Narrative:

On a VFR flight direct from auburn, ca to marysville, ca I inadvertently landed at beale AFB instead of marysville airport. Since both of these airports are in an arsa, I was in contact with sacramento approach control. As I approached marysville, approach told me to contact marysville radio and to squawk XXXX on my transponder, in addition to starting my descent from 2500' to marysville pattern altitude. I complied with these instructions, but I did not have marysville in sight as yet, although I had seen beale off my right wing at approximately a 4 O'clock position. I felt that my course was correct for marysville, but at this time a couple of problems arose. The first was that directly ahead of me and on my marysville heading was a large grass fire in fairly close proximity to the south portion of the marysville runway. I did not want to fly close to it for safety reasons, so I altered my course and turned approximately 20 degree to the right (north). Also, at this same time, on the marysville frequency, an small aircraft reported about 4 mi west and landing marysville, since I felt we might be on a possible collision course, I turned a few more degree to the north to both avoid him and to get a better view to find him. At this time I glanced down to my right and saw a runway, which I thought was marysville, but was actually beale. I did not see any traffic except for a large plane holding short of the runway. I proceeded to make a normal approach, announcing to marysville my intentions and location in the pattern (albeit, the wrong pattern). At this time, I was on constant alert for the small aircraft. When I was on short final I saw that the large aircraft was a military plane and I suddenly realized what I had done. At that time, I had to make a decision to make a touch and go or to complete my full stop landing. Since I did not know if there was anyone else using the runway, I felt that I the interest of safety clear the runway as soon as possible, which I did, by fast taxiing to the turnoff. At that time I was met by base security and I shut down the aircraft. After an hour or so, base operations cleared me and I completed my flight to marysville with no further incident. After many hours of turning this over in my mind, I have come to the following conclusions and suggestions: 1) the smoke was a factor in inducing me to alter my course. 2) my looking for traffic diverted my attention from my compass heading. 3) due to a slight headwind, I was not as close to marysville as I thought. 4) the runways at beale and marysville parallel each other and the runway headings are only one degree apart. I suggest the following might help in preventing a recurrence: 1) when operating in controled airspace, an aircraft should be equipped with 2 communication radios so that approach can continue to be monitored after changing frequencys. I had no way of knowing if they were trying to call. 2) if there is another airport in close proximity, and you are talking with an FSS where you are landing, it would be a good idea if they reminded the pilot of the other airport. 3) if you are talking with an FSS at your destination airport and you are announcing your position in the pattern, I would suggest that if they di not see you, that they advise you of this so that corrective action can be taken by the pilot. 4) on the sectional, I might suggest that there be a large warning printed concerning the location of a military airfield if it could possibly be mistaken for a nearby civilian facility. In conclusion, I have been flying for almost 10 years and have made over a thousand lndgs with no problems and always at the right airport. I consider myself both a safe and prudent pilot and have never had any violations on my record. If I can be of any further help or if you require any further information, please do not hesitate to call me.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LNDG AT WRONG ARPT.

