Narrative:

Almost all of my 450 hours of flight time is in the southern ca area. I received a check out from the lwm FBO which included 4 touch and goes and a quick look at my logbook. The purpose of my flight was to make 2 scenic flts in which my wife and my in-laws who we were visiting would be treated to an aerial view of their community. The problem arose on the return to the airport. I told the tower I was over plum island (2b2) with the current ATIS and that I was also unfamiliar with the area. They told me to report 2 mi right base 32. On my entry into the traffic pattern, ATC had questioned me on my position. They had said that they didn't have contact. At this point I had realized that I was setting myself up for an entry for landing runway 14. I had announced to the tower my position and had an uneventful landing. On my second trip the same sequence took place except this time I had better orientation, or I had thought so. Departing plum island I took a heading of 220 degrees about 2 mi (north) of the airport. I asked the tower how they wanted me to transition the airport for landing 32. Once again I was setting up for runway 14 (unintentionally). At this time there were about 3 or 4 calls from other aircraft and someone with a stuck microphone was also transmitting. Since I didn't hear back from ATC I elected to stay at 2000 ft. In the meantime, I thought the problem microphone was possibly mine. I had investigated and concluded that the problem was not originating from my aircraft. At this time I was directly over the airport at 2000 ft. This time I was able to contact the tower and reported my position. When I was directly over the airport I realized my mistake. My decision to stay at 2000 ft was based on that I wanted to enter the pattern at the correct altitude. The tower told me to follow traffic and then cleared to land. Corrective action: the use of pilotage may work well for an airport that I fly out of frequently, but not for a strange or new airport environment. I could have used the compass to orient myself (I didn't). My thought process should have been -- I'm northeast of the airport traveling southwest and I want to land northwest. Instead, I jumble numbers, made it more difficult. If I would have used this logic (every time) I would have never been confused. I need to think north, east, west, south, etc.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA AT UNFAMILIAR ARPT BECAME DISORIENTED AND ALIGNED WITH WRONG RWY. ENTERED ATA DIRECTLY OVER ARPT. MADE 2 LNDGS.

Narrative: ALMOST ALL OF MY 450 HRS OF FLT TIME IS IN THE SOUTHERN CA AREA. I RECEIVED A CHK OUT FROM THE LWM FBO WHICH INCLUDED 4 TOUCH AND GOES AND A QUICK LOOK AT MY LOGBOOK. THE PURPOSE OF MY FLT WAS TO MAKE 2 SCENIC FLTS IN WHICH MY WIFE AND MY IN-LAWS WHO WE WERE VISITING WOULD BE TREATED TO AN AERIAL VIEW OF THEIR COMMUNITY. THE PROBLEM AROSE ON THE RETURN TO THE ARPT. I TOLD THE TWR I WAS OVER PLUM ISLAND (2B2) WITH THE CURRENT ATIS AND THAT I WAS ALSO UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA. THEY TOLD ME TO RPT 2 MI R BASE 32. ON MY ENTRY INTO THE TFC PATTERN, ATC HAD QUESTIONED ME ON MY POS. THEY HAD SAID THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE CONTACT. AT THIS POINT I HAD REALIZED THAT I WAS SETTING MYSELF UP FOR AN ENTRY FOR LNDG RWY 14. I HAD ANNOUNCED TO THE TWR MY POS AND HAD AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. ON MY SECOND TRIP THE SAME SEQUENCE TOOK PLACE EXCEPT THIS TIME I HAD BETTER ORIENTATION, OR I HAD THOUGHT SO. DEPARTING PLUM ISLAND I TOOK A HDG OF 220 DEGS ABOUT 2 MI (N) OF THE ARPT. I ASKED THE TWR HOW THEY WANTED ME TO TRANSITION THE ARPT FOR LNDG 32. ONCE AGAIN I WAS SETTING UP FOR RWY 14 (UNINTENTIONALLY). AT THIS TIME THERE WERE ABOUT 3 OR 4 CALLS FROM OTHER ACFT AND SOMEONE WITH A STUCK MICROPHONE WAS ALSO XMITTING. SINCE I DIDN'T HEAR BACK FROM ATC I ELECTED TO STAY AT 2000 FT. IN THE MEANTIME, I THOUGHT THE PROBLEM MICROPHONE WAS POSSIBLY MINE. I HAD INVESTIGATED AND CONCLUDED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS NOT ORIGINATING FROM MY ACFT. AT THIS TIME I WAS DIRECTLY OVER THE ARPT AT 2000 FT. THIS TIME I WAS ABLE TO CONTACT THE TWR AND RPTED MY POS. WHEN I WAS DIRECTLY OVER THE ARPT I REALIZED MY MISTAKE. MY DECISION TO STAY AT 2000 FT WAS BASED ON THAT I WANTED TO ENTER THE PATTERN AT THE CORRECT ALT. THE TWR TOLD ME TO FOLLOW TFC AND THEN CLRED TO LAND. CORRECTIVE ACTION: THE USE OF PILOTAGE MAY WORK WELL FOR AN ARPT THAT I FLY OUT OF FREQUENTLY, BUT NOT FOR A STRANGE OR NEW ARPT ENVIRONMENT. I COULD HAVE USED THE COMPASS TO ORIENT MYSELF (I DIDN'T). MY THOUGHT PROCESS SHOULD HAVE BEEN -- I'M NE OF THE ARPT TRAVELING SW AND I WANT TO LAND NW. INSTEAD, I JUMBLE NUMBERS, MADE IT MORE DIFFICULT. IF I WOULD HAVE USED THIS LOGIC (EVERY TIME) I WOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN CONFUSED. I NEED TO THINK N, E, W, S, ETC.

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.