While making night landing, C172 pilot mistakes brightly lit runway 36 for dimly illuminated runway ...

Attributes
ACN	629369
Time
Date	200409
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dhn.airport
State Reference	AL
Altitude	agl single value : 300
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : dhn.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 11 flight time total : 640 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	629369
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	controller : local
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance controller : issued alert flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : executed go around
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Facility Airport Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

During night VFR solo training for commercial asel, I was on final to dothan, al. I was cleared to land runway 32. Tower had a fire truck operating on runway 36/18 with runway lighting on highest setting. My runway (runway 32) had lighting set on low or medium at best. Runway 32 was also the designated runway for landing and departing. While entering the pattern, I mistook runway 36 for runway 32 and set up for landing on runway 36, inadvertently, and did not confirm with heading indicator, as I assumed the full lighting was my runway. While on short final at approximately 300 ft AGL, tower called and asked if I was set up for runway 36 or runway 32. I immediately executed a go around, confirmed I was on runway 36, and called tower with '...go around, runway 36, sorry, sir.' tower replied he was glad the fire truck was not on the runway, set me for right traffic to runway 32, and flight in the pattern was continued without incident. I believe tower inadvertently emphasized runway 36 during a light check by leaving runway 32 on dim, knowing he had an aircraft in the pattern. My error was not confirming runway heading on final. Contributing was confusion of ground lights for runway 32 and surrounding environment, especially with runway 36 on bright.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WHILE MAKING NIGHT LNDG, C172 PLT MISTAKES BRIGHTLY LIT RWY 36 FOR DIMLY ILLUMINATED RWY 32. ATCT LCL CTLR ALERTS HIM TO HIS ERROR.

Narrative: DURING NIGHT VFR SOLO TRAINING FOR COMMERCIAL ASEL, I WAS ON FINAL TO DOTHAN, AL. I WAS CLRED TO LAND RWY 32. TWR HAD A FIRE TRUCK OPERATING ON RWY 36/18 WITH RWY LIGHTING ON HIGHEST SETTING. MY RWY (RWY 32) HAD LIGHTING SET ON LOW OR MEDIUM AT BEST. RWY 32 WAS ALSO THE DESIGNATED RWY FOR LNDG AND DEPARTING. WHILE ENTERING THE PATTERN, I MISTOOK RWY 36 FOR RWY 32 AND SET UP FOR LNDG ON RWY 36, INADVERTENTLY, AND DID NOT CONFIRM WITH HDG INDICATOR, AS I ASSUMED THE FULL LIGHTING WAS MY RWY. WHILE ON SHORT FINAL AT APPROX 300 FT AGL, TWR CALLED AND ASKED IF I WAS SET UP FOR RWY 36 OR RWY 32. I IMMEDIATELY EXECUTED A GAR, CONFIRMED I WAS ON RWY 36, AND CALLED TWR WITH '...GAR, RWY 36, SORRY, SIR.' TWR REPLIED HE WAS GLAD THE FIRE TRUCK WAS NOT ON THE RWY, SET ME FOR R TFC TO RWY 32, AND FLT IN THE PATTERN WAS CONTINUED WITHOUT INCIDENT. I BELIEVE TWR INADVERTENTLY EMPHASIZED RWY 36 DURING A LIGHT CHK BY LEAVING RWY 32 ON DIM, KNOWING HE HAD AN ACFT IN THE PATTERN. MY ERROR WAS NOT CONFIRMING RWY HDG ON FINAL. CONTRIBUTING WAS CONFUSION OF GND LIGHTS FOR RWY 32 AND SURROUNDING ENVIRONMENT, ESPECIALLY WITH RWY 36 ON BRIGHT.

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.

While making night landing, C172 pilot mistakes brightly lit runway 36 for dimly illuminated runway 32. ATCT local controller alerts him to his error.