Narrative:

I recently had the need to move my newly purchased turbine helicopter from clearwater, fl, to the kansas city, mo, area. Having no previous turbine helicopter experience and not having the hours to meet the insurance requirements, I enlisted the help of a CFI with considerable hours in type to occupy the copilot seat in flying the aircraft back to kansas city. We departed florida wed with me flying and the CFI navigating. Fri, we departed the downtown kansas city airport to enter the TCA and land at kansas city's international airport so that I could familiarize myself with the facility and procedure for future lndgs at this airport. After departing the international airport we headed south to clear the TCA. We had the local TCA chart for frequencys and TCA boundaries. Looking at the chart for the TCA south boundary we picked up a river wbound. We decided to go to the lawrence airport, an uncontrolled airport. We knew that the airport was next to the river with the town on the left. Within a short time a town came up on the left with an airport to the right. We heard and saw 1 aircraft in the traffic pattern 'left downwind for runway 15'. The airport we were coming up on had a runway 15 off the nose. There were also a number of large buildings in sight that appeared to be the kansas university. This combination of things led us to believe that this must be the lawrence airport. We flew in the traffic pattern following only an small aircraft shooting approachs for approximately an hour before deciding to land and take a break. After landing it became apparent that we were at the wrong airfield. We established our actual position, contacted the tower, apologized and departed. Factors which contributed to this problem include: 1) 1 pilot accustomed to the other pilot navigating. 2) city and airport location similar in relative layout and appearance. 3) lack of traffic at the airport in use. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states when they left kansas city international and headed south, they picked up the wrong river to follow and headed northwest instead of the second river which heads west. Biggest problem is that CFI had been navigating during the trip. Reporter thought he still was. CFI felt reporter knew this area so he just sat back. Reporter's low time/experience level wasn't even considered. Reporter is working on commercial certificate and has spent time sharpening navigation skills. Army security person made report, not tower personnel who seemed undisturbed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HELI FOLLOWED WRONG RIVER, DID TOUCH AND GOES AT CTLED ARPT WITHOUT CONTACT.

Narrative: I RECENTLY HAD THE NEED TO MOVE MY NEWLY PURCHASED TURBINE HELI FROM CLEARWATER, FL, TO THE KANSAS CITY, MO, AREA. HAVING NO PREVIOUS TURBINE HELI EXPERIENCE AND NOT HAVING THE HRS TO MEET THE INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS, I ENLISTED THE HELP OF A CFI WITH CONSIDERABLE HRS IN TYPE TO OCCUPY THE COPLT SEAT IN FLYING THE ACFT BACK TO KANSAS CITY. WE DEPARTED FLORIDA WED WITH ME FLYING AND THE CFI NAVING. FRI, WE DEPARTED THE DOWNTOWN KANSAS CITY ARPT TO ENTER THE TCA AND LAND AT KANSAS CITY'S INTL ARPT SO THAT I COULD FAMILIARIZE MYSELF WITH THE FACILITY AND PROC FOR FUTURE LNDGS AT THIS ARPT. AFTER DEPARTING THE INTL ARPT WE HEADED S TO CLR THE TCA. WE HAD THE LCL TCA CHART FOR FREQS AND TCA BOUNDARIES. LOOKING AT THE CHART FOR THE TCA S BOUNDARY WE PICKED UP A RIVER WBOUND. WE DECIDED TO GO TO THE LAWRENCE ARPT, AN UNCTLED ARPT. WE KNEW THAT THE ARPT WAS NEXT TO THE RIVER WITH THE TOWN ON THE L. WITHIN A SHORT TIME A TOWN CAME UP ON THE L WITH AN ARPT TO THE R. WE HEARD AND SAW 1 ACFT IN THE TFC PATTERN 'L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 15'. THE ARPT WE WERE COMING UP ON HAD A RWY 15 OFF THE NOSE. THERE WERE ALSO A NUMBER OF LARGE BUILDINGS IN SIGHT THAT APPEARED TO BE THE KANSAS UNIVERSITY. THIS COMBINATION OF THINGS LED US TO BELIEVE THAT THIS MUST BE THE LAWRENCE ARPT. WE FLEW IN THE TFC PATTERN FOLLOWING ONLY AN SMA SHOOTING APCHS FOR APPROX AN HR BEFORE DECIDING TO LAND AND TAKE A BREAK. AFTER LNDG IT BECAME APPARENT THAT WE WERE AT THE WRONG AIRFIELD. WE ESTABLISHED OUR ACTUAL POS, CONTACTED THE TWR, APOLOGIZED AND DEPARTED. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THIS PROBLEM INCLUDE: 1) 1 PLT ACCUSTOMED TO THE OTHER PLT NAVING. 2) CITY AND ARPT LOCATION SIMILAR IN RELATIVE LAYOUT AND APPEARANCE. 3) LACK OF TFC AT THE ARPT IN USE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES WHEN THEY LEFT KANSAS CITY INTL AND HEADED S, THEY PICKED UP THE WRONG RIVER TO FOLLOW AND HEADED NW INSTEAD OF THE SECOND RIVER WHICH HEADS W. BIGGEST PROBLEM IS THAT CFI HAD BEEN NAVING DURING THE TRIP. RPTR THOUGHT HE STILL WAS. CFI FELT RPTR KNEW THIS AREA SO HE JUST SAT BACK. RPTR'S LOW TIME/EXPERIENCE LEVEL WASN'T EVEN CONSIDERED. RPTR IS WORKING ON COMMERCIAL CERTIFICATE AND HAS SPENT TIME SHARPENING NAV SKILLS. ARMY SECURITY PERSON MADE RPT, NOT TWR PERSONNEL WHO SEEMED UNDISTURBED.

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.