VFR night. Pilot of small aircraft approached page airport thinking it was naples. Fmy TRACON gave v...

Attributes
ACN	165861
Time
Date	199012
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : apl
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 800 msl bound upper : 800
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : fmy tower : apl
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time total : 134 flight time type : 123
ASRS Report	165861
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : exited penetrated airspace other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Pilot was flying VFR from ocala to naples, fl. It was the last leg on a flight from lexington, ky in an small aircraft. At the tail end of the flight, the pilot had naples beacon in sight and called tower 13 mi northeast and stated his intentions, inbound for landing. The pilot was told to enter a right base for runway 4. 5 mi out tower told the pilot he was not in sight. Pilot reported turning final for runway 4, but tower said he was still not in sight. No short final tower and pilot realized the aircraft was actually on final for runway 5 at page airport. Pilot executed a go around and was handed off to fmy approach. Vectors were given go naples and the flight ended west/O further problems. The pilot did not think he was lost. He had several landmarks near the airport confirmed. The runway layout at page and naples are relatively similar and gave the pilot further evidence that he was at naples. Fatigue was a major factor in the incident, since the pilot had already flown 6 hours that day in cramped aircraft. Another factor was that the pilot was flying at night in an unfamiliar area. Reading charts with artificial lights makes details difficult to see and may have been part of the reason for mistaking page for naples.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: VFR NIGHT. PLT OF SMA APCHED PAGE ARPT THINKING IT WAS NAPLES. FMY TRACON GAVE VECTORS TO APL.

Narrative: PLT WAS FLYING VFR FROM OCALA TO NAPLES, FL. IT WAS THE LAST LEG ON A FLT FROM LEXINGTON, KY IN AN SMA. AT THE TAIL END OF THE FLT, THE PLT HAD NAPLES BEACON IN SIGHT AND CALLED TWR 13 MI NE AND STATED HIS INTENTIONS, INBND FOR LNDG. THE PLT WAS TOLD TO ENTER A RIGHT BASE FOR RWY 4. 5 MI OUT TWR TOLD THE PLT HE WAS NOT IN SIGHT. PLT RPTED TURNING FINAL FOR RWY 4, BUT TWR SAID HE WAS STILL NOT IN SIGHT. NO SHORT FINAL TWR AND PLT REALIZED THE ACFT WAS ACTUALLY ON FINAL FOR RWY 5 AT PAGE ARPT. PLT EXECUTED A GAR AND WAS HANDED OFF TO FMY APCH. VECTORS WERE GIVEN GO NAPLES AND THE FLT ENDED W/O FURTHER PROBS. THE PLT DID NOT THINK HE WAS LOST. HE HAD SEVERAL LANDMARKS NEAR THE ARPT CONFIRMED. THE RWY LAYOUT AT PAGE AND NAPLES ARE RELATIVELY SIMILAR AND GAVE THE PLT FURTHER EVIDENCE THAT HE WAS AT NAPLES. FATIGUE WAS A MAJOR FACTOR IN THE INCIDENT, SINCE THE PLT HAD ALREADY FLOWN 6 HRS THAT DAY IN CRAMPED ACFT. ANOTHER FACTOR WAS THAT THE PLT WAS FLYING AT NIGHT IN AN UNFAMILIAR AREA. READING CHARTS WITH ARTIFICIAL LIGHTS MAKES DETAILS DIFFICULT TO SEE AND MAY HAVE BEEN PART OF THE REASON FOR MISTAKING PAGE FOR NAPLES.

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.

VFR night. Pilot of small aircraft approached page airport thinking it was naples. Fmy TRACON gave vectors to apl.