WHILE MAKING NIGHT LNDG; C172 PLT MISTAKES BRIGHTLY LIT RWY 36 FOR DIMLY ILLUMINATED RWY 32. ATCT LCL CTLR ALERTS HIM TO HIS ERROR.
Synopsis
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.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.