Narrative:

7/90 crew of 3 experienced private pilots, had completed flying a dea grid mission location east of springfield, ma/southbridge, ma. I was in left seat, navigator PIC was in right seat, observer in rear. After 2 1/2 hours, crew needed food and a men's room. I suggested southbridge airport. Operations officer in rear asked if I wished to obtain some proficiency at going into controled airport. I replied affirmative, was given a heading of 290 degree by navigator. Navigator in right seat was operating LORAN, and DME. He pointed out an airport in front of me and stated that was where we were going. The field we were supposed to be heading for was westfield, ma, (barnes) both away from westover AFB. We proceeded on the heading for what we thought was westfield. I looked at LORAN and told navigator the distance numbers did not look right. He was adjusting the equipment and told me I was ok. Getting in closer, both pilots told me to make a right turn on to the left base leg, which I did. I then stated I could not pick up runway 20 and was told by the navigator it was right in front of me. I told the other 2 crew members something was wrong and that I was breaking off the approach which I did climbing out to the right. I caught the numbers on the runway to my left that I was on a left base for and it was runway 24. At the same time I broke off the approach I immediately called the westfield tower and advised I was a bit disoriented and was leaving the pattern. The tower asked where I was and I replied I had broken off a base leg onto a runway that turned out to be 24 and not 20. The tower replied I was at bradley airport and told me to call bradley approach control, which I did immediately. I got bradley approach and asked for a vector to westfield which they gave me and which quickly put me on the downwind for runway 20 at westfield. Westfield tower asked me to call them. They asked I call the supervisor at bradley approach. I told the supervisor I had been disoriented and broke off and contacted them the moment I realized the situation. Both tower operator and supervisor appeared friendly but supervisor indicated he would write the incident up and send it over to standards.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE.

Narrative: 7/90 CREW OF 3 EXPERIENCED PVT PLTS, HAD COMPLETED FLYING A DEA GRID MISSION LOCATION E OF SPRINGFIELD, MA/SOUTHBRIDGE, MA. I WAS IN L SEAT, NAVIGATOR PIC WAS IN R SEAT, OBSERVER IN REAR. AFTER 2 1/2 HRS, CREW NEEDED FOOD AND A MEN'S ROOM. I SUGGESTED SOUTHBRIDGE ARPT. OPS OFFICER IN REAR ASKED IF I WISHED TO OBTAIN SOME PROFICIENCY AT GOING INTO CTLED ARPT. I REPLIED AFFIRMATIVE, WAS GIVEN A HDG OF 290 DEG BY NAVIGATOR. NAVIGATOR IN R SEAT WAS OPERATING LORAN, AND DME. HE POINTED OUT AN ARPT IN FRONT OF ME AND STATED THAT WAS WHERE WE WERE GOING. THE FIELD WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE HDG FOR WAS WESTFIELD, MA, (BARNES) BOTH AWAY FROM WESTOVER AFB. WE PROCEEDED ON THE HDG FOR WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS WESTFIELD. I LOOKED AT LORAN AND TOLD NAVIGATOR THE DISTANCE NUMBERS DID NOT LOOK RIGHT. HE WAS ADJUSTING THE EQUIP AND TOLD ME I WAS OK. GETTING IN CLOSER, BOTH PLTS TOLD ME TO MAKE A R TURN ON TO THE L BASE LEG, WHICH I DID. I THEN STATED I COULD NOT PICK UP RWY 20 AND WAS TOLD BY THE NAVIGATOR IT WAS R IN FRONT OF ME. I TOLD THE OTHER 2 CREW MEMBERS SOMETHING WAS WRONG AND THAT I WAS BREAKING OFF THE APCH WHICH I DID CLBING OUT TO THE R. I CAUGHT THE NUMBERS ON THE RWY TO MY L THAT I WAS ON A L BASE FOR AND IT WAS RWY 24. AT THE SAME TIME I BROKE OFF THE APCH I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE WESTFIELD TWR AND ADVISED I WAS A BIT DISORIENTED AND WAS LEAVING THE PATTERN. THE TWR ASKED WHERE I WAS AND I REPLIED I HAD BROKEN OFF A BASE LEG ONTO A RWY THAT TURNED OUT TO BE 24 AND NOT 20. THE TWR REPLIED I WAS AT BRADLEY ARPT AND TOLD ME TO CALL BRADLEY APCH CTL, WHICH I DID IMMEDIATELY. I GOT BRADLEY APCH AND ASKED FOR A VECTOR TO WESTFIELD WHICH THEY GAVE ME AND WHICH QUICKLY PUT ME ON THE DOWNWIND FOR RWY 20 AT WESTFIELD. WESTFIELD TWR ASKED ME TO CALL THEM. THEY ASKED I CALL THE SUPVR AT BRADLEY APCH. I TOLD THE SUPVR I HAD BEEN DISORIENTED AND BROKE OFF AND CONTACTED THEM THE MOMENT I REALIZED THE SITUATION. BOTH TWR OPERATOR AND SUPVR APPEARED FRIENDLY BUT SUPVR INDICATED HE WOULD WRITE THE INCIDENT UP AND SEND IT OVER TO STANDARDS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.