Narrative:

Halfway through an IFR flight from sierra blanca, NM, to arlington, tx, it was determined that WX at arlington was bad and I requested routing to midland international to put down for the night. ZFW assigned an initial heading of 165 degrees, then later cleared me to direct maf VOR and transferred me to midland approach. I continued to fly the 165 degree heading while midland approach gave me lower altitudes. Although it was good VFR (night), I had trouble locating the airport visually and was busy with charts and GPS. I forgot to track directly to the VOR as previously assigned and was notified by controller of my deviation. No other aircraft were in the area at the time. Then, after being cleared for a visual left downwind to runway 34L, I flew the left downwind approach to runway 28. Tower inquired if I knew where I was going and I immediately recognized my error. A 270 degree turn to the right put me on short final. Again, no other aircraft were in the area. Minor factors: unfamiliar airport, night, runway 28 was very visible with bright lighting. Major factors: pilot fatigue -- pilot had spent the day skiing (3 1/2 hours), checking out of hotel, returning rental skis and rental car, flight planning, loading aircraft, etc. -- Busy day. Next time I will not try to ski and fly a long-distance, IFR flight in the same day. Xchk compass and runway alignment, even when I think I know which runway is correct.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT OF AN SMA SEL FAILED TO FOLLOW ATC CLRNCS ON 2 DIFFERENT TIMES WHILE ON IFR FLT PLAN AT NIGHT.

Narrative: HALFWAY THROUGH AN IFR FLT FROM SIERRA BLANCA, NM, TO ARLINGTON, TX, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT WX AT ARLINGTON WAS BAD AND I REQUESTED RTING TO MIDLAND INTL TO PUT DOWN FOR THE NIGHT. ZFW ASSIGNED AN INITIAL HDG OF 165 DEGS, THEN LATER CLRED ME TO DIRECT MAF VOR AND TRANSFERRED ME TO MIDLAND APCH. I CONTINUED TO FLY THE 165 DEG HDG WHILE MIDLAND APCH GAVE ME LOWER ALTS. ALTHOUGH IT WAS GOOD VFR (NIGHT), I HAD TROUBLE LOCATING THE ARPT VISUALLY AND WAS BUSY WITH CHARTS AND GPS. I FORGOT TO TRACK DIRECTLY TO THE VOR AS PREVIOUSLY ASSIGNED AND WAS NOTIFIED BY CTLR OF MY DEV. NO OTHER ACFT WERE IN THE AREA AT THE TIME. THEN, AFTER BEING CLRED FOR A VISUAL L DOWNWIND TO RWY 34L, I FLEW THE L DOWNWIND APCH TO RWY 28. TWR INQUIRED IF I KNEW WHERE I WAS GOING AND I IMMEDIATELY RECOGNIZED MY ERROR. A 270 DEG TURN TO THE R PUT ME ON SHORT FINAL. AGAIN, NO OTHER ACFT WERE IN THE AREA. MINOR FACTORS: UNFAMILIAR ARPT, NIGHT, RWY 28 WAS VERY VISIBLE WITH BRIGHT LIGHTING. MAJOR FACTORS: PLT FATIGUE -- PLT HAD SPENT THE DAY SKIING (3 1/2 HRS), CHKING OUT OF HOTEL, RETURNING RENTAL SKIS AND RENTAL CAR, FLT PLANNING, LOADING ACFT, ETC. -- BUSY DAY. NEXT TIME I WILL NOT TRY TO SKI AND FLY A LONG-DISTANCE, IFR FLT IN THE SAME DAY. XCHK COMPASS AND RWY ALIGNMENT, EVEN WHEN I THINK I KNOW WHICH RWY IS CORRECT.

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.