Narrative:

After a long overwater flight; I became disoriented on approach from the east to the opa locka airport (opf). For some reason I had been expecting to land to the west; but the winds this day were from the east. The controller instructed me 10 mi out to enter the left downwind for runway 9L; but I became confused; probably due to the exhaustion of the long flight. I believed I was lined up for final on runway 9L when I was lined up for runway 27L. The controller continued to instruct me to go to the downwind leg; but this wasn't making sense to me. I was fixated on the runway I was approaching. About 4 mi out; I realized my mistake; but by that time I was far out of the position where I should have been. Luckily; there were no operations on the south side of the airport; otherwise I could have caused a conflict. I don't fully understand why I became fixated on believing that I was on approach to runway 9L when it was actually runway 27L. Factors may have been my flying visually from the right seat (so as to be nearest the door in case of emergency ditching); such that the directional gyro was not as much in my scan as it should have been. I also had noticed during the flight that the oxygen flow to my mask was slow at altitude due to a loose fitting. I tightened the fitting; but it is possible that I had been suffering from lack of oxygen during the flight. It is hard for me to see how this would have affected me at 1000 ft MSL; but it might have added to the exhaustion factor.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF PA28 SUFFERS SPATIAL DISORIENTATION AND LOSS OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AFTER A LONG OVER WATER FLT TO OPF.

Narrative: AFTER A LONG OVERWATER FLT; I BECAME DISORIENTED ON APCH FROM THE E TO THE OPA LOCKA ARPT (OPF). FOR SOME REASON I HAD BEEN EXPECTING TO LAND TO THE W; BUT THE WINDS THIS DAY WERE FROM THE E. THE CTLR INSTRUCTED ME 10 MI OUT TO ENTER THE L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 9L; BUT I BECAME CONFUSED; PROBABLY DUE TO THE EXHAUSTION OF THE LONG FLT. I BELIEVED I WAS LINED UP FOR FINAL ON RWY 9L WHEN I WAS LINED UP FOR RWY 27L. THE CTLR CONTINUED TO INSTRUCT ME TO GO TO THE DOWNWIND LEG; BUT THIS WASN'T MAKING SENSE TO ME. I WAS FIXATED ON THE RWY I WAS APCHING. ABOUT 4 MI OUT; I REALIZED MY MISTAKE; BUT BY THAT TIME I WAS FAR OUT OF THE POS WHERE I SHOULD HAVE BEEN. LUCKILY; THERE WERE NO OPS ON THE S SIDE OF THE ARPT; OTHERWISE I COULD HAVE CAUSED A CONFLICT. I DON'T FULLY UNDERSTAND WHY I BECAME FIXATED ON BELIEVING THAT I WAS ON APCH TO RWY 9L WHEN IT WAS ACTUALLY RWY 27L. FACTORS MAY HAVE BEEN MY FLYING VISUALLY FROM THE R SEAT (SO AS TO BE NEAREST THE DOOR IN CASE OF EMER DITCHING); SUCH THAT THE DIRECTIONAL GYRO WAS NOT AS MUCH IN MY SCAN AS IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN. I ALSO HAD NOTICED DURING THE FLT THAT THE OXYGEN FLOW TO MY MASK WAS SLOW AT ALT DUE TO A LOOSE FITTING. I TIGHTENED THE FITTING; BUT IT IS POSSIBLE THAT I HAD BEEN SUFFERING FROM LACK OF OXYGEN DURING THE FLT. IT IS HARD FOR ME TO SEE HOW THIS WOULD HAVE AFFECTED ME AT 1000 FT MSL; BUT IT MIGHT HAVE ADDED TO THE EXHAUSTION FACTOR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.