Narrative:

X-country training flight: cyo-mxq VOR springfield/beckley airport. Approaching springfield the student called day approach for traffic advisories and vectors to sgh. We were tracking away from the mxq VOR, not to the sgh VOR. Day called the airport at 12 O'clock and 8 mi. The student looked straight ahead and said, 'I've got the airport.' I did not notice the 20+ degrees of left wind correction that he was holding due to heavy winds from the left. This put our nose directly at wright patterson AFB, which lies just west of springfield beckley. The student was then told that the tower was closed today, to squawk 1200 and radar service was terminated. (Approach was told originally by student that he was a 'student pilot.') we then proceeded directly, visually to the downwind of the airport. Entering the downwind I, being somewhat familiar with springfield beckley, realized that this was the wrong airport. We then immediately departed the area directly to springfield beckley while keeping a careful eye out for military aircraft. Landing at springfield beckley using the CTAF was uneventful. Reviewing, I realized that if the student had been alone, he assuredly would have landed at wright-patterson with the information he was given and suffered the consequences. Although I should have realized the heading was considerably different from our course, this is an error an inexperienced pilot could easily make when looking for an airport. I feel ATC could have noted 'student pilot' and mentioned the possibility of mistaking wright patterson for springfield beckley. The fact that springfield beckley tower was closed and we expected no response contributed to the error as we certainly would have realized sooner that we were at the wrong airport if we got close and tower reported not in sight. While the error was mine, I feel there were a # of contributing factors that would have been the assured downfall of a student pilot alone.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SPI WITH INSTRUCTOR MAKES APCH TO MIL ARPT.

Narrative: X-COUNTRY TRNING FLT: CYO-MXQ VOR SPRINGFIELD/BECKLEY ARPT. APCHING SPRINGFIELD THE STUDENT CALLED DAY APCH FOR TFC ADVISORIES AND VECTORS TO SGH. WE WERE TRACKING AWAY FROM THE MXQ VOR, NOT TO THE SGH VOR. DAY CALLED THE ARPT AT 12 O'CLOCK AND 8 MI. THE STUDENT LOOKED STRAIGHT AHEAD AND SAID, 'I'VE GOT THE ARPT.' I DID NOT NOTICE THE 20+ DEGS OF LEFT WIND CORRECTION THAT HE WAS HOLDING DUE TO HEAVY WINDS FROM THE LEFT. THIS PUT OUR NOSE DIRECTLY AT WRIGHT PATTERSON AFB, WHICH LIES JUST W OF SPRINGFIELD BECKLEY. THE STUDENT WAS THEN TOLD THAT THE TWR WAS CLOSED TODAY, TO SQUAWK 1200 AND RADAR SVC WAS TERMINATED. (APCH WAS TOLD ORIGINALLY BY STUDENT THAT HE WAS A 'STUDENT PLT.') WE THEN PROCEEDED DIRECTLY, VISUALLY TO THE DOWNWIND OF THE ARPT. ENTERING THE DOWNWIND I, BEING SOMEWHAT FAMILIAR WITH SPRINGFIELD BECKLEY, REALIZED THAT THIS WAS THE WRONG ARPT. WE THEN IMMEDIATELY DEPARTED THE AREA DIRECTLY TO SPRINGFIELD BECKLEY WHILE KEEPING A CAREFUL EYE OUT FOR MIL ACFT. LNDG AT SPRINGFIELD BECKLEY USING THE CTAF WAS UNEVENTFUL. REVIEWING, I REALIZED THAT IF THE STUDENT HAD BEEN ALONE, HE ASSUREDLY WOULD HAVE LANDED AT WRIGHT-PATTERSON WITH THE INFO HE WAS GIVEN AND SUFFERED THE CONSEQUENCES. ALTHOUGH I SHOULD HAVE REALIZED THE HDG WAS CONSIDERABLY DIFFERENT FROM OUR COURSE, THIS IS AN ERROR AN INEXPERIENCED PLT COULD EASILY MAKE WHEN LOOKING FOR AN ARPT. I FEEL ATC COULD HAVE NOTED 'STUDENT PLT' AND MENTIONED THE POSSIBILITY OF MISTAKING WRIGHT PATTERSON FOR SPRINGFIELD BECKLEY. THE FACT THAT SPRINGFIELD BECKLEY TWR WAS CLOSED AND WE EXPECTED NO RESPONSE CONTRIBUTED TO THE ERROR AS WE CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE REALIZED SOONER THAT WE WERE AT THE WRONG ARPT IF WE GOT CLOSE AND TWR RPTED NOT IN SIGHT. WHILE THE ERROR WAS MINE, I FEEL THERE WERE A # OF CONTRIBUTING FACTORS THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE ASSURED DOWNFALL OF A STUDENT PLT ALONE.

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.