Narrative:

This incident occurred at the end of a part 91 flight from st pete to greenville. The heading to greenville was 007 degrees which almost perfectly aligned greenville donaldson (intended airport) with greenville downtown -- about 6 mi north of donaldson. When I was about 20 mi out, I picked up a beacon, noted the distance remaining on the LORAN, checked the chart and incorrectly idented the beacon as donaldson. I called on unicom at 5 mi my intention to land and again on 2 mi final. I flew down the north/south runway to the end, where I looked for, but didn't find, the FBO. I then back-taxied to the tower where I received a green light signal to the helipad. Since donaldson is uncontrolled, I realized I had landed at downtown. I confessed my embarrassment and was cleared back to donaldson. On arriving at donaldson I looked again for the beacon but could not see it. While donaldson has pilot controled lighting, there are a number of reasons one may arrive at an airport with pilot controled lighting and find the lights on. I passed over donaldson completely dark, and followed the beacon at downtown seeing the runway lights on. While the runways at both airports are generally north/south (36 and 4) the distinction should have been obvious. However, unfamiliarity with the area, moderate turbulence, crab angle and lack of beacon at donaldson all contributed to this situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HELI PLT OVERFLIES INTENDED ARPT AND LANDS AT TWR CTLED ARPT DIRECTLY ALIGNED WITH INTENDED ARPT.

Narrative: THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED AT THE END OF A PART 91 FLT FROM ST PETE TO GREENVILLE. THE HDG TO GREENVILLE WAS 007 DEGS WHICH ALMOST PERFECTLY ALIGNED GREENVILLE DONALDSON (INTENDED ARPT) WITH GREENVILLE DOWNTOWN -- ABOUT 6 MI N OF DONALDSON. WHEN I WAS ABOUT 20 MI OUT, I PICKED UP A BEACON, NOTED THE DISTANCE REMAINING ON THE LORAN, CHKED THE CHART AND INCORRECTLY IDENTED THE BEACON AS DONALDSON. I CALLED ON UNICOM AT 5 MI MY INTENTION TO LAND AND AGAIN ON 2 MI FINAL. I FLEW DOWN THE N/S RWY TO THE END, WHERE I LOOKED FOR, BUT DIDN'T FIND, THE FBO. I THEN BACK-TAXIED TO THE TWR WHERE I RECEIVED A GREEN LIGHT SIGNAL TO THE HELIPAD. SINCE DONALDSON IS UNCTLED, I REALIZED I HAD LANDED AT DOWNTOWN. I CONFESSED MY EMBARRASSMENT AND WAS CLRED BACK TO DONALDSON. ON ARRIVING AT DONALDSON I LOOKED AGAIN FOR THE BEACON BUT COULD NOT SEE IT. WHILE DONALDSON HAS PLT CTLED LIGHTING, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF REASONS ONE MAY ARRIVE AT AN ARPT WITH PLT CTLED LIGHTING AND FIND THE LIGHTS ON. I PASSED OVER DONALDSON COMPLETELY DARK, AND FOLLOWED THE BEACON AT DOWNTOWN SEEING THE RWY LIGHTS ON. WHILE THE RWYS AT BOTH ARPTS ARE GENERALLY N/S (36 AND 4) THE DISTINCTION SHOULD HAVE BEEN OBVIOUS. HOWEVER, UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE AREA, MODERATE TURB, CRAB ANGLE AND LACK OF BEACON AT DONALDSON ALL CONTRIBUTED TO THIS SITUATION.

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.