Private pilot on VFR flight became disoriented landed bwi. Wrong airport.

Attributes
ACN	169994
Time
Date	199102
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bwi
State Reference	MD
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : bwi tower : bwi
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
ASRS Report	169994
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : became reoriented none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

VOR became very erratic, receiver also became erratic. Several attempts were made to xfer over to westminster VOR from the phillips VOR and each time I would receive extremely erratical headings that would change drastically within a two second period. After several attempts and time I thought I was about to enter dulles airspace so I called approach for assistance since I was unsuccessful. I was given a squawk code and maintained my safe altitude for the airspace. Again, momentarily I lost communications. After at least 45 mins, I elected to call ground to see if they could assist me since the haze was bad and my fuel was near 45 min remaining. I did rechk my frequency and at that point felt I should request permission to land. I was notified to call the tower upon landing. I called tower and explained my situation and then realized I was in bwi not dulles. The WX was closing in and visibility was about 5 mi. I promptly closed my flight plan with godfrey-leesbury FSS. I refueled and returned to my home base, millville, nj. I did file a flight plan with miv FSS after receiving a WX report indicating good visibility that was unrestricted for the duration of the trip, also the route of travel had no NOTAMS. I have discussed my difficulty with a flight instrument and plan on reflying the entire trip with him to analyze this situation. I assure you this is a problem that I do not take lightly and I attempt to treat this as a situation that will be a learning experience that will groom me for situations that I do not want to encounter again.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT ON VFR FLT BECAME DISORIENTED LANDED BWI. WRONG ARPT.

Narrative: VOR BECAME VERY ERRATIC, RECEIVER ALSO BECAME ERRATIC. SEVERAL ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO XFER OVER TO WESTMINSTER VOR FROM THE PHILLIPS VOR AND EACH TIME I WOULD RECEIVE EXTREMELY ERRATICAL HDGS THAT WOULD CHANGE DRASTICALLY WITHIN A TWO SEC PERIOD. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS AND TIME I THOUGHT I WAS ABOUT TO ENTER DULLES AIRSPACE SO I CALLED APCH FOR ASSISTANCE SINCE I WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. I WAS GIVEN A SQUAWK CODE AND MAINTAINED MY SAFE ALT FOR THE AIRSPACE. AGAIN, MOMENTARILY I LOST COMS. AFTER AT LEAST 45 MINS, I ELECTED TO CALL GND TO SEE IF THEY COULD ASSIST ME SINCE THE HAZE WAS BAD AND MY FUEL WAS NEAR 45 MIN REMAINING. I DID RECHK MY FREQ AND AT THAT POINT FELT I SHOULD REQUEST PERMISSION TO LAND. I WAS NOTIFIED TO CALL THE TWR UPON LNDG. I CALLED TWR AND EXPLAINED MY SITUATION AND THEN REALIZED I WAS IN BWI NOT DULLES. THE WX WAS CLOSING IN AND VISIBILITY WAS ABOUT 5 MI. I PROMPTLY CLOSED MY FLT PLAN WITH GODFREY-LEESBURY FSS. I REFUELED AND RETURNED TO MY HOME BASE, MILLVILLE, NJ. I DID FILE A FLT PLAN WITH MIV FSS AFTER RECEIVING A WX RPT INDICATING GOOD VISIBILITY THAT WAS UNRESTRICTED FOR THE DURATION OF THE TRIP, ALSO THE RTE OF TRAVEL HAD NO NOTAMS. I HAVE DISCUSSED MY DIFFICULTY WITH A FLT INSTR AND PLAN ON REFLYING THE ENTIRE TRIP WITH HIM TO ANALYZE THIS SITUATION. I ASSURE YOU THIS IS A PROB THAT I DO NOT TAKE LIGHTLY AND I ATTEMPT TO TREAT THIS AS A SITUATION THAT WILL BE A LEARNING EXPERIENCE THAT WILL GROOM ME FOR SITUATIONS THAT I DO NOT WANT TO ENCOUNTER AGAIN.

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.