Pilot of small aircraft landed at gai at night with runway lights notamed inoperative.

Attributes
ACN	175940
Time
Date	199104
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : gai
State Reference	MD
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 345 flight time type : 23
ASRS Report	175940
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

On the evening of 4/X/91, I was returning from a vacation in fl to gai, which is the home base for my aircraft. I had difficulty locating the field because all the lights on the runway and taxiway were out. The controller at bwi vectored me over the field, and when I still had difficulty locating the airport he informed me that there was a NOTAM that the lights were out and that I would be landing at my own risk. I located the airport and made an approach from pattern altitude in each direction, then landed on runway after third approach. After landing I saw construction equipment off to the northwest side of the runway. Upon speaking with the construction superintendent I learned that the field was closed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA LANDED AT GAI AT NIGHT WITH RWY LIGHTS NOTAMED INOPERATIVE.

Narrative: ON THE EVENING OF 4/X/91, I WAS RETURNING FROM A VACATION IN FL TO GAI, WHICH IS THE HOME BASE FOR MY ACFT. I HAD DIFFICULTY LOCATING THE FIELD BECAUSE ALL THE LIGHTS ON THE RWY AND TXWY WERE OUT. THE CTLR AT BWI VECTORED ME OVER THE FIELD, AND WHEN I STILL HAD DIFFICULTY LOCATING THE ARPT HE INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS A NOTAM THAT THE LIGHTS WERE OUT AND THAT I WOULD BE LNDG AT MY OWN RISK. I LOCATED THE ARPT AND MADE AN APCH FROM PATTERN ALT IN EACH DIRECTION, THEN LANDED ON RWY AFTER THIRD APCH. AFTER LNDG I SAW CONSTRUCTION EQUIP OFF TO THE NW SIDE OF THE RWY. UPON SPEAKING WITH THE CONSTRUCTION SUPERINTENDENT I LEARNED THAT THE FIELD WAS CLOSED.

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.