A LOW TIME C172 PLT GETS INVOLVED WITH EXTENSIVE SMOKE FROM FARMERS BURNING; ENTERS TUL CLASS C AND IS RADAR VECTORED TO RSV WITHOUT EXTERIOR LIGHTING DURING A NIGHT APCH.

Date: 2003-04 · Aircraft: Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172 · Phase: cruise

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-critical|airspace-violation-all-types|conflict-airborne-conflict|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|inflight-event-encounter-vfr-in-imc|inflight-event-encounter-other-unknown|other-disorientation

Synopsis

A LOW TIME C172 PLT GETS INVOLVED WITH EXTENSIVE SMOKE FROM FARMERS BURNING; ENTERS TUL CLASS C AND IS RADAR VECTORED TO RSV WITHOUT EXTERIOR LIGHTING DURING A NIGHT APCH.

Narrative

FLEW FROM TKI TO RVS ON A VFR FLT. WHILE FLYING N THROUGH OKLAHOMA; EXTREME HAZY CONDITIONS WERE ENCOUNTERED FROM FARMERS BURNING PRIOR YR'S CROPS FROM FIELDS. A COLD FRONT MOVING S OVER TULSA WAS COMPRESSING HAZE; MAKING FOR EVEN MORE DIFFICULT CONDITIONS AND LOWER VISIBILITY. RADIOS IN RENTAL ACFT WERE MALFUNCTIONING. #1 RADIO STOPPED XMITTING AND #2 RADIO/INTERCOM HAD TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF STATIC. RADAR SVCS WERE TERMINATED N OF OKM DUE TO LOW ALT THAT I HAD TO KEEP IN ORDER TO STAY IN VISUAL CONTACT WITH GND. KEPT XMITTING CALL SIGN FOR TULSA APCH; BUT WOULD NOT GET BACK ANY RESPONSE. FINALLY; CROSSED THE FRONT AS WE CAME OVER THE LIGHTED AREA OF TULSA. CONTINUED BROADCASTING WITHOUT RESPONSE AS WE WERE DISORIENTED AND NOT EXACTLY SURE OF HOW FAR OUT I WAS FROM TUL. WHEN PASSED BY A LARGE JET ON APCH TO TUL; REALIZED THAT THERE WAS DEFINITELY A RADIO PROB. RECYCLED THE RADIOS AND WAS ABLE TO ESTABLISH CONTACT WITH TULSA APCH WHO VECTORED ME OVER TO RVS. IN THE DISTR OF FLYING IN NON VISUAL CONDITIONS FROM DUSK INTO DARK; I HAD FORGOTTEN TO TURN ON MY NAV LIGHTS; STROBES; AND LNDG LIGHTS. RIVERSIDE TWR INSTRUCTED ME TO TURN ON LIGHTS; WHICH I WAS IN THE PROCESS OF DOING AS I HAD REALIZED THEY WERE NOT ON. LANDED SAFELY WITH NO FURTHER CONSEQUENCES. LAST 25 MINS OF FLT HAD REQUIRED USE OF INSTS TO REMAIN STRAIGHT AND LEVEL.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.