Low time private pilot doing night lndgs for currency allows microphone lead to tangle in the dark a...

Attributes
ACN	129846
Time
Date	198911
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : stp
State Reference	MN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1700 msl bound upper : 1700
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : zmp
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	descent : approach other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 4 flight time total : 194 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	129846
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I am writing this report to explain a problem which happened to me while flying at night. It caused no traffic conflicts or violations, but I think this might be something for your 'callback' report. I preflted the small aircraft in preparation for a night flight to make my 3 takeoffs and lndgs. I thought I did a good job in checking the aircraft. I found the tail lights out and had the bulb replaced by a mechanic. At time of run-up, engine was rough, but I ran engine in a leaned condition and retried magnetic check. Everything seemed find. I took off from crystal airport at crystal, mn, and went to stp for the takeoffs and lndgs. I was cleared for a landing. Everything went fine until a was about to turn base. Tower called to clear me for a landing. I attempted to pull the microphone to my mouth to respond to the tower. The cord was all wrapped up just like a cord on a phone. I had a difficult time in the dark getting the microphone close enough to respond to tower. Actually had to lower my head to the microphone. Because of the confusion and it being dark, I almost lined up for the wrong runway. Noticed error and made an uneventful and good landing. On the ground,I tried to check the cord and thought things were ok. After completed 2 more takeoffs and lndgs, I returned to crystal airport. Once while approaching the airport, and once while on base leg at crystal, again the cord was twisted and the microphone hard to use. On these occasions, the tower had to call me a couple of times before I could respond. On base leg,I had to again lower my head to the microphone. During this time, I missed the normal turn from base to final. I was able to correct flight path and made a good landing to end the flight. In all my hours of flying, I never have had so much of a problem with a microphone cord. As such, I think this is an often-overlooked item (it is for me). In the dark, near the ground and while trying to make a landing, this overlooked item sure caused confusion for me. If I had lost control, would anyone have been able to figure out that a microphone cord caused a crash?

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOW TIME PVT PLT DOING NIGHT LNDGS FOR CURRENCY ALLOWS MICROPHONE LEAD TO TANGLE IN THE DARK AND IS HEAD DOWN TRYING TO COMMUNICATE AT CRITICAL POINT IN LNDG PATTERN.

Narrative: I AM WRITING THIS RPT TO EXPLAIN A PROB WHICH HAPPENED TO ME WHILE FLYING AT NIGHT. IT CAUSED NO TFC CONFLICTS OR VIOLATIONS, BUT I THINK THIS MIGHT BE SOMETHING FOR YOUR 'CALLBACK' RPT. I PREFLTED THE SMA IN PREPARATION FOR A NIGHT FLT TO MAKE MY 3 TKOFS AND LNDGS. I THOUGHT I DID A GOOD JOB IN CHKING THE ACFT. I FOUND THE TAIL LIGHTS OUT AND HAD THE BULB REPLACED BY A MECH. AT TIME OF RUN-UP, ENG WAS ROUGH, BUT I RAN ENG IN A LEANED CONDITION AND RETRIED MAG CHK. EVERYTHING SEEMED FIND. I TOOK OFF FROM CRYSTAL ARPT AT CRYSTAL, MN, AND WENT TO STP FOR THE TKOFS AND LNDGS. I WAS CLRED FOR A LNDG. EVERYTHING WENT FINE UNTIL A WAS ABOUT TO TURN BASE. TWR CALLED TO CLR ME FOR A LNDG. I ATTEMPTED TO PULL THE MIC TO MY MOUTH TO RESPOND TO THE TWR. THE CORD WAS ALL WRAPPED UP JUST LIKE A CORD ON A PHONE. I HAD A DIFFICULT TIME IN THE DARK GETTING THE MIC CLOSE ENOUGH TO RESPOND TO TWR. ACTUALLY HAD TO LOWER MY HEAD TO THE MIC. BECAUSE OF THE CONFUSION AND IT BEING DARK, I ALMOST LINED UP FOR THE WRONG RWY. NOTICED ERROR AND MADE AN UNEVENTFUL AND GOOD LNDG. ON THE GND,I TRIED TO CHK THE CORD AND THOUGHT THINGS WERE OK. AFTER COMPLETED 2 MORE TKOFS AND LNDGS, I RETURNED TO CRYSTAL ARPT. ONCE WHILE APCHING THE ARPT, AND ONCE WHILE ON BASE LEG AT CRYSTAL, AGAIN THE CORD WAS TWISTED AND THE MIC HARD TO USE. ON THESE OCCASIONS, THE TWR HAD TO CALL ME A COUPLE OF TIMES BEFORE I COULD RESPOND. ON BASE LEG,I HAD TO AGAIN LOWER MY HEAD TO THE MIC. DURING THIS TIME, I MISSED THE NORMAL TURN FROM BASE TO FINAL. I WAS ABLE TO CORRECT FLT PATH AND MADE A GOOD LNDG TO END THE FLT. IN ALL MY HRS OF FLYING, I NEVER HAVE HAD SO MUCH OF A PROB WITH A MIC CORD. AS SUCH, I THINK THIS IS AN OFTEN-OVERLOOKED ITEM (IT IS FOR ME). IN THE DARK, NEAR THE GND AND WHILE TRYING TO MAKE A LNDG, THIS OVERLOOKED ITEM SURE CAUSED CONFUSION FOR ME. IF I HAD LOST CONTROL, WOULD ANYONE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIGURE OUT THAT A MIC CORD CAUSED A CRASH?

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.

Low time private pilot doing night lndgs for currency allows microphone lead to tangle in the dark and is head down trying to communicate at critical point in landing pattern.