Narrative:

Upon departure from ric I asked for radar vectors to williamsburg, va, I was given an initial heading to fly. This heading was flown until ric departure terminated radar services. I was advised the jamestown airport was 12 O'clock position, 13 mi. At that time I confirmed a rotating beacon at my 12 O'clock position and squawked 1200. I then switched to 122.8, the CTAF for jgg. I was unable to reach anyone on the CTAF so I announced and entered a left downwind for what I thought was runway 13 at williamsburg, va. After flying a standard pattern with the use of radio announcements, I landed. As my landing light illuminated the runway #'south, I saw they were 14, and 13 as they should have been. As I back taxied I realized the rotating beacon was on top of a control tower. After turning on the taxiway I received a steady red light from the tower. I stopped the airplane and 2 crash trucks pulled in front of me. At this time I shut the engines off and exited the airplane along with my passenger. We were then told where we were (FAF), and asked for our identify. We were then questioned and released when we proved to be of no threat. I was given a control tower frequency and a departure frequency for norfolk radar services. I departed runway 14 and contacted norfolk radar requesting vectors to jgg. The radar controller asked us how long they had held us on the ground. I told him and he assured us that this has happened before to other aircraft. We then proceeded to jgg and landed. The circumstances leading to the mistaken identify of the airport were as follows. Before leaving ric I used 1989 AOPA airport directory along with my washington sectional to assure adequate runway length and verification of lighted runway and location of the rotating beacon on field in relation to the runway. When airborne from ric I contacted departure control and asked for radar vectors to jgg. The last communication with departure was jgg at 12 O'clock, 13 mi. I assured departure I had sight of a rotating beacon at 12 O'clock position, squawked 1200 and changed to 122.8 CTAF for a landing at jgg. I found out the next day the jgg rotating beacon is out of order at present time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA LANDED AT A MIL ARPT AT NIGHT BY MISTAKE.

Narrative: UPON DEP FROM RIC I ASKED FOR RADAR VECTORS TO WILLIAMSBURG, VA, I WAS GIVEN AN INITIAL HDG TO FLY. THIS HDG WAS FLOWN UNTIL RIC DEP TERMINATED RADAR SVCS. I WAS ADVISED THE JAMESTOWN ARPT WAS 12 O'CLOCK POS, 13 MI. AT THAT TIME I CONFIRMED A ROTATING BEACON AT MY 12 O'CLOCK POS AND SQUAWKED 1200. I THEN SWITCHED TO 122.8, THE CTAF FOR JGG. I WAS UNABLE TO REACH ANYONE ON THE CTAF SO I ANNOUNCED AND ENTERED A LEFT DOWNWIND FOR WHAT I THOUGHT WAS RWY 13 AT WILLIAMSBURG, VA. AFTER FLYING A STANDARD PATTERN WITH THE USE OF RADIO ANNOUNCEMENTS, I LANDED. AS MY LNDG LIGHT ILLUMINATED THE RWY #'S, I SAW THEY WERE 14, AND 13 AS THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN. AS I BACK TAXIED I REALIZED THE ROTATING BEACON WAS ON TOP OF A CTL TWR. AFTER TURNING ON THE TXWY I RECEIVED A STEADY RED LIGHT FROM THE TWR. I STOPPED THE AIRPLANE AND 2 CRASH TRUCKS PULLED IN FRONT OF ME. AT THIS TIME I SHUT THE ENGS OFF AND EXITED THE AIRPLANE ALONG WITH MY PAX. WE WERE THEN TOLD WHERE WE WERE (FAF), AND ASKED FOR OUR IDENT. WE WERE THEN QUESTIONED AND RELEASED WHEN WE PROVED TO BE OF NO THREAT. I WAS GIVEN A CTL TWR FREQ AND A DEP FREQ FOR NORFOLK RADAR SVCS. I DEPARTED RWY 14 AND CONTACTED NORFOLK RADAR REQUESTING VECTORS TO JGG. THE RADAR CTLR ASKED US HOW LONG THEY HAD HELD US ON THE GND. I TOLD HIM AND HE ASSURED US THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED BEFORE TO OTHER ACFT. WE THEN PROCEEDED TO JGG AND LANDED. THE CIRCUMSTANCES LEADING TO THE MISTAKEN IDENT OF THE ARPT WERE AS FOLLOWS. BEFORE LEAVING RIC I USED 1989 AOPA ARPT DIRECTORY ALONG WITH MY WASHINGTON SECTIONAL TO ASSURE ADEQUATE RWY LENGTH AND VERIFICATION OF LIGHTED RWY AND LOCATION OF THE ROTATING BEACON ON FIELD IN RELATION TO THE RWY. WHEN AIRBORNE FROM RIC I CONTACTED DEP CTL AND ASKED FOR RADAR VECTORS TO JGG. THE LAST COM WITH DEP WAS JGG AT 12 O'CLOCK, 13 MI. I ASSURED DEP I HAD SIGHT OF A ROTATING BEACON AT 12 O'CLOCK POS, SQUAWKED 1200 AND CHANGED TO 122.8 CTAF FOR A LNDG AT JGG. I FOUND OUT THE NEXT DAY THE JGG ROTATING BEACON IS OUT OF ORDER AT PRESENT TIME.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.