Narrative:

It was a bright, clear sunny day when I arrived in the area to attend a coast guard seminar at clearwater airport. I'd not been in the tampa area before. Called approach, which was extremely busy, got a squawk and requested landing at clearwater. ATC responded, 'do you want clearwater executive or st pete?' this really got me rattled. Checked charts again for airport locations. Couldn't find executive airport. Held short discussion with ATC, in between much traffic, about location of cg seminar, while visly sorting out six local airports and their locations on the low altitude chart. ATC indicated I probably wanted clearwater exec, which I still couldn't find. By this time, I was at 1500', probably cluttering up ATC airspace pretty badly, getting more confused every min and further frustrating the harried controllers. I didn't know the full name of destination airport. ATC finally vectored me eastbound for 10 mins until they had time to straighten me out, adding that I didn't know what I was doing. (They were right!) since I was now approaching macdill, I called approach again, requested landing at clearwater airpark, out of the way, where I could get fuel and clean up the sweaty cockpit and thoroughly embarrassed pilot. Much to my chagrin, I found that clearwater airpark, as reflected on my new chart, had not too long ago been named clearwater executive. Now realizing that clearwater-st pete was where I should be, got vectors south for runway 04. (Although ATIS was still selling 09). Loused up that approach too, not getting, (or not hearing), tower, identify wrong airport, or whatever. Finally got down, much to my relief and, no doubt, ATC's. ATC again used unidentifiable airport name and used runway contrary to ATIS). A perfect example of one thing going wrong and everything else then going to hell in a basket. How a good and honestly current instrument pilot could get so confused in broad daylight beats me. If it had been IMC, or if ATC and/or I had called out proper names, maybe no problem. But, for whatever reason, a busy TCA was badly fouled up.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA ATTEMPTING TO GET CLRNC TO LAND WAS UNCERTAIN WHICH ARPT HE WANTED FOR LNDG. BUSY TRACON FREQUENCY PREVENTED ENOUGH COM TO SOLVE DILEMMA. LANDED AND DETERMINED DESIRED ARPT AND WAS THEN CLEARED BY APCH CTLR TO PIE FOR LNDG.

Narrative: IT WAS A BRIGHT, CLR SUNNY DAY WHEN I ARRIVED IN THE AREA TO ATTEND A COAST GUARD SEMINAR AT CLEARWATER ARPT. I'D NOT BEEN IN THE TAMPA AREA BEFORE. CALLED APCH, WHICH WAS EXTREMELY BUSY, GOT A SQUAWK AND REQUESTED LNDG AT CLEARWATER. ATC RESPONDED, 'DO YOU WANT CLEARWATER EXECUTIVE OR ST PETE?' THIS REALLY GOT ME RATTLED. CHKED CHARTS AGAIN FOR ARPT LOCATIONS. COULDN'T FIND EXECUTIVE ARPT. HELD SHORT DISCUSSION WITH ATC, IN BTWN MUCH TFC, ABOUT LOCATION OF CG SEMINAR, WHILE VISLY SORTING OUT SIX LCL ARPTS AND THEIR LOCATIONS ON THE LOW ALT CHART. ATC INDICATED I PROBABLY WANTED CLEARWATER EXEC, WHICH I STILL COULDN'T FIND. BY THIS TIME, I WAS AT 1500', PROBABLY CLUTTERING UP ATC AIRSPACE PRETTY BADLY, GETTING MORE CONFUSED EVERY MIN AND FURTHER FRUSTRATING THE HARRIED CTLRS. I DIDN'T KNOW THE FULL NAME OF DEST ARPT. ATC FINALLY VECTORED ME EBND FOR 10 MINS UNTIL THEY HAD TIME TO STRAIGHTEN ME OUT, ADDING THAT I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I WAS DOING. (THEY WERE RIGHT!) SINCE I WAS NOW APCHING MACDILL, I CALLED APCH AGAIN, REQUESTED LNDG AT CLEARWATER AIRPARK, OUT OF THE WAY, WHERE I COULD GET FUEL AND CLEAN UP THE SWEATY COCKPIT AND THOROUGHLY EMBARRASSED PLT. MUCH TO MY CHAGRIN, I FOUND THAT CLEARWATER AIRPARK, AS REFLECTED ON MY NEW CHART, HAD NOT TOO LONG AGO BEEN NAMED CLEARWATER EXECUTIVE. NOW REALIZING THAT CLEARWATER-ST PETE WAS WHERE I SHOULD BE, GOT VECTORS S FOR RWY 04. (ALTHOUGH ATIS WAS STILL SELLING 09). LOUSED UP THAT APCH TOO, NOT GETTING, (OR NOT HEARING), TWR, IDENT WRONG ARPT, OR WHATEVER. FINALLY GOT DOWN, MUCH TO MY RELIEF AND, NO DOUBT, ATC'S. ATC AGAIN USED UNIDENTIFIABLE ARPT NAME AND USED RWY CONTRARY TO ATIS). A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF ONE THING GOING WRONG AND EVERYTHING ELSE THEN GOING TO HELL IN A BASKET. HOW A GOOD AND HONESTLY CURRENT INSTRUMENT PLT COULD GET SO CONFUSED IN BROAD DAYLIGHT BEATS ME. IF IT HAD BEEN IMC, OR IF ATC AND/OR I HAD CALLED OUT PROPER NAMES, MAYBE NO PROB. BUT, FOR WHATEVER REASON, A BUSY TCA WAS BADLY FOULED UP.

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.