Narrative:

I went out for a normal practice solo flight to do a few maneuvers in the northwest practice area. Then on the way back to scottsdale I decided to do a few touch and go's at falcon field. I looked up the frequencys for falcon field on my local communication frequencys sheet. I then got information from ATIS and called up falcon tower. The communications proceeded as follows: me: 'falcon filed tower, small aircraft X 7 mi north of airport, inbound for touch and go's with the ATIS.' ffz tower: 'roger, small aircraft X straight in final for runway 22R report 3 mi final.' so far everything was smooth until I made my report: me: 'falcon tower, small aircraft X 3 mi final.' ffz tower: 'roger small aircraft X, cleared for touch and go's runway 22R.' a few seconds later, 'small aircraft X not in sight, state your position. Me: 'small aircraft X rocking my wings, now over cave creek on final.' tower: ' small aircraft X still not in sight, cleared for touch and go's runway 22R.' by now I started to think, how could they not see me. I was so close in and it was a clear day. However, I was cleared for touch and go then I made out the numbers 25L and 25R instead of 22L and 22R. I immediately realized my mistake, turned away from the runway and headed back north to clear the airport. I had confused the names between falcon field and deer valley. They both had two runway parallel with almost the same number. I knew where I was, except I had confused the names. I then proceeded to call up falcon field and admitted my error. From there I called up deer valley tower and told them I had flown over their runway and that I was communicating with the wrong tower and I apologized. By this time however, a plane on the runway Y had to abort his takeoff and I had entered the air traffic area west/O communication with the correct tower, and violated the FARS. When I got back to scottsdale I was notified to call deer valley tower who took my name, address, and phone number. Since there was another aircraft involved and far's were broken they had to report me. Thinking about the incident on the ground I could have avoided the whole misfortune by having a map open even though I was familiar with the area and had done alot of training in the northwest practice area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STUDENT PLT MAKES WRONG RWY APCH.

Narrative: I WENT OUT FOR A NORMAL PRACTICE SOLO FLT TO DO A FEW MANEUVERS IN THE NW PRACTICE AREA. THEN ON THE WAY BACK TO SCOTTSDALE I DECIDED TO DO A FEW TOUCH AND GO'S AT FALCON FIELD. I LOOKED UP THE FREQS FOR FALCON FIELD ON MY LCL COM FREQS SHEET. I THEN GOT INFO FROM ATIS AND CALLED UP FALCON TWR. THE COMS PROCEEDED AS FOLLOWS: ME: 'FALCON FILED TWR, SMA X 7 MI N OF ARPT, INBND FOR TOUCH AND GO'S WITH THE ATIS.' FFZ TWR: 'ROGER, SMA X STRAIGHT IN FINAL FOR RWY 22R RPT 3 MI FINAL.' SO FAR EVERYTHING WAS SMOOTH UNTIL I MADE MY RPT: ME: 'FALCON TWR, SMA X 3 MI FINAL.' FFZ TWR: 'ROGER SMA X, CLRED FOR TOUCH AND GO'S RWY 22R.' A FEW SECS LATER, 'SMA X NOT IN SIGHT, STATE YOUR POS. ME: 'SMA X ROCKING MY WINGS, NOW OVER CAVE CREEK ON FINAL.' TWR: ' SMA X STILL NOT IN SIGHT, CLRED FOR TOUCH AND GO'S RWY 22R.' BY NOW I STARTED TO THINK, HOW COULD THEY NOT SEE ME. I WAS SO CLOSE IN AND IT WAS A CLR DAY. HOWEVER, I WAS CLRED FOR TOUCH AND GO THEN I MADE OUT THE NUMBERS 25L AND 25R INSTEAD OF 22L AND 22R. I IMMEDIATELY REALIZED MY MISTAKE, TURNED AWAY FROM THE RWY AND HEADED BACK N TO CLR THE ARPT. I HAD CONFUSED THE NAMES BTWN FALCON FIELD AND DEER VALLEY. THEY BOTH HAD TWO RWY PARALLEL WITH ALMOST THE SAME NUMBER. I KNEW WHERE I WAS, EXCEPT I HAD CONFUSED THE NAMES. I THEN PROCEEDED TO CALL UP FALCON FIELD AND ADMITTED MY ERROR. FROM THERE I CALLED UP DEER VALLEY TWR AND TOLD THEM I HAD FLOWN OVER THEIR RWY AND THAT I WAS COMMUNICATING WITH THE WRONG TWR AND I APOLOGIZED. BY THIS TIME HOWEVER, A PLANE ON THE RWY Y HAD TO ABORT HIS TKOF AND I HAD ENTERED THE ATA W/O COM WITH THE CORRECT TWR, AND VIOLATED THE FARS. WHEN I GOT BACK TO SCOTTSDALE I WAS NOTIFIED TO CALL DEER VALLEY TWR WHO TOOK MY NAME, ADDRESS, AND PHONE NUMBER. SINCE THERE WAS ANOTHER ACFT INVOLVED AND FAR'S WERE BROKEN THEY HAD TO RPT ME. THINKING ABOUT THE INCIDENT ON THE GND I COULD HAVE AVOIDED THE WHOLE MISFORTUNE BY HAVING A MAP OPEN EVEN THOUGH I WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA AND HAD DONE ALOT OF TRNING IN THE NW PRACTICE AREA.

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.