Narrative:

During a VFR flight to palo alto, ca, I decