Narrative:

Was using ZJX flight following (VFR) which passed me off to tpa approach going to pie from tlh. Tlh FSS advised me that VOR at pie was inoperative probably for duration of the night. Near clearwater air park I thought it was pie and asked for release for tpa and contacted pie FSS. I realized my error (landing wrong airport) when I saw runway #south at clearwater air park, I turned 180 degrees toward the north to regain altitude and attempt to find pie. In this maneuver, I climbed again to just above 2000'. Pie and tap approach gave me a fix and bearing to pie. I was above the minimum altitude 1200' coming into the area in pie. Tallahassee had informed me of the pie VOR outage and I did not know until later that it had been placed back in service at the time of my losing the right (pie) airport. Low visibility (6 mi) prevented me for seeing the pie lights. I should have had my VOR turned to the pie VOR but thought it was OTS and had it dialed elsewhere. Climbing to a higher altitude was based on prior knowledge of towers in the area and to try to get high enough to see the pie airport lights. Although I had flown in this area on several occasions, it was only the second night flight. Pie and tpa were tremendous in helping me find the pie runway. It was an honest mistake, but altitude minimum 1200' near the airport is a real tricky situation with clearing towers by 1000' and staying within minimums. Most towers range from 300-600' within 10 mi radius of airport (pie). Airport lights at pie definitely need to be brighten against the city lights (especially in low visibility conditions).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA WRONG ARPT APCH AND UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE TPA TCA.

Narrative: WAS USING ZJX FLT FOLLOWING (VFR) WHICH PASSED ME OFF TO TPA APCH GOING TO PIE FROM TLH. TLH FSS ADVISED ME THAT VOR AT PIE WAS INOP PROBABLY FOR DURATION OF THE NIGHT. NEAR CLEARWATER AIR PARK I THOUGHT IT WAS PIE AND ASKED FOR RELEASE FOR TPA AND CONTACTED PIE FSS. I REALIZED MY ERROR (LNDG WRONG ARPT) WHEN I SAW RWY #S AT CLEARWATER AIR PARK, I TURNED 180 DEGS TOWARD THE N TO REGAIN ALT AND ATTEMPT TO FIND PIE. IN THIS MANEUVER, I CLBED AGAIN TO JUST ABOVE 2000'. PIE AND TAP APCH GAVE ME A FIX AND BEARING TO PIE. I WAS ABOVE THE MINIMUM ALT 1200' COMING INTO THE AREA IN PIE. TALLAHASSEE HAD INFORMED ME OF THE PIE VOR OUTAGE AND I DID NOT KNOW UNTIL LATER THAT IT HAD BEEN PLACED BACK IN SVC AT THE TIME OF MY LOSING THE RIGHT (PIE) ARPT. LOW VISIBILITY (6 MI) PREVENTED ME FOR SEEING THE PIE LIGHTS. I SHOULD HAVE HAD MY VOR TURNED TO THE PIE VOR BUT THOUGHT IT WAS OTS AND HAD IT DIALED ELSEWHERE. CLBING TO A HIGHER ALT WAS BASED ON PRIOR KNOWLEDGE OF TWRS IN THE AREA AND TO TRY TO GET HIGH ENOUGH TO SEE THE PIE ARPT LIGHTS. ALTHOUGH I HAD FLOWN IN THIS AREA ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, IT WAS ONLY THE SECOND NIGHT FLT. PIE AND TPA WERE TREMENDOUS IN HELPING ME FIND THE PIE RWY. IT WAS AN HONEST MISTAKE, BUT ALT MINIMUM 1200' NEAR THE ARPT IS A REAL TRICKY SITUATION WITH CLRING TWRS BY 1000' AND STAYING WITHIN MINIMUMS. MOST TWRS RANGE FROM 300-600' WITHIN 10 MI RADIUS OF ARPT (PIE). ARPT LIGHTS AT PIE DEFINITELY NEED TO BE BRIGHTEN AGAINST THE CITY LIGHTS (ESPECIALLY IN LOW VISIBILITY CONDITIONS).

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.