GA twin on night cross-country lands at wrong airport.

Attributes
ACN	157873
Time
Date	199009
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hif
State Reference	UT
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : ogd
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 4700 flight time type : 175
ASRS Report	157873
Person 2
Affiliation	government : military
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : military controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were flying from billings, mt, to las vegas, nv, with a planned rest and fuel stop at provo, ut. Due to passenger comfort, we decided approximately 75 mi out from ogden to stop there instead of provo. We contacted salt lake approach about 40 mi out from ogden and received traffic advisories but no heading or altitudes until we reported ogden airport in sight. Salt lake then told us to contact ogden tower, which we did. We were told to report a left downwind for runway 34. We reported what we thought was downwind. Ogden tower said they had no visibility contact with us. We then reported downwind again abeam the tower. The tower said still no contact, but cleared to land. We then landed, but the landing was at hill air force base on runway 32. We did not realize we were at the air base until ogden tower asked our position and we said we were on the runway. We then were told where we had landed and to contact hill AFB tower. I believe we did not see ogden airport due to the fact that we were unfamiliar with the area. It was a very dark night and the ogden airport lights blended in with the city lights and I believe we flew right over the top of ogden airport. The runway and taxi lights of hill AFB were very clear and the runway at hill is only 20 degree different than ogden. I do not recall seeing the runway number on final, our instrument lights may have been turned up too high impairing our night vision. From talking to the base operations at hill and the the tower at ogden, we were informed that this has happened before, even with pilots familiar with the area. While we are no less to blame, we would not have landed the aircraft if we had not been cleared to land. If this situation is common, I believe the following would be beneficial. Controllers should ask pilots of aircraft with which they have no visibility contact when the pilot reports his position in the pattern if they are familiar with the ogden area. If the pilot is unfamiliar with the ogden area, the controller should ask the pilot if he is aware of the possibility he may be in the hill air force base pattern instead of ogden, or ask the pilot to describe some landmark, before being cleared to land.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA TWIN ON NIGHT CROSS-COUNTRY LANDS AT WRONG ARPT.

Narrative: WE WERE FLYING FROM BILLINGS, MT, TO LAS VEGAS, NV, WITH A PLANNED REST AND FUEL STOP AT PROVO, UT. DUE TO PAX COMFORT, WE DECIDED APPROX 75 MI OUT FROM OGDEN TO STOP THERE INSTEAD OF PROVO. WE CONTACTED SALT LAKE APCH ABOUT 40 MI OUT FROM OGDEN AND RECEIVED TFC ADVISORIES BUT NO HDG OR ALTS UNTIL WE RPTED OGDEN ARPT IN SIGHT. SALT LAKE THEN TOLD US TO CONTACT OGDEN TWR, WHICH WE DID. WE WERE TOLD TO RPT A L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 34. WE RPTED WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS DOWNWIND. OGDEN TWR SAID THEY HAD NO VIS CONTACT WITH US. WE THEN RPTED DOWNWIND AGAIN ABEAM THE TWR. THE TWR SAID STILL NO CONTACT, BUT CLRED TO LAND. WE THEN LANDED, BUT THE LNDG WAS AT HILL AIR FORCE BASE ON RWY 32. WE DID NOT REALIZE WE WERE AT THE AIR BASE UNTIL OGDEN TWR ASKED OUR POS AND WE SAID WE WERE ON THE RWY. WE THEN WERE TOLD WHERE WE HAD LANDED AND TO CONTACT HILL AFB TWR. I BELIEVE WE DID NOT SEE OGDEN ARPT DUE TO THE FACT THAT WE WERE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA. IT WAS A VERY DARK NIGHT AND THE OGDEN ARPT LIGHTS BLENDED IN WITH THE CITY LIGHTS AND I BELIEVE WE FLEW RIGHT OVER THE TOP OF OGDEN ARPT. THE RWY AND TAXI LIGHTS OF HILL AFB WERE VERY CLR AND THE RWY AT HILL IS ONLY 20 DEG DIFFERENT THAN OGDEN. I DO NOT RECALL SEEING THE RWY NUMBER ON FINAL, OUR INSTRUMENT LIGHTS MAY HAVE BEEN TURNED UP TOO HIGH IMPAIRING OUR NIGHT VISION. FROM TALKING TO THE BASE OPS AT HILL AND THE THE TWR AT OGDEN, WE WERE INFORMED THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED BEFORE, EVEN WITH PLTS FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA. WHILE WE ARE NO LESS TO BLAME, WE WOULD NOT HAVE LANDED THE ACFT IF WE HAD NOT BEEN CLRED TO LAND. IF THIS SITUATION IS COMMON, I BELIEVE THE FOLLOWING WOULD BE BENEFICIAL. CTLRS SHOULD ASK PLTS OF ACFT WITH WHICH THEY HAVE NO VIS CONTACT WHEN THE PLT RPTS HIS POS IN THE PATTERN IF THEY ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE OGDEN AREA. IF THE PLT IS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE OGDEN AREA, THE CTLR SHOULD ASK THE PLT IF HE IS AWARE OF THE POSSIBILITY HE MAY BE IN THE HILL AIR FORCE BASE PATTERN INSTEAD OF OGDEN, OR ASK THE PLT TO DESCRIBE SOME LANDMARK, BEFORE BEING CLRED TO LAND.

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.