Navion pilot contacted VASI light while landing in WX at rzz.

Attributes
ACN	444805
Time
Date	199907
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
State Reference	NC
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Weather Elements	Fog
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Rangemaster (Navion)
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 23 flight time total : 240 flight time type : 98
ASRS Report	444805
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	other personnel other
Events
Anomaly	excursion : runway ground encounters other inflight encounter : weather non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather Flight Crew Human Performance Airport
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

On a flight from pbf to rzz, I departed from hky at XA40 on my last leg. The mains were full (40 gallons) for a 185 NM or 1 hour 40 min flight. If the engine burned 11 or 12 gph, I would still have over 1 hour of fuel to spare. Before entering greensboro airspace, I contacted the raleigh FSS for an update on halifax. The WX was clear below 12000 ft and 9 mi visibility with no NOTAMS. I contacted greensboro approach and was cleared through their airspace. On arrival at halifax, I could not get the runway lights to come on by keying them. I made an approach and was able to see the windsock and VASI lights, but was unable to find the threshold lights for runway 23. As I came up to traffic pattern altitude, fog was starting to form at 200 ft AGL. The WX that morning had shown the atlantic coast in fog. There was active lightning in the emporia area and I didn't want to take the chance that rocky mount would be fogged in by the time I got there. In the pattern I thought I idented the red threshold lights, but they did not turn green when on base. I tried to identify the runway but could not. The next time around, the lights from the town showed the fog's growth. I lined up to the right of the VASI light and made my last approach. When I idented the runway, I thought I was on the right edge of the runway, as the runway was wet and appeared to be water on the side of the runway. I was actually on the left side of the runway and corrected into the VASI light. The airport personnel could not determine if the breaker for the runway lights had been tripped by lightning or placed in the off position.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NAVION PLT CONTACTED VASI LIGHT WHILE LNDG IN WX AT RZZ.

Narrative: ON A FLT FROM PBF TO RZZ, I DEPARTED FROM HKY AT XA40 ON MY LAST LEG. THE MAINS WERE FULL (40 GALLONS) FOR A 185 NM OR 1 HR 40 MIN FLT. IF THE ENG BURNED 11 OR 12 GPH, I WOULD STILL HAVE OVER 1 HR OF FUEL TO SPARE. BEFORE ENTERING GREENSBORO AIRSPACE, I CONTACTED THE RALEIGH FSS FOR AN UPDATE ON HALIFAX. THE WX WAS CLR BELOW 12000 FT AND 9 MI VISIBILITY WITH NO NOTAMS. I CONTACTED GREENSBORO APCH AND WAS CLRED THROUGH THEIR AIRSPACE. ON ARR AT HALIFAX, I COULD NOT GET THE RWY LIGHTS TO COME ON BY KEYING THEM. I MADE AN APCH AND WAS ABLE TO SEE THE WINDSOCK AND VASI LIGHTS, BUT WAS UNABLE TO FIND THE THRESHOLD LIGHTS FOR RWY 23. AS I CAME UP TO TFC PATTERN ALT, FOG WAS STARTING TO FORM AT 200 FT AGL. THE WX THAT MORNING HAD SHOWN THE ATLANTIC COAST IN FOG. THERE WAS ACTIVE LIGHTNING IN THE EMPORIA AREA AND I DIDN'T WANT TO TAKE THE CHANCE THAT ROCKY MOUNT WOULD BE FOGGED IN BY THE TIME I GOT THERE. IN THE PATTERN I THOUGHT I IDENTED THE RED THRESHOLD LIGHTS, BUT THEY DID NOT TURN GREEN WHEN ON BASE. I TRIED TO IDENT THE RWY BUT COULD NOT. THE NEXT TIME AROUND, THE LIGHTS FROM THE TOWN SHOWED THE FOG'S GROWTH. I LINED UP TO THE R OF THE VASI LIGHT AND MADE MY LAST APCH. WHEN I IDENTED THE RWY, I THOUGHT I WAS ON THE R EDGE OF THE RWY, AS THE RWY WAS WET AND APPEARED TO BE WATER ON THE SIDE OF THE RWY. I WAS ACTUALLY ON THE L SIDE OF THE RWY AND CORRECTED INTO THE VASI LIGHT. THE ARPT PERSONNEL COULD NOT DETERMINE IF THE BREAKER FOR THE RWY LIGHTS HAD BEEN TRIPPED BY LIGHTNING OR PLACED IN THE OFF POS.

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.