Narrative:

I had filed my flight plan with a briefer at eastern regional automatic flight service station system. After I had departed nyg, I had activated my flight plan with less burg radio on 122.2 MHZ at 15 EST. The first leg of my trip was going fine, was on course, used pilotage to verify position. I had completed about 68 percent of my first leg west/O too much problem. At bunkeville, va, I began to compensate for the VOR problem. I thought the main highway and river was leading me to W78. I called tuck unicom on 122.8 MHZ for the active runway. Tuck unicom indicated the active runway was 36. As I was making my final approach, I noticed that runway numbers were not the same as tuck airport. I immediately aborted my landing approach and flew away from the airport. I started looking at my washington sectional map to figure out which airport I was at. I could not locate myself on the washington sectional map. I decided, I needed to land the aircraft and I was getting very nervous. I again looked for the active runway and notice a plane making its final approach on runway 35. I started to follow this incoming aircraft. I again announced my intention to land on runway 35, downwind and D final approach. When I was on final approach on runway 35, I noticed another aircraft on final on a runway crossing the active runway. I immediately aborted my second landing approach. I again announced my intention to land on runway 35, downwind and final approach. During the second and third approach to land the aircraft, I saw a building and I was not sure if it was control tower. I was looking for light signals and did not see any control lights. I finally landed the aircraft and noticed a sign at the terminal identing lynchburg airport. I had landed at the wrong airport. During this ordeal, I was very upset and nervous plus the air currents at the airport was very turbulent. After my aircraft was parked, the ground attendant indicated the tower wanted to talk to me. I picked up the phone to call the tower. The controller indicated I had caused serious problems at the airport. I conveyed to the ATC I was trying to land at tuck (78) airport in virginia and landed at lynchburg airport by mistake. I was lost! He indicated I should of used ground controller frequency or 121.5 MHZ. He asked for my name and mailing address which I gave him. He wanted to know if I wanted to go to tuck (78) airport. I conveyed to him that I was very upset and I needed time to calm down before I decided to take any further action. The air traffic at the airport was very light. Lessons learned. Lyh was not on the washington sectional map. This is why I could not locate it. Lyh was on the cincinnati sectional map which I did not have. I was not planning to fly to lyh. When ATC recommends to use the ground frequency at lyh, I could not since I did not know which airport I was at. When I was having trouble with the VOR signal from flatrock, I should of x-chked other vors to verify my location. I did not know there was a control tower at the airport until my second approach to land my aircraft. I need more experience in identing control towers. The control tower claimed to be using control light at the tower. I did not notice any control lights being used. In hindsight, I should of used the emergency frequency 121.5 MHZ when I realized I was at the wrong airport. Corrective actions. Practice using x-chking of vors. Learn to recover from being lost. Learn to recognize control towers. Simulate lost procedures in x-country modes.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOST, LANDED AT THE WRONG ARPT WITHOUT CONTACTING TWR.

