Disappearing Runway

I was flying out of Boeing Field (KBFI), something I had done hundreds of times before. Tonights flight was to maintain night landing proficiency, so after making landings at a few airports in the area, the adventure started as I returned home in the dark. The wind was from the north, so the active runway was 31L. And because I was making the approach at night, I did what I always do: approach the runway from the north over Elliot Bay. As expected, I was assigned a left pattern to 31L.

Key Takeaways:

• A pilot, flying at night at a familiar airport, unexpectedly lost sight of the runway due to powerful, newly installed floodlights on parallel railroad tracks.
• Despite initial reluctance and embarrassment about asking for help, the pilot contacted Air Traffic Control (ATC), who provided vectors for a safe and successful landing.
• The experience served as a crucial lesson about overcoming overconfidence and ego, emphasizing the importance of asking for assistance immediately when a problem is encountered, rather than delaying.

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