Narrative: ON A VFR FLT DIRECT FROM AUBURN, CA TO MARYSVILLE, CA I INADVERTENTLY LANDED AT BEALE AFB INSTEAD OF MARYSVILLE ARPT. SINCE BOTH OF THESE ARPTS ARE IN AN ARSA, I WAS IN CONTACT WITH SACRAMENTO APCH CTL. AS I APCHED MARYSVILLE, APCH TOLD ME TO CONTACT MARYSVILLE RADIO AND TO SQUAWK XXXX ON MY XPONDER, IN ADDITION TO STARTING MY DSCNT FROM 2500' TO MARYSVILLE PATTERN ALT. I COMPLIED WITH THESE INSTRUCTIONS, BUT I DID NOT HAVE MARYSVILLE IN SIGHT AS YET, ALTHOUGH I HAD SEEN BEALE OFF MY RIGHT WING AT APPROX A 4 O'CLOCK POSITION. I FELT THAT MY COURSE WAS CORRECT FOR MARYSVILLE, BUT AT THIS TIME A COUPLE OF PROBLEMS AROSE. THE FIRST WAS THAT DIRECTLY AHEAD OF ME AND ON MY MARYSVILLE HDG WAS A LARGE GRASS FIRE IN FAIRLY CLOSE PROX TO THE SOUTH PORTION OF THE MARYSVILLE RWY. I DID NOT WANT TO FLY CLOSE TO IT FOR SAFETY REASONS, SO I ALTERED MY COURSE AND TURNED APPROX 20 DEG TO THE RIGHT (NORTH). ALSO, AT THIS SAME TIME, ON THE MARYSVILLE FREQ, AN SMA REPORTED ABOUT 4 MI W AND LNDG MARYSVILLE, SINCE I FELT WE MIGHT BE ON A POSSIBLE COLLISION COURSE, I TURNED A FEW MORE DEG TO THE N TO BOTH AVOID HIM AND TO GET A BETTER VIEW TO FIND HIM. AT THIS TIME I GLANCED DOWN TO MY RIGHT AND SAW A RWY, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS MARYSVILLE, BUT WAS ACTUALLY BEALE. I DID NOT SEE ANY TFC EXCEPT FOR A LARGE PLANE HOLDING SHORT OF THE RWY. I PROCEEDED TO MAKE A NORMAL APCH, ANNOUNCING TO MARYSVILLE MY INTENTIONS AND LOCATION IN THE PATTERN (ALBEIT, THE WRONG PATTERN). AT THIS TIME, I WAS ON CONSTANT ALERT FOR THE SMA. WHEN I WAS ON SHORT FINAL I SAW THAT THE LARGE ACFT WAS A MIL PLANE AND I SUDDENLY REALIZED WHAT I HAD DONE. AT THAT TIME, I HAD TO MAKE A DECISION TO MAKE A TOUCH AND GO OR TO COMPLETE MY FULL STOP LNDG. SINCE I DID NOT KNOW IF THERE WAS ANYONE ELSE USING THE RWY, I FELT THAT I THE INTEREST OF SAFETY CLEAR THE RWY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, WHICH I DID, BY FAST TAXIING TO THE TURNOFF. AT THAT TIME I WAS MET BY BASE SECURITY AND I SHUT DOWN THE ACFT. AFTER AN HOUR OR SO, BASE OPERATIONS CLRED ME AND I COMPLETED MY FLT TO MARYSVILLE WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENT. AFTER MANY HOURS OF TURNING THIS OVER IN MY MIND, I HAVE COME TO THE FOLLOWING CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS: 1) THE SMOKE WAS A FACTOR IN INDUCING ME TO ALTER MY COURSE. 2) MY LOOKING FOR TFC DIVERTED MY ATTN FROM MY COMPASS HDG. 3) DUE TO A SLIGHT HEADWIND, I WAS NOT AS CLOSE TO MARYSVILLE AS I THOUGHT. 4) THE RWYS AT BEALE AND MARYSVILLE PARALLEL EACH OTHER AND THE RWY HDGS ARE ONLY ONE DEG APART. I SUGGEST THE FOLLOWING MIGHT HELP IN PREVENTING A RECURRENCE: 1) WHEN OPERATING IN CTLED AIRSPACE, AN ACFT SHOULD BE EQUIPPED WITH 2 COM RADIOS SO THAT APCH CAN CONTINUE TO BE MONITORED AFTER CHANGING FREQS. I HAD NO WAY OF KNOWING IF THEY WERE TRYING TO CALL. 2) IF THERE IS ANOTHER ARPT IN CLOSE PROX, AND YOU ARE TALKING WITH AN FSS WHERE YOU ARE LNDG, IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA IF THEY REMINDED THE PLT OF THE OTHER ARPT. 3) IF YOU ARE TALKING WITH AN FSS AT YOUR DEST ARPT AND YOU ARE ANNOUNCING YOUR POSITION IN THE PATTERN, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT IF THEY DI NOT SEE YOU, THAT THEY ADVISE YOU OF THIS SO THAT CORRECTIVE ACTION CAN BE TAKEN BY THE PLT. 4) ON THE SECTIONAL, I MIGHT SUGGEST THAT THERE BE A LARGE WARNING PRINTED CONCERNING THE LOCATION OF A MIL AIRFIELD IF IT COULD POSSIBLY BE MISTAKEN FOR A NEARBY CIVILIAN FACILITY. IN CONCLUSION, I HAVE BEEN FLYING FOR ALMOST 10 YEARS AND HAVE MADE OVER A THOUSAND LNDGS WITH NO PROBLEMS AND ALWAYS AT THE RIGHT ARPT. I CONSIDER MYSELF BOTH A SAFE AND PRUDENT PLT AND HAVE NEVER HAD ANY VIOLATIONS ON MY RECORD. IF I CAN BE OF ANY FURTHER HELP OR IF YOU REQUIRE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO CALL ME.

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.