Narrative: I HAD FILED MY FLT PLAN WITH A BRIEFER AT EASTERN REGIONAL AUTOMATIC FLT SVC STATION SYS. AFTER I HAD DEPARTED NYG, I HAD ACTIVATED MY FLT PLAN WITH LESS BURG RADIO ON 122.2 MHZ AT 15 EST. THE FIRST LEG OF MY TRIP WAS GOING FINE, WAS ON COURSE, USED PILOTAGE TO VERIFY POS. I HAD COMPLETED ABOUT 68 PERCENT OF MY FIRST LEG W/O TOO MUCH PROB. AT BUNKEVILLE, VA, I BEGAN TO COMPENSATE FOR THE VOR PROB. I THOUGHT THE MAIN HWY AND RIVER WAS LEADING ME TO W78. I CALLED TUCK UNICOM ON 122.8 MHZ FOR THE ACTIVE RWY. TUCK UNICOM INDICATED THE ACTIVE RWY WAS 36. AS I WAS MAKING MY FINAL APCH, I NOTICED THAT RWY NUMBERS WERE NOT THE SAME AS TUCK ARPT. I IMMEDIATELY ABORTED MY LNDG APCH AND FLEW AWAY FROM THE ARPT. I STARTED LOOKING AT MY WASHINGTON SECTIONAL MAP TO FIGURE OUT WHICH ARPT I WAS AT. I COULD NOT LOCATE MYSELF ON THE WASHINGTON SECTIONAL MAP. I DECIDED, I NEEDED TO LAND THE ACFT AND I WAS GETTING VERY NERVOUS. I AGAIN LOOKED FOR THE ACTIVE RWY AND NOTICE A PLANE MAKING ITS FINAL APCH ON RWY 35. I STARTED TO FOLLOW THIS INCOMING ACFT. I AGAIN ANNOUNCED MY INTENTION TO LAND ON RWY 35, DOWNWIND AND D FINAL APCH. WHEN I WAS ON FINAL APCH ON RWY 35, I NOTICED ANOTHER ACFT ON FINAL ON A RWY XING THE ACTIVE RWY. I IMMEDIATELY ABORTED MY SEC LNDG APCH. I AGAIN ANNOUNCED MY INTENTION TO LAND ON RWY 35, DOWNWIND AND FINAL APCH. DURING THE SEC AND THIRD APCH TO LAND THE ACFT, I SAW A BUILDING AND I WAS NOT SURE IF IT WAS CTL TWR. I WAS LOOKING FOR LIGHT SIGNALS AND DID NOT SEE ANY CTL LIGHTS. I FINALLY LANDED THE ACFT AND NOTICED A SIGN AT THE TERMINAL IDENTING LYNCHBURG ARPT. I HAD LANDED AT THE WRONG ARPT. DURING THIS ORDEAL, I WAS VERY UPSET AND NERVOUS PLUS THE AIR CURRENTS AT THE ARPT WAS VERY TURBULENT. AFTER MY ACFT WAS PARKED, THE GND ATTENDANT INDICATED THE TWR WANTED TO TALK TO ME. I PICKED UP THE PHONE TO CALL THE TWR. THE CTLR INDICATED I HAD CAUSED SERIOUS PROBS AT THE ARPT. I CONVEYED TO THE ATC I WAS TRYING TO LAND AT TUCK (78) ARPT IN VIRGINIA AND LANDED AT LYNCHBURG ARPT BY MISTAKE. I WAS LOST! HE INDICATED I SHOULD OF USED GND CTLR FREQ OR 121.5 MHZ. HE ASKED FOR MY NAME AND MAILING ADDRESS WHICH I GAVE HIM. HE WANTED TO KNOW IF I WANTED TO GO TO TUCK (78) ARPT. I CONVEYED TO HIM THAT I WAS VERY UPSET AND I NEEDED TIME TO CALM DOWN BEFORE I DECIDED TO TAKE ANY FURTHER ACTION. THE AIR TFC AT THE ARPT WAS VERY LIGHT. LESSONS LEARNED. LYH WAS NOT ON THE WASHINGTON SECTIONAL MAP. THIS IS WHY I COULD NOT LOCATE IT. LYH WAS ON THE CINCINNATI SECTIONAL MAP WHICH I DID NOT HAVE. I WAS NOT PLANNING TO FLY TO LYH. WHEN ATC RECOMMENDS TO USE THE GND FREQ AT LYH, I COULD NOT SINCE I DID NOT KNOW WHICH ARPT I WAS AT. WHEN I WAS HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE VOR SIGNAL FROM FLATROCK, I SHOULD OF X-CHKED OTHER VORS TO VERIFY MY LOCATION. I DID NOT KNOW THERE WAS A CTL TWR AT THE ARPT UNTIL MY SEC APCH TO LAND MY ACFT. I NEED MORE EXPERIENCE IN IDENTING CTL TWRS. THE CTL TWR CLAIMED TO BE USING CTL LIGHT AT THE TWR. I DID NOT NOTICE ANY CTL LIGHTS BEING USED. IN HINDSIGHT, I SHOULD OF USED THE EMER FREQ 121.5 MHZ WHEN I REALIZED I WAS AT THE WRONG ARPT. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS. PRACTICE USING X-CHKING OF VORS. LEARN TO RECOVER FROM BEING LOST. LEARN TO RECOGNIZE CTL TWRS. SIMULATE LOST PROCS IN X-COUNTRY MODES.

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.