Narrative:

My intention was to land at sunset airport, a private airport located within the air traffic area of hio. I was unfamiliar with the area and the airport, but had been given directions by someone who had landed there once. I overflew the area and the air traffic area, then descended south of the air traffic area. I contacted the hio tower and told them my intention. I maneuvered to land at what I thought was sunset airport. I was aware that I was in the hio air traffic area and was careful to see and avoid any conflicting traffic, though at the time of my landing there was no close by traffic. On my roll-out on landing, the tower advised me I had landed on a dirt road, not at sunset airport. I rolled to the end of the road (which had no phone or electric poles, no fences, no mailboxes) which was in the middle of a field, and turned around and took off. I realized at this point that I had stirred up a lot of dust and it had carried over to a house that was beyond my turn around and takeoff point. After takeoff point I called the tower and asked for assistance to locate sunset airport. While on the ground on the road, the tower inquired whether the plane was undamaged (which it was), and whether I could takeoff ok (which I could). I landed at sunset and was advised by a person on the airport to call the tower. I did and was told they had been called by the people at the house on the road and maybe I should call them and apologize. I did and the lady I talked to was very nice. She said it had happened before. I think I could have asked for assistance from the tower if I was unsure (before I landed). I shouldn't have been in such a hurry to try to correct a mistake by taking off so quickly west/O looking the situation over first. If this has happened before at that spot, maybe an 'X' would help.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA INTENDED TO LAND ON PRIVATE STRIP. LANDED ON DIRT ROAD, TOOK OFF, FOUND INTENDED ARPT AND LANDED.

Narrative: MY INTENTION WAS TO LAND AT SUNSET ARPT, A PVT ARPT LOCATED WITHIN THE ATA OF HIO. I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA AND THE ARPT, BUT HAD BEEN GIVEN DIRECTIONS BY SOMEONE WHO HAD LANDED THERE ONCE. I OVERFLEW THE AREA AND THE ATA, THEN DSNDED S OF THE ATA. I CONTACTED THE HIO TWR AND TOLD THEM MY INTENTION. I MANEUVERED TO LAND AT WHAT I THOUGHT WAS SUNSET ARPT. I WAS AWARE THAT I WAS IN THE HIO ATA AND WAS CAREFUL TO SEE AND AVOID ANY CONFLICTING TFC, THOUGH AT THE TIME OF MY LNDG THERE WAS NO CLOSE BY TFC. ON MY ROLL-OUT ON LNDG, THE TWR ADVISED ME I HAD LANDED ON A DIRT ROAD, NOT AT SUNSET ARPT. I ROLLED TO THE END OF THE ROAD (WHICH HAD NO PHONE OR ELECTRIC POLES, NO FENCES, NO MAILBOXES) WHICH WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF A FIELD, AND TURNED AROUND AND TOOK OFF. I REALIZED AT THIS POINT THAT I HAD STIRRED UP A LOT OF DUST AND IT HAD CARRIED OVER TO A HOUSE THAT WAS BEYOND MY TURN AROUND AND TKOF POINT. AFTER TKOF POINT I CALLED THE TWR AND ASKED FOR ASSISTANCE TO LOCATE SUNSET ARPT. WHILE ON THE GND ON THE ROAD, THE TWR INQUIRED WHETHER THE PLANE WAS UNDAMAGED (WHICH IT WAS), AND WHETHER I COULD TKOF OK (WHICH I COULD). I LANDED AT SUNSET AND WAS ADVISED BY A PERSON ON THE ARPT TO CALL THE TWR. I DID AND WAS TOLD THEY HAD BEEN CALLED BY THE PEOPLE AT THE HOUSE ON THE ROAD AND MAYBE I SHOULD CALL THEM AND APOLOGIZE. I DID AND THE LADY I TALKED TO WAS VERY NICE. SHE SAID IT HAD HAPPENED BEFORE. I THINK I COULD HAVE ASKED FOR ASSISTANCE FROM THE TWR IF I WAS UNSURE (BEFORE I LANDED). I SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN IN SUCH A HURRY TO TRY TO CORRECT A MISTAKE BY TAKING OFF SO QUICKLY W/O LOOKING THE SITUATION OVER FIRST. IF THIS HAS HAPPENED BEFORE AT THAT SPOT, MAYBE AN 'X' WOULD HELP.

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.