37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Attributes | |
ACN | 190887 |
Time | |
Date | 199110 |
Day | Sat |
Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
Place | |
Locale Reference | airport : aby |
State Reference | GA |
Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
Environment | |
Flight Conditions | Mixed |
Light | Daylight |
Aircraft 1 | |
Controlling Facilities | tower : aby |
Operator | general aviation : personal |
Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear |
Flight Phase | landing other other |
Flight Plan | None |
Person 1 | |
Affiliation | Other |
Function | flight crew : single pilot |
Qualification | pilot : private |
Experience | flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 349 flight time type : 250 |
ASRS Report | 100887 |
Person 2 | |
Affiliation | government : faa |
Function | controller : local |
Qualification | controller : non radar |
Events | |
Anomaly | incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : far other anomaly other other anomaly other |
Independent Detector | other controllera other other : unspecified cockpit |
Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
Supplementary | |
Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Conditions began to become IFR with thunderstorms rain and low visibility. I was flying at 10500 ft at the time so I decided to descend and return to americus county airport to wait out the storm. I began to go around clouds as I descended. Ahead I finally spotted an airport thinking it to be americus county, so I called unicom and found out that there was no traffic and that runway 04 was active. As I xed midfield to confirm wind direction and runway 04 I heard an aircraft announcing his intentions to land as he was at .5 mi out. I therefore told him that I would follow him. I then turned into a downwind to 04 but could not find the aircraft. I then pulled out of the pattern for fear of a mid air. I called again on unicom and again no answer. I then flew away from the airport looking for another place to land. The storm was getting closer so I again approached the airport turning into a downwind to 04, but this time I saw an aircraft at the hold short line to runway 22 so midway down the downwind I crossed midfield and began a downwind to 22 thinking the active runway had changed. I continued to announce all my intentions on the unicom frequency. I then turned left base then final watching the aircraft at the hold line very carefully for any movement that would cause me to go around. I tried calling unicom no answer. After landing I taxied to a FBO for fuel. The tower called and informed me that I was at albany georgia airport and was in violation of their airspace and that they were filing a report. Albany airport also has a runway 04-22. Problems that arose were: both airports looked very much alike. I was flying using an atlanta sectional chart and when detoured by the storm my flight actually brought me off the bottom of this chart unknowingly and onto the jacksonville chart and therefore I did not realize that there was a similar looking airport. I did not intentionally violate anything. I guess I was perhaps more afraid of getting caught in the storm then I should have been and not taking the time to make absolutely sure that I was in the right airport.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PLT OF SMA ON VFR FLT DISORIENTED BY PROX OF STORMS LANDED AT TWR CTLED ARPT. WRONG ARPT LNDG. LANDED AT ABY THOUGHT HE WAS LNDG AT ACJ.
Narrative: CONDITIONS BEGAN TO BECOME IFR WITH TSTMS RAIN AND LOW VISIBILITY. I WAS FLYING AT 10500 FT AT THE TIME SO I DECIDED TO DSND AND RETURN TO AMERICUS COUNTY ARPT TO WAIT OUT THE STORM. I BEGAN TO GO AROUND CLOUDS AS I DSNDED. AHEAD I FINALLY SPOTTED AN ARPT THINKING IT TO BE AMERICUS COUNTY, SO I CALLED UNICOM AND FOUND OUT THAT THERE WAS NO TFC AND THAT RWY 04 WAS ACTIVE. AS I XED MIDFIELD TO CONFIRM WIND DIRECTION AND RWY 04 I HEARD AN ACFT ANNOUNCING HIS INTENTIONS TO LAND AS HE WAS AT .5 MI OUT. I THEREFORE TOLD HIM THAT I WOULD FOLLOW HIM. I THEN TURNED INTO A DOWNWIND TO 04 BUT COULD NOT FIND THE ACFT. I THEN PULLED OUT OF THE PATTERN FOR FEAR OF A MID AIR. I CALLED AGAIN ON UNICOM AND AGAIN NO ANSWER. I THEN FLEW AWAY FROM THE ARPT LOOKING FOR ANOTHER PLACE TO LAND. THE STORM WAS GETTING CLOSER SO I AGAIN APCHED THE ARPT TURNING INTO A DOWNWIND TO 04, BUT THIS TIME I SAW AN ACFT AT THE HOLD SHORT LINE TO RWY 22 SO MIDWAY DOWN THE DOWNWIND I CROSSED MIDFIELD AND BEGAN A DOWNWIND TO 22 THINKING THE ACTIVE RWY HAD CHANGED. I CONTINUED TO ANNOUNCE ALL MY INTENTIONS ON THE UNICOM FREQ. I THEN TURNED L BASE THEN FINAL WATCHING THE ACFT AT THE HOLD LINE VERY CAREFULLY FOR ANY MOVEMENT THAT WOULD CAUSE ME TO GAR. I TRIED CALLING UNICOM NO ANSWER. AFTER LNDG I TAXIED TO A FBO FOR FUEL. THE TWR CALLED AND INFORMED ME THAT I WAS AT ALBANY GEORGIA ARPT AND WAS IN VIOLATION OF THEIR AIRSPACE AND THAT THEY WERE FILING A RPT. ALBANY ARPT ALSO HAS A RWY 04-22. PROBLEMS THAT AROSE WERE: BOTH ARPTS LOOKED VERY MUCH ALIKE. I WAS FLYING USING AN ATLANTA SECTIONAL CHART AND WHEN DETOURED BY THE STORM MY FLT ACTUALLY BROUGHT ME OFF THE BOTTOM OF THIS CHART UNKNOWINGLY AND ONTO THE JACKSONVILLE CHART AND THEREFORE I DID NOT REALIZE THAT THERE WAS A SIMILAR LOOKING ARPT. I DID NOT INTENTIONALLY VIOLATE ANYTHING. I GUESS I WAS PERHAPS MORE AFRAID OF GETTING CAUGHT IN THE STORM THEN I SHOULD HAVE BEEN AND NOT TAKING THE TIME TO MAKE ABSOLUTELY SURE THAT I WAS IN THE RIGHT ARPT.
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.