Narrative:

I was on an airport hopping pleasure flight in a rented small aircraft out of hanscom field, ma. I was intending to land at fitchburg which I knew had 2 runways and I would use 14-32. I came over an airport with a 14-32 runway and did a touch and go. On base I noticed that there was a tower on the field and it didn't look right so I went around while looking at my sectional. From my quick scan, fitchburg was the only airport in my vicinity with 2 runways and the numbers were 14-32 (the other runway was buried under snow). I came around and did a touch and go and on takeoff noticed that there were people in the tower and the hangar had moore aaf painted on the roof. I called the tower and apologized and asked what they wanted me to do. They gave me directions to fitchburg, 6 mi up the road but otherwise did not act in the least bit disturbed that I had violated their airspace and landed at a military base. Suggestions for prevention of recurrence: the airports are very similar but I could have avoided the mistake with more diligent chart reading. I come from maine and am not used to having an airport pop up every 10 mi so my chart reading was a little relaxed. Painting 'moore aaf' on the runway would have kept me from landing but not from busting the air traffic area (the hangar roof sign was partially snowed over).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT ENTERS ATA AND LANDS AT WRONG ARPT.

Narrative: I WAS ON AN ARPT HOPPING PLEASURE FLT IN A RENTED SMA OUT OF HANSCOM FIELD, MA. I WAS INTENDING TO LAND AT FITCHBURG WHICH I KNEW HAD 2 RWYS AND I WOULD USE 14-32. I CAME OVER AN ARPT WITH A 14-32 RWY AND DID A TOUCH AND GO. ON BASE I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A TWR ON THE FIELD AND IT DIDN'T LOOK RIGHT SO I WENT AROUND WHILE LOOKING AT MY SECTIONAL. FROM MY QUICK SCAN, FITCHBURG WAS THE ONLY ARPT IN MY VICINITY WITH 2 RWYS AND THE NUMBERS WERE 14-32 (THE OTHER RWY WAS BURIED UNDER SNOW). I CAME AROUND AND DID A TOUCH AND GO AND ON TKOF NOTICED THAT THERE WERE PEOPLE IN THE TWR AND THE HANGAR HAD MOORE AAF PAINTED ON THE ROOF. I CALLED THE TWR AND APOLOGIZED AND ASKED WHAT THEY WANTED ME TO DO. THEY GAVE ME DIRECTIONS TO FITCHBURG, 6 MI UP THE ROAD BUT OTHERWISE DID NOT ACT IN THE LEAST BIT DISTURBED THAT I HAD VIOLATED THEIR AIRSPACE AND LANDED AT A MIL BASE. SUGGESTIONS FOR PREVENTION OF RECURRENCE: THE ARPTS ARE VERY SIMILAR BUT I COULD HAVE AVOIDED THE MISTAKE WITH MORE DILIGENT CHART READING. I COME FROM MAINE AND AM NOT USED TO HAVING AN ARPT POP UP EVERY 10 MI SO MY CHART READING WAS A LITTLE RELAXED. PAINTING 'MOORE AAF' ON THE RWY WOULD HAVE KEPT ME FROM LNDG BUT NOT FROM BUSTING THE ATA (THE HANGAR ROOF SIGN WAS PARTIALLY SNOWED OVER).

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.