Narrative:

The problem was I got lost. I started out on a VFR day training flight, by the time I was on my way back the sun went down. I lost my ground track and my radio was only coming in intermittent. Knowing I had 4 hours of fuel and I had been flying for 3 hours and 20 mins. I knew that I must land soon. I started looking for an uncontrolled field but I couldn't see anything. So I called on my radio to the tower at mercer county (ttn) because I spotted a beacon and mistakenly thought it was mercer county (ttn). The tower at mercer told me I was cleared to land on runway 34 then I lost all radio communications. I landed on what I thought was runway 34 at mercer but it turned out to be runway 30 at morristown (mmu). Not only was I at the wrong airport but I was landing at a controled field unannounced and perpendicular to their active runway. All of these facts I was not aware of at the time. Not until I was at the FBO closing my flight plan and as soon as I hung up, the tower called and asked what happened and why, he explained the situation in detail which I understood completely. There was no damage to anybody or anything but it could have been a lot worse. I refueled the C152, got my bearing and finished my flight to my home base without a hitch. Now that winter is coming, the night comes down much faster and I will be that much more aware in the future. I intend to become much better at night operations. I have learned a great lesson from this flight and I can guarantee I will never make those mistakes again.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT GETS LOST AT NIGHT AND LANDS AT THE WRONG ARPT, ON THE WRONG RWY AND WITHOUT ANY COMS.

Narrative: THE PROB WAS I GOT LOST. I STARTED OUT ON A VFR DAY TRAINING FLT, BY THE TIME I WAS ON MY WAY BACK THE SUN WENT DOWN. I LOST MY GND TRACK AND MY RADIO WAS ONLY COMING IN INTERMITTENT. KNOWING I HAD 4 HRS OF FUEL AND I HAD BEEN FLYING FOR 3 HRS AND 20 MINS. I KNEW THAT I MUST LAND SOON. I STARTED LOOKING FOR AN UNCTLED FIELD BUT I COULDN'T SEE ANYTHING. SO I CALLED ON MY RADIO TO THE TWR AT MERCER COUNTY (TTN) BECAUSE I SPOTTED A BEACON AND MISTAKENLY THOUGHT IT WAS MERCER COUNTY (TTN). THE TWR AT MERCER TOLD ME I WAS CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 34 THEN I LOST ALL RADIO COMS. I LANDED ON WHAT I THOUGHT WAS RWY 34 AT MERCER BUT IT TURNED OUT TO BE RWY 30 AT MORRISTOWN (MMU). NOT ONLY WAS I AT THE WRONG ARPT BUT I WAS LNDG AT A CTLED FIELD UNANNOUNCED AND PERPENDICULAR TO THEIR ACTIVE RWY. ALL OF THESE FACTS I WAS NOT AWARE OF AT THE TIME. NOT UNTIL I WAS AT THE FBO CLOSING MY FLT PLAN AND AS SOON AS I HUNG UP, THE TWR CALLED AND ASKED WHAT HAPPENED AND WHY, HE EXPLAINED THE SIT IN DETAIL WHICH I UNDERSTOOD COMPLETELY. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO ANYBODY OR ANYTHING BUT IT COULD HAVE BEEN A LOT WORSE. I REFUELED THE C152, GOT MY BEARING AND FINISHED MY FLT TO MY HOME BASE WITHOUT A HITCH. NOW THAT WINTER IS COMING, THE NIGHT COMES DOWN MUCH FASTER AND I WILL BE THAT MUCH MORE AWARE IN THE FUTURE. I INTEND TO BECOME MUCH BETTER AT NIGHT OPS. I HAVE LEARNED A GREAT LESSON FROM THIS FLT AND I CAN GUARANTEE I WILL NEVER MAKE THOSE MISTAKES AGAIN.

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.