Night flight brings with it a number of threatening elements. From invisible weather to pilot fatigue to visual illusions, night brings with it challenges that don't seem daunting until you are alone in the darkness.In some countries, an instrument rating is required to fly at night. The wisdom of that requirement is up for debate, but instrument proficiency is hardly a guarantee that the pilot won't rely on outside visual cues at a time when they're anything but reliable.An example of how you can run into trouble is the sad case involving the owner of a Piper Arrow who was flying from his home in Cleveland to Bridgeport, Conn. The pilot left Cleveland at about 1530 on an IFR flight plan. The flight was uneventful until he began his approach to his destination.At 1753 he contacted the Bridgeport Tower and said he was nine miles northwest and inbound for landing. The controller told him to report a right base for Runway 29, which the pilot acknowledged. A few minutes later, the pilot reported he had lost sight of the airport.He said he was directly east of the airport, over the shoreline, but the Tower controller was unable to spot the airplane. The controller turned the runway lights up to maximum, and a few minutes later the pilot said, "I believe I see the airport now." He thought he was due south of it.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.avweb.com/flight-safety/probable-cause-8-night-over-water