Narrative:

Myself and another private pilot took off from lincoln park airport (N07). Our intent was to call essex county airport (cdw) at altitude and make an approach to their active runway. While climbing to 2500 ft, west of lincoln park airport, the call to essex county airport was made. Cdw cleared me to enter the air traffic area and instructed me for right base for runway 22. Unaware that I drifted further west while climbing to 2500 ft than anticipated, I was actually on a 5 mi right base for runway 23 at morristown airport, an airport that is next to cdw with a similar runway. During the landing sequence a call for 5 mi right base, 3 mi final, and 2 mi final was made. The controller never had or confirmed visual contact during the landing sequence. At 2 mi final the approach was aborted after realizing the approach course was actually for runway 23 at morristown airport. I aborted the approach with a left turn to the north, entering the flow of known traffic instead of going against the flow of known traffic. Prior to and during the events, I confirmed with cdw tower the approach was wrong and would be frequency change to morristown airport. I contacted morristown, told the tower I was aborting the approach to runway 23 and stayed up tower frequency until I departed the air traffic area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA ACFT INADVERTENTLY MADE AN APCH TO THE WRONG ARPT AT NIGHT BECAUSE CLOSE PROX OF BOTH ARPT RWYS AND DIRECTIONS.

Narrative: MYSELF AND ANOTHER PRIVATE PLT TOOK OFF FROM LINCOLN PARK ARPT (N07). OUR INTENT WAS TO CALL ESSEX COUNTY ARPT (CDW) AT ALT AND MAKE AN APCH TO THEIR ACTIVE RWY. WHILE CLBING TO 2500 FT, W OF LINCOLN PARK ARPT, THE CALL TO ESSEX COUNTY ARPT WAS MADE. CDW CLRED ME TO ENTER THE ATA AND INSTRUCTED ME FOR R BASE FOR RWY 22. UNAWARE THAT I DRIFTED FURTHER W WHILE CLBING TO 2500 FT THAN ANTICIPATED, I WAS ACTUALLY ON A 5 MI R BASE FOR RWY 23 AT MORRISTOWN ARPT, AN ARPT THAT IS NEXT TO CDW WITH A SIMILAR RWY. DURING THE LNDG SEQUENCE A CALL FOR 5 MI R BASE, 3 MI FINAL, AND 2 MI FINAL WAS MADE. THE CTLR NEVER HAD OR CONFIRMED VISUAL CONTACT DURING THE LNDG SEQUENCE. AT 2 MI FINAL THE APCH WAS ABORTED AFTER REALIZING THE APCH COURSE WAS ACTUALLY FOR RWY 23 AT MORRISTOWN ARPT. I ABORTED THE APCH WITH A L TURN TO THE N, ENTERING THE FLOW OF KNOWN TFC INSTEAD OF GOING AGAINST THE FLOW OF KNOWN TFC. PRIOR TO AND DURING THE EVENTS, I CONFIRMED WITH CDW TWR THE APCH WAS WRONG AND WOULD BE FREQ CHANGE TO MORRISTOWN ARPT. I CONTACTED MORRISTOWN, TOLD THE TWR I WAS ABORTING THE APCH TO RWY 23 AND STAYED UP TWR FREQ UNTIL I DEPARTED THE ATA.

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.