILED TO GET THE CURRENT ATIS INFO AT TEB WHICH WOULD HAVE PREPARED ME BETTER. I WAS BEHIND FROM THE START. I HAD THE WRONG APCH PLATE OUT. I HAD THE VOR/DME RWY 6 INSTEAD OF THE VOR/DME A WHICH HAD MY SITUATIONAL AWARENESS ALL OFF COURSE. I WAS INST AND NIGHT CURRENT AT THE TIME I THOUGHT. AFTER A REVIEW OF MY RECORDS WHEN I GOT HOME I WAS NIGHT CURRENT IN SINGLE ENG; NOT THE TWIN I WAS FLYING. I WAS TIRED TRYING TO GET INTO AN UNFAMILIAR ARPT AT NIGHT WITH THE WRONG APCH PLATES OUT. I WAS SO LOST THAT TWR TRIED TO HELP BUT I DECIDED TO GO MISSED WHICH I WAS UNPREPARED FOR ANYWAY; BUT WAS VECTORED OUT AND BACK TO APCH FOR RESEQUENCING. WITH THE PROPER APCH PLATE IN HAND AND BRIEFED AND SET UP I WAS VECTORED TO FINAL APCH COURSE AGAIN. STARTED GOOD BUT ONCE I STARTED MY FIRST DSCNT I GOT PREOCCUPIED WITH TRYING TO FIND THE ARPT AMONG THE OTHER GND LIGHTS. I DRIFTED S OF THE ARPT AND LOST CONTACT WITH RPTED TFC I WAS SUPPOSED TO FOLLOW TO THE ARPT. I RPTED LOST CONTACT AND NO VISUAL WITH THE ARPT AND THAT I WAS GOING MISSED WHEN ATC ISSUED INSTRUCTIONS TO DSND AND VECTORED ME TO WHERE I FOUND THE ARPT AND EVENTUALLY MADE A SAFE LNDG. THE MORAL OF THE STORY IS EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE CURRENT DOESN'T MEAN YOU'RE PROFICIENT AND EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE NOT PLANNING A NIGHT FLT; YOU SHOULD MAKE SURE YOU'RE CURRENT ANYWAY.

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.

PA23 pilot was unprepared for night flight into a busy airport. He became disoriented; executed a missed approach; and was eventually vectored to the airport for landing.