Date: 202006
Local time of day: 1801-2400
Location: A80.TRACON, GA
Flight conditions: VMC
Light: Daylight
Aircraft: Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating under: Part 135
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Landing
Airspace: Class D PDK; Class E A80
ATC / advisory: CTAF PDK; TRACON A80
Reporter function: Captain; Pilot Flying
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Human factors: Confusion; Distraction; Situational Awareness
Anomaly: Conflict Airborne Conflict; Conflict Ground Conflict; Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Detector: Person Air Traffic Control; Person Flight Crew
When detected: In-flight
Result: Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance
Contributing factors: Aircraft; Airport; Human Factors; Procedure
Primary problem: Human Factors

Narrative: Landing PDK; VASI and PAPIs were all NOTAMed out. Wind favored 3R but we didn't have an approach and it was night with no verticals guidance so we requested ILS 22L with a 2kt tailwind. The Tower was closed and numerous small aircraft were in the pattern for 3L and 3R. On short final at 500 feet an aircraft called base for 3L. There were no Runway lights on 3L; so we confirmed he was on that runway. We weren't comfortable landing head on with an aircraft we couldn't see landing on a runway with no lights and thought he may be on the wrong runway. We went around and got vectored for another approach. Approach said we were in a Bee Hive trying to land against traffic. A plane on the ground held for us and we were able to get in on our 3rd attempt. In our 2nd attempt we never descended for the runway and boxed back to the east for a successful third attempt. PDK should be restricted after the Tower closes and the winds favors Runway 3R with the VASI INOP and numerous planes landing and doing touch and goes on an unlit runway.We should restrict operations into PDK when the Tower is closed and we can't land with the flow of traffic.  The Tower closed at XA:00 pm local on our arrival day.  Since we couldn't land on Runway 3R without Vertical Guidance at night with no approach being available and the VASI NOTAMed out; we couldn't land with the flow of traffic since the winds (310 @ 8 kts) were favoring 3R/L. Since the winds were light we requested vectors for the ILS 21L and took a 2 kt tailwind.  The unnerving part was there were numerous aircraft in the traffic pattern landing on an unlit Runway (3L).  We inquired about this on CTAF; but had questions if the aircraft knew which runway they were on and we didn't want to fly head on into traffic we couldn't see making call outs to an unlit runway we couldn't even determine was available to use or being used.  And the distraction of planes in the pattern trying to tell us what to do (how to work pilot the control lighting and the traffic pattern direction when we asked if the small Runway 3L was lit) and for us to try to explain to them why we couldn't land 3R isn't good at XY hours of duty; at night; when we were trying to talk on two different frequencies to coordinate (Approach & CTAF) and shooting an approach. A80 Approach also told us to be cautious landing the opposite direction and that we were in a 'bee hive.'  This also put a lot of extra work on them.  It's unsafe and we were going to divert if there were any additional issues on our 3rd attempt; but another jet on the ground was keeping the runway clear for us and we descended to land.  We also had to taxi across this unlit runway with aircraft landing on it and using very little lighting and only having Nav/Beacon lights illuminated. With towers operating at reduced hours during COVID; this could cause an issue at other airports as well.




Synopsis: Pilot reported attempting to land at an airport with a closed Control Tower and other aircraft landing on an unlit runway at night.