Narrative:

Pilot, wife and daughter departed N88 (doylestown, PA) and flew towards ash at 7500', following course direct solberg VOR direct sparta VOR direct carmel VOR direct bradley VOR direct gardner VOR direct ash (boire airport, nashua, nh). Just past carmel clouds started to thicken up so we dropped down to 3500 and encountered mod turbulence. Saw plenty of wide openings ahead, though, so we went back up to 7500'. After crossing gardner VOR I descended through the clouds at the first suitable opening which took us several miles south of the radial I was tracking (075 degree F). I had good visibility two familiar landmarks (at least from the ground) and determined that my easiest approach would be to head east and turn northward up the merrimac river which runs by the airport. As I approached the river, perhaps 18 mi from ash, I tuned ATIS and got information which reported occasionally severe turbulence and low level windshear. The ride at that point was pretty bumpy. ATIS gave winds at 18 gusting 28 variable from 290 to 350 and runway 32 in use. My path up the river would bring me pretty much straight in to runway 32. At about 10 mi I called nashua tower and reported position and intentions and was told to continue straight in and report 3 mi final. I made my mistake right about that time. From the point I reached the river abeam lowell, ma, ash is about 8 mi northwest and lwm is about 8 mi northeast. Both are along the river, both are just on the other side at built-up city area. With excellent visibility at about 1800', I saw lwm and assumed it to be the airport we were heading for. I gave my charts and clipboard to my wife in the right seat and concentrated on flying the airplane in the wind and turbulence. At 3 mi, I called and reported in to ash tower who told me he didn't have me in sight, but I was clear to land. At about 1 mi and 1200', I realized my mistake. Seeing the runway number clearly and realizing that I was approaching lwh (I had been there several weeks previously). I checked for traffic and added full power and climbed out to the right at the runway, pretty much over lwh's tower. At about that point, ash tower called to ask my position. I told him I was out somewhere by lawrence, and that I was coming back in. He told me to report in 'over the river' for a straight in to 32 which I did and landed without any further incident. I never talked to the controllers at lwh. I saw only one other aircraft in that area, well clear of my own. When the clouds brought me off that course, I made what I thought was a wise decision to navigate up the river, especially since that would give me a straight in approach. My compass and directional gyro would have alerted me to a problem, but I saw the airport and the flying conditions were difficult so I just flew to the airport. Next time I'm in a situation like this I need to look at my instruments, and should set up some sort of course reference with an appropriate VOR.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DESCENDED AND CHANGED ROUTE FOR WX AVOIDANCE. MADE APCH TO WRONG ARPT.

Narrative: PLT, WIFE AND DAUGHTER DEPARTED N88 (DOYLESTOWN, PA) AND FLEW TOWARDS ASH AT 7500', FOLLOWING COURSE DIRECT SOLBERG VOR DIRECT SPARTA VOR DIRECT CARMEL VOR DIRECT BRADLEY VOR DIRECT GARDNER VOR DIRECT ASH (BOIRE ARPT, NASHUA, NH). JUST PAST CARMEL CLOUDS STARTED TO THICKEN UP SO WE DROPPED DOWN TO 3500 AND ENCOUNTERED MOD TURBULENCE. SAW PLENTY OF WIDE OPENINGS AHEAD, THOUGH, SO WE WENT BACK UP TO 7500'. AFTER XING GARDNER VOR I DESCENDED THROUGH THE CLOUDS AT THE FIRST SUITABLE OPENING WHICH TOOK US SEVERAL MILES SOUTH OF THE RADIAL I WAS TRACKING (075 DEG F). I HAD GOOD VISIBILITY TWO FAMILIAR LANDMARKS (AT LEAST FROM THE GND) AND DETERMINED THAT MY EASIEST APCH WOULD BE TO HEAD EAST AND TURN NORTHWARD UP THE MERRIMAC RIVER WHICH RUNS BY THE ARPT. AS I APCHED THE RIVER, PERHAPS 18 MI FROM ASH, I TUNED ATIS AND GOT INFO WHICH REPORTED OCCASIONALLY SEVERE TURB AND LOW LEVEL WINDSHEAR. THE RIDE AT THAT POINT WAS PRETTY BUMPY. ATIS GAVE WINDS AT 18 GUSTING 28 VARIABLE FROM 290 TO 350 AND RWY 32 IN USE. MY PATH UP THE RIVER WOULD BRING ME PRETTY MUCH STRAIGHT IN TO RWY 32. AT ABOUT 10 MI I CALLED NASHUA TWR AND REPORTED POSITION AND INTENTIONS AND WAS TOLD TO CONTINUE STRAIGHT IN AND REPORT 3 MI FINAL. I MADE MY MISTAKE RIGHT ABOUT THAT TIME. FROM THE POINT I REACHED THE RIVER ABEAM LOWELL, MA, ASH IS ABOUT 8 MI NW AND LWM IS ABOUT 8 MI NE. BOTH ARE ALONG THE RIVER, BOTH ARE JUST ON THE OTHER SIDE AT BUILT-UP CITY AREA. WITH EXCELLENT VISIBILITY AT ABOUT 1800', I SAW LWM AND ASSUMED IT TO BE THE ARPT WE WERE HDG FOR. I GAVE MY CHARTS AND CLIPBOARD TO MY WIFE IN THE RIGHT SEAT AND CONCENTRATED ON FLYING THE AIRPLANE IN THE WIND AND TURBULENCE. AT 3 MI, I CALLED AND REPORTED IN TO ASH TWR WHO TOLD ME HE DIDN'T HAVE ME IN SIGHT, BUT I WAS CLEAR TO LAND. AT ABOUT 1 MI AND 1200', I REALIZED MY MISTAKE. SEEING THE RWY NUMBER CLEARLY AND REALIZING THAT I WAS APCHING LWH (I HAD BEEN THERE SEVERAL WEEKS PREVIOUSLY). I CHECKED FOR TFC AND ADDED FULL POWER AND CLIMBED OUT TO THE RIGHT AT THE RWY, PRETTY MUCH OVER LWH'S TWR. AT ABOUT THAT POINT, ASH TWR CALLED TO ASK MY POSITION. I TOLD HIM I WAS OUT SOMEWHERE BY LAWRENCE, AND THAT I WAS COMING BACK IN. HE TOLD ME TO REPORT IN 'OVER THE RIVER' FOR A STRAIGHT IN TO 32 WHICH I DID AND LANDED WITHOUT ANY FURTHER INCIDENT. I NEVER TALKED TO THE CTLRS AT LWH. I SAW ONLY ONE OTHER ACFT IN THAT AREA, WELL CLEAR OF MY OWN. WHEN THE CLOUDS BROUGHT ME OFF THAT COURSE, I MADE WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A WISE DECISION TO NAVIGATE UP THE RIVER, ESPECIALLY SINCE THAT WOULD GIVE ME A STRAIGHT IN APCH. MY COMPASS AND DIRECTIONAL GYRO WOULD HAVE ALERTED ME TO A PROBLEM, BUT I SAW THE ARPT AND THE FLYING CONDITIONS WERE DIFFICULT SO I JUST FLEW TO THE ARPT. NEXT TIME I'M IN A SITUATION LIKE THIS I NEED TO LOOK AT MY INSTRUMENTS, AND SHOULD SET UP SOME SORT OF COURSE REFERENCE WITH AN APPROPRIATE VOR.

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.