Narrative:

I mistakenly landed at weide airport (edg) which is located 1 mi inside the restr area R-4001A and 7 mi northeast of my actual destination, martin state airport (mtn). This night flight originated at W54 and en route to mtn I elected to say north of the EMI VOR 096 radial to avoid the baltimore TCA. The WX was clear and the visibility was about 20 mi. Nearing the end of the flight, I saw in the distance, what I perceived to be the white marsh mall and beyond that, the airport beacon. I obtained the mtn ATIS and contacted the tower, telling them that I was inbound for landing and requesting a left downwind. The tower instructed me to advise them when I crossed route 40, and when I did so I was told that I was #2 for landing and was to follow another aircraft that was on a left base. On my left downwind leg, I observed another aircraft on a left base and followed it in the pattern. As I turned to final approach, the mtn controller started calling for my exact location because he couldn't locate me. I had the feeling that something was wrong, but I was concentrating on my landing and it wasn't until after I had actually landed and taxied off the runway that I realized that I had not landed at mtn. I taxied to an occupied hangar where I was informed that I had landed at weide airport. I contacted the mtn tower by telephone and advised them that I had landed at the wrong field and was ok. After the people at weide pointed me in the right direction, I took off and flew to mtn. My problem initially began when trying to say clear of the baltimore TCA, I strayed too far to the north. It was compounded by the fact that the approachs to mtn and weide are remarkably similar in appearance. Both have a shopping mall, interstate 95, and route 40 as chkpoints on the way to the airport. When I reached what I perceived to be a familiar area, I proceeded on the flight using strictly visual reference and did not take any cues from the compass or directional gyroscope. I really thought that I was landing at mtn, because I had been in contact with the mtn tower and had actually seen an aircraft in the patter where it was supposed to be. I returned to mtn a wiser (I hope!) and a highly embarrassed pilot.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DUE TO NAV ERROR. ENTERED R-4001A AND LANDED AT WRONG ARPT.

Narrative: I MISTAKENLY LANDED AT WEIDE ARPT (EDG) WHICH IS LOCATED 1 MI INSIDE THE RESTR AREA R-4001A AND 7 MI NE OF MY ACTUAL DEST, MARTIN STATE ARPT (MTN). THIS NIGHT FLT ORIGINATED AT W54 AND ENRTE TO MTN I ELECTED TO SAY N OF THE EMI VOR 096 RADIAL TO AVOID THE BALTIMORE TCA. THE WX WAS CLR AND THE VISIBILITY WAS ABOUT 20 MI. NEARING THE END OF THE FLT, I SAW IN THE DISTANCE, WHAT I PERCEIVED TO BE THE WHITE MARSH MALL AND BEYOND THAT, THE ARPT BEACON. I OBTAINED THE MTN ATIS AND CONTACTED THE TWR, TELLING THEM THAT I WAS INBOUND FOR LNDG AND REQUESTING A L DOWNWIND. THE TWR INSTRUCTED ME TO ADVISE THEM WHEN I CROSSED RTE 40, AND WHEN I DID SO I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS #2 FOR LNDG AND WAS TO FOLLOW ANOTHER ACFT THAT WAS ON A L BASE. ON MY L DOWNWIND LEG, I OBSERVED ANOTHER ACFT ON A L BASE AND FOLLOWED IT IN THE PATTERN. AS I TURNED TO FINAL APCH, THE MTN CTLR STARTED CALLING FOR MY EXACT LOCATION BECAUSE HE COULDN'T LOCATE ME. I HAD THE FEELING THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG, BUT I WAS CONCENTRATING ON MY LNDG AND IT WASN'T UNTIL AFTER I HAD ACTUALLY LANDED AND TAXIED OFF THE RWY THAT I REALIZED THAT I HAD NOT LANDED AT MTN. I TAXIED TO AN OCCUPIED HANGAR WHERE I WAS INFORMED THAT I HAD LANDED AT WEIDE ARPT. I CONTACTED THE MTN TWR BY TELEPHONE AND ADVISED THEM THAT I HAD LANDED AT THE WRONG FIELD AND WAS OK. AFTER THE PEOPLE AT WEIDE POINTED ME IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, I TOOK OFF AND FLEW TO MTN. MY PROB INITIALLY BEGAN WHEN TRYING TO SAY CLR OF THE BALTIMORE TCA, I STRAYED TOO FAR TO THE N. IT WAS COMPOUNDED BY THE FACT THAT THE APCHS TO MTN AND WEIDE ARE REMARKABLY SIMILAR IN APPEARANCE. BOTH HAVE A SHOPPING MALL, INTERSTATE 95, AND RTE 40 AS CHKPOINTS ON THE WAY TO THE ARPT. WHEN I REACHED WHAT I PERCEIVED TO BE A FAMILIAR AREA, I PROCEEDED ON THE FLT USING STRICTLY VISUAL REF AND DID NOT TAKE ANY CUES FROM THE COMPASS OR DIRECTIONAL GYROSCOPE. I REALLY THOUGHT THAT I WAS LNDG AT MTN, BECAUSE I HAD BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THE MTN TWR AND HAD ACTUALLY SEEN AN ACFT IN THE PATTER WHERE IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE. I RETURNED TO MTN A WISER (I HOPE!) AND A HIGHLY EMBARRASSED PLT.

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.