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 performing night landings at their familiar home airport encountered unexpected, powerful floodlights from parallel railroad tracks that completely obscured the runway and tower beacon.
• Initially, the pilot hesitated to ask for help due to embarrassment, but eventually contacted air traffic control and was quickly provided vectors that placed them on a clear approach path.
• The experience highlighted the critical lesson of overcoming overconfidence and promptly asking for help the moment difficulty is recognized, rather than delaying due to ego.

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