Narrative:

I was flying into azo airport while the sun had set less than 1 hour before. The airport is not one I have regularly flown into, and had never flown into after sunset. I was flying inbound from the north and had spotted the airport beacon about 15 mi out. The approach controller had me fly 160 degree heading to set me up for a right downwind for runway 35. Once I told him I had the airport in sight he handed me off to the control tower and said to fly direct to the airport. I had an airport diagram in the aircraft that I was studying the whole way. At the 'X' marked on the airport diagram I included, I got disoriented and proceeded to fly the right downwind for runway 5, thinking that it was the correct runway. I ended up crossing over the active runway where the touchdown point is. The controller then asked what heading I was on and then set me up for a left downwind. The problem in this situation was not only did I fly at pattern altitude directly over the active runway, but that there were 2 planes on final and I realized my mistake after I was already over runway 35. What I should have done was used my heading indicator to determine my direction. I also could have asked for vectors or had the runway lighting enhanced. I could have also mentioned to approach that I was fairly new to flying into the airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT RPTR BECAME DISORIENTED WHEN ENTERING TFC PATTERN AND DIDN'T COMPLY WITH CLRNC. INADVERTENTLY FLEW OVER THE ACTIVE RWY WITH ACFT ON APCH.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING INTO AZO ARPT WHILE THE SUN HAD SET LESS THAN 1 HR BEFORE. THE ARPT IS NOT ONE I HAVE REGULARLY FLOWN INTO, AND HAD NEVER FLOWN INTO AFTER SUNSET. I WAS FLYING INBOUND FROM THE N AND HAD SPOTTED THE ARPT BEACON ABOUT 15 MI OUT. THE APCH CTLR HAD ME FLY 160 DEG HDG TO SET ME UP FOR A R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 35. ONCE I TOLD HIM I HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT HE HANDED ME OFF TO THE CTL TWR AND SAID TO FLY DIRECT TO THE ARPT. I HAD AN ARPT DIAGRAM IN THE ACFT THAT I WAS STUDYING THE WHOLE WAY. AT THE 'X' MARKED ON THE ARPT DIAGRAM I INCLUDED, I GOT DISORIENTED AND PROCEEDED TO FLY THE R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 5, THINKING THAT IT WAS THE CORRECT RWY. I ENDED UP XING OVER THE ACTIVE RWY WHERE THE TOUCHDOWN POINT IS. THE CTLR THEN ASKED WHAT HDG I WAS ON AND THEN SET ME UP FOR A L DOWNWIND. THE PROB IN THIS SIT WAS NOT ONLY DID I FLY AT PATTERN ALT DIRECTLY OVER THE ACTIVE RWY, BUT THAT THERE WERE 2 PLANES ON FINAL AND I REALIZED MY MISTAKE AFTER I WAS ALREADY OVER RWY 35. WHAT I SHOULD HAVE DONE WAS USED MY HDG INDICATOR TO DETERMINE MY DIRECTION. I ALSO COULD HAVE ASKED FOR VECTORS OR HAD THE RWY LIGHTING ENHANCED. I COULD HAVE ALSO MENTIONED TO APCH THAT I WAS FAIRLY NEW TO FLYING INTO THE ARPT.

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.