Pilot of small aircraft without aircraft lighting landed 1 hour after sunset.

Attributes
ACN	168561
Time
Date	199101
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pir
State Reference	SD
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : luk
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 26 flight time total : 1842
ASRS Report	168561
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While flying my small aircraft from fargo, nd to pir, I encountered much stronger headwinds that I was led to believe I would encounter from my preflight WX briefing. The trip took an hour longer than I had planned for, resulting in my landing at pir almost 1 hour after sunset. I could find no suitable airport to land at between aberdeen and pir due to unfavorable wind and runway snow conditions. My small aircraft is not equipped with lighting. I am just grateful that I had plenty of fuel on board.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA WITHOUT ACFT LIGHTING LANDED 1 HOUR AFTER SUNSET.

Narrative: WHILE FLYING MY SMA FROM FARGO, ND TO PIR, I ENCOUNTERED MUCH STRONGER HEADWINDS THAT I WAS LED TO BELIEVE I WOULD ENCOUNTER FROM MY PREFLT WX BRIEFING. THE TRIP TOOK AN HR LONGER THAN I HAD PLANNED FOR, RESULTING IN MY LNDG AT PIR ALMOST 1 HR AFTER SUNSET. I COULD FIND NO SUITABLE ARPT TO LAND AT BTWN ABERDEEN AND PIR DUE TO UNFAVORABLE WIND AND RWY SNOW CONDITIONS. MY SMA IS NOT EQUIPPED WITH LIGHTING. I AM JUST GRATEFUL THAT I HAD PLENTY OF FUEL ON BOARD.

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