Narrative:

I was flying into dpa to schedule avionics work on my small aircraft. 12 mi out I contacted tower and informed the controller of my intentions and that I had ATIS information. I was given runway 10 straight in, report over river following another small aircraft doing same. I read back and was correct. I did not yet have the airport in sight but spotted 2 other small aircraft's, one headed south, one north. I was now confused as to which to follow and then wasn't sure if runway 10 was at 100 degrees or 10 degrees. In my confusion, I called tower and asked 'is identify to use runway 010?' I understood controller to say 'affirmative, runway 10.' at this point I headed for the runway with a heading of 010 (runway 1). I announced over the river as requested and was cleared to land following small aircraft over threshold. I stated that I didn't have the traffic and was on 1/2 mi final with landing lights on. At this point the controller saw me on approach to 1 and cleared me to land on 1. I landed uneventfully and taxied with instructions to my destination. When there, I was asked to call the tower, which I did and received verbal instructions to my mistake. I fly out of a single runway grass airport and during winter months keep current on local flts and do a min of controled airport work. The confusion of so many airplanes and difficulty in locating the airport led me to a point where I should have done a 180 degree turn, regrouped, and come back into the air traffic area with a clear head and started from scratch. The tower was doing the best he could with limited staff. I made the mistake. I will now be reminded that the '0' is knocked off the end of the runway heading, not the beginning!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA CONFUSED REF RWY ASSIGNMENT. MAKES APCH TO WRONG RWY. LCL CTLR CLRS FOR THAT RWY.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING INTO DPA TO SCHEDULE AVIONICS WORK ON MY SMA. 12 MI OUT I CONTACTED TWR AND INFORMED THE CTLR OF MY INTENTIONS AND THAT I HAD ATIS INFO. I WAS GIVEN RWY 10 STRAIGHT IN, RPT OVER RIVER FOLLOWING ANOTHER SMA DOING SAME. I READ BACK AND WAS CORRECT. I DID NOT YET HAVE THE ARPT IN SIGHT BUT SPOTTED 2 OTHER SMA'S, ONE HEADED S, ONE N. I WAS NOW CONFUSED AS TO WHICH TO FOLLOW AND THEN WASN'T SURE IF RWY 10 WAS AT 100 DEGS OR 10 DEGS. IN MY CONFUSION, I CALLED TWR AND ASKED 'IS IDENT TO USE RWY 010?' I UNDERSTOOD CTLR TO SAY 'AFFIRMATIVE, RWY 10.' AT THIS POINT I HEADED FOR THE RWY WITH A HDG OF 010 (RWY 1). I ANNOUNCED OVER THE RIVER AS REQUESTED AND WAS CLRED TO LAND FOLLOWING SMA OVER THRESHOLD. I STATED THAT I DIDN'T HAVE THE TFC AND WAS ON 1/2 MI FINAL WITH LNDG LIGHTS ON. AT THIS POINT THE CTLR SAW ME ON APCH TO 1 AND CLRED ME TO LAND ON 1. I LANDED UNEVENTFULLY AND TAXIED WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO MY DEST. WHEN THERE, I WAS ASKED TO CALL THE TWR, WHICH I DID AND RECEIVED VERBAL INSTRUCTIONS TO MY MISTAKE. I FLY OUT OF A SINGLE RWY GRASS ARPT AND DURING WINTER MONTHS KEEP CURRENT ON LCL FLTS AND DO A MIN OF CTLED ARPT WORK. THE CONFUSION OF SO MANY AIRPLANES AND DIFFICULTY IN LOCATING THE ARPT LED ME TO A POINT WHERE I SHOULD HAVE DONE A 180 DEG TURN, REGROUPED, AND COME BACK INTO THE ATA WITH A CLR HEAD AND STARTED FROM SCRATCH. THE TWR WAS DOING THE BEST HE COULD WITH LIMITED STAFF. I MADE THE MISTAKE. I WILL NOW BE REMINDED THAT THE '0' IS KNOCKED OFF THE END OF THE RWY HDG, NOT THE BEGINNING!

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.