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 conducting night landings encountered unexpected, powerful floodlights from parallel railroad tracks that completely obscured their home airport's runway and tower beacon, causing them to lose visual reference.
• Despite initial hesitation due to embarrassment, the pilot contacted air traffic control (ATC) for assistance, who successfully vectored them onto the approach path.
• The experience served as a humbling lesson for the pilot, emphasizing the dangers of overconfidence and the critical importance of asking for help immediately upon encountering difficulty.

Key takeaways sponsored by Aviator Pro | Start Your Training ->

See a mistake? Contact us.