Narrative:

Small aircraft was in flight to hickory, nc, from waynesboro, va, when the VOR needle became stuck. I did not realize this and ended up farther east than I had intended because I followed the misguiding needle. I looked for an airport for about 30 mins and tried to find my location on the charlotte, atlanta, and cincinnati sectionals. Sunset was passing and I found that the rental airplane did not have interior lights. The airplane had 2 radios, one of which had poor reception and almost inaudible transmission. The radios were connected to a radio selector box with switches and lights to indicate which radio was in use. The light for 1 switch was burned out as well as the light for the switch controling both. Transmission is not possible when the 'both' switch is on. The sun had set and I had not seen an airport for 30 mins. Only a few instruments were lit in the airplane (airspeed indicator, suction, fuel gauges, and attitude indicator). Although I knew from previous calculations that I had at least 1 hour more fuel, the fuel gauges read empty. I could not read the sectional to get the tower frequency because of the dark and the 'both' switch on the radio selector box was pushed in, so I could not transmit. I saw a large plane cruising at low altitude so I followed it at a high altitude (4000 AGL) to charlotte international airport. I stayed at high altitude until I determined the runway use and flow of traffic. I circled the tower several times, waited until I thought I was clear and then went for a landing. The tower turned on a red light so I made a left turn off of the runway. Shortly after, the tower turned on a green light and I returned for a landing. Once on the ground I called the tower and they said that the only thing that I did incorrectly was not to put 7700 on my transponder. After several hours of detainment the airport staff allowed me to leave. In the future, I will remember the transponder code 7700 then 7600 and bring a flashlight with me even on daytime flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT TOTALLY DISORIENTED MAKES EMER LNDG WITHOUT CONTACT, LIGHT SIGNAL ONLY AT INTL ARPT.

Narrative: SMA WAS IN FLT TO HICKORY, NC, FROM WAYNESBORO, VA, WHEN THE VOR NEEDLE BECAME STUCK. I DID NOT REALIZE THIS AND ENDED UP FARTHER E THAN I HAD INTENDED BECAUSE I FOLLOWED THE MISGUIDING NEEDLE. I LOOKED FOR AN ARPT FOR ABOUT 30 MINS AND TRIED TO FIND MY LOCATION ON THE CHARLOTTE, ATLANTA, AND CINCINNATI SECTIONALS. SUNSET WAS PASSING AND I FOUND THAT THE RENTAL AIRPLANE DID NOT HAVE INTERIOR LIGHTS. THE AIRPLANE HAD 2 RADIOS, ONE OF WHICH HAD POOR RECEPTION AND ALMOST INAUDIBLE XMISSION. THE RADIOS WERE CONNECTED TO A RADIO SELECTOR BOX WITH SWITCHES AND LIGHTS TO INDICATE WHICH RADIO WAS IN USE. THE LIGHT FOR 1 SWITCH WAS BURNED OUT AS WELL AS THE LIGHT FOR THE SWITCH CTLING BOTH. XMISSION IS NOT POSSIBLE WHEN THE 'BOTH' SWITCH IS ON. THE SUN HAD SET AND I HAD NOT SEEN AN ARPT FOR 30 MINS. ONLY A FEW INSTS WERE LIT IN THE AIRPLANE (AIRSPD INDICATOR, SUCTION, FUEL GAUGES, AND ATTITUDE INDICATOR). ALTHOUGH I KNEW FROM PREVIOUS CALCULATIONS THAT I HAD AT LEAST 1 HR MORE FUEL, THE FUEL GAUGES READ EMPTY. I COULD NOT READ THE SECTIONAL TO GET THE TWR FREQ BECAUSE OF THE DARK AND THE 'BOTH' SWITCH ON THE RADIO SELECTOR BOX WAS PUSHED IN, SO I COULD NOT XMIT. I SAW A LARGE PLANE CRUISING AT LOW ALT SO I FOLLOWED IT AT A HIGH ALT (4000 AGL) TO CHARLOTTE INTL ARPT. I STAYED AT HIGH ALT UNTIL I DETERMINED THE RWY USE AND FLOW OF TFC. I CIRCLED THE TWR SEVERAL TIMES, WAITED UNTIL I THOUGHT I WAS CLR AND THEN WENT FOR A LNDG. THE TWR TURNED ON A RED LIGHT SO I MADE A L TURN OFF OF THE RWY. SHORTLY AFTER, THE TWR TURNED ON A GREEN LIGHT AND I RETURNED FOR A LNDG. ONCE ON THE GND I CALLED THE TWR AND THEY SAID THAT THE ONLY THING THAT I DID INCORRECTLY WAS NOT TO PUT 7700 ON MY TRANSPONDER. AFTER SEVERAL HRS OF DETAINMENT THE ARPT STAFF ALLOWED ME TO LEAVE. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL REMEMBER THE TRANSPONDER CODE 7700 THEN 7600 AND BRING A FLASHLIGHT WITH ME EVEN ON DAYTIME FLT.

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.