Narrative:

After a 4 hour flight from jackson (mi) to flint (mi) on V116, V55, V216 and V133, I landed to refuel in flint. While in the flint class C airspace I was given a squawk code by ATC. ATC advised me that my mode C transponder was not working. I was cleared to land on runway 27. I landed and refueled. After filing a VFR flight plan from flint to jackson, and carrying out a walkaround inspection where nothing abnormal was noticed, I departed flint at dusk from runway 27 at XA43 and was handed over to flint departure which assigned me 3000 ft and runway heading initially. Shortly thereafter, I was cleared en route. I climbed to 4500 ft and established myself on V353, heading 231 degrees flint VOR 116.9. About 20 mins into the flight, having only 1 VOR, I switched VOR frequencys from flint VOR 116.9 to lansing VOR 110.8 to locate the 096 degree radial from lansing VOR to find the 'qubee' intersection. At about this time, the only light inside the C150 cockpit, the dome light failed. I then concentrated on flying the airplane to terminate the flight as soon as possible. (The same failure had happened less than a week before on a VFR flight from st clair county international (phn) to jackson (jxn). I had contacted lansing radio for help, while my flashlight was weakening which advised me that I was 20-25 NM e-se of jackson. Lansing radio helped me get back on track and safely land in jackson with a cockpit plunged in darkness. The following day, I scrubbed off the dome light contacts, and the light worked again.) I pulled out my flashlight, listened to the jackson ATIS and contacted jackson tower which cleared me for a straight in approach on runway 24 and asked me to report 10 mi final. Not familiar with the area, I could see the city lights, and began searching for the runway. At about 10 mi final, I called jackson tower. No answer. I continued my descent and called again at 5, 2, and 1 mi final. Still no answer. When I was over runway 24, which did not seem familiar, I did not land and overshot. I went around and came back again, trying to contact jackson tower. Still no answer. I went around and climbed to 4500 ft, called jackson tower which asked me my position. I replied e-ne of lansing. Jackson tower asked me to contact lansing approach. I talked to lansing approach which gave me vectors to jackson after identing me asking me to make a 30 degree heading change and giving me a squawk code which did not identify the aircraft. I landed in jackson where the tower controller advised me that I had no outside lights whatsoever and to contact lansing FSS and lansing approach by phone. I had entered lansing class C airspace without establishing radio communication with approach being misled by the same runway number, position of the field north of tower as in jackson -- and concentrating on flying the aircraft with a disabled dome light in an unfamiliar area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT LOSES COCKPIT LIGHT. PLT BECOMES DISORIENTED AT NIGHT AIMING FOR THE WRONG ARPT PENETRATES CLASS C AIRSPACE. THE PLT'S FLASHLIGHT GOES DIM.

Narrative: AFTER A 4 HR FLT FROM JACKSON (MI) TO FLINT (MI) ON V116, V55, V216 AND V133, I LANDED TO REFUEL IN FLINT. WHILE IN THE FLINT CLASS C AIRSPACE I WAS GIVEN A SQUAWK CODE BY ATC. ATC ADVISED ME THAT MY MODE C XPONDER WAS NOT WORKING. I WAS CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 27. I LANDED AND REFUELED. AFTER FILING A VFR FLT PLAN FROM FLINT TO JACKSON, AND CARRYING OUT A WALKAROUND INSPECTION WHERE NOTHING ABNORMAL WAS NOTICED, I DEPARTED FLINT AT DUSK FROM RWY 27 AT XA43 AND WAS HANDED OVER TO FLINT DEP WHICH ASSIGNED ME 3000 FT AND RWY HEADING INITIALLY. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, I WAS CLRED ENRTE. I CLBED TO 4500 FT AND ESTABLISHED MYSELF ON V353, HEADING 231 DEGS FLINT VOR 116.9. ABOUT 20 MINS INTO THE FLT, HAVING ONLY 1 VOR, I SWITCHED VOR FREQS FROM FLINT VOR 116.9 TO LANSING VOR 110.8 TO LOCATE THE 096 DEG RADIAL FROM LANSING VOR TO FIND THE 'QUBEE' INTXN. AT ABOUT THIS TIME, THE ONLY LIGHT INSIDE THE C150 COCKPIT, THE DOME LIGHT FAILED. I THEN CONCENTRATED ON FLYING THE AIRPLANE TO TERMINATE THE FLT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. (THE SAME FAILURE HAD HAPPENED LESS THAN A WEEK BEFORE ON A VFR FLT FROM ST CLAIR COUNTY INTL (PHN) TO JACKSON (JXN). I HAD CONTACTED LANSING RADIO FOR HELP, WHILE MY FLASHLIGHT WAS WEAKENING WHICH ADVISED ME THAT I WAS 20-25 NM E-SE OF JACKSON. LANSING RADIO HELPED ME GET BACK ON TRACK AND SAFELY LAND IN JACKSON WITH A COCKPIT PLUNGED IN DARKNESS. THE FOLLOWING DAY, I SCRUBBED OFF THE DOME LIGHT CONTACTS, AND THE LIGHT WORKED AGAIN.) I PULLED OUT MY FLASHLIGHT, LISTENED TO THE JACKSON ATIS AND CONTACTED JACKSON TWR WHICH CLRED ME FOR A STRAIGHT IN APCH ON RWY 24 AND ASKED ME TO RPT 10 MI FINAL. NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA, I COULD SEE THE CITY LIGHTS, AND BEGAN SEARCHING FOR THE RWY. AT ABOUT 10 MI FINAL, I CALLED JACKSON TWR. NO ANSWER. I CONTINUED MY DSCNT AND CALLED AGAIN AT 5, 2, AND 1 MI FINAL. STILL NO ANSWER. WHEN I WAS OVER RWY 24, WHICH DID NOT SEEM FAMILIAR, I DID NOT LAND AND OVERSHOT. I WENT AROUND AND CAME BACK AGAIN, TRYING TO CONTACT JACKSON TWR. STILL NO ANSWER. I WENT AROUND AND CLBED TO 4500 FT, CALLED JACKSON TWR WHICH ASKED ME MY POS. I REPLIED E-NE OF LANSING. JACKSON TWR ASKED ME TO CONTACT LANSING APCH. I TALKED TO LANSING APCH WHICH GAVE ME VECTORS TO JACKSON AFTER IDENTING ME ASKING ME TO MAKE A 30 DEG HEADING CHANGE AND GIVING ME A SQUAWK CODE WHICH DID NOT IDENT THE ACFT. I LANDED IN JACKSON WHERE THE TWR CTLR ADVISED ME THAT I HAD NO OUTSIDE LIGHTS WHATSOEVER AND TO CONTACT LANSING FSS AND LANSING APCH BY PHONE. I HAD ENTERED LANSING CLASS C AIRSPACE WITHOUT ESTABLISHING RADIO COM WITH APCH BEING MISLED BY THE SAME RWY NUMBER, POS OF THE FIELD N OF TWR AS IN JACKSON -- AND CONCENTRATING ON FLYING THE ACFT WITH A DISABLED DOME LIGHT IN AN UNFAMILIAR AREA.

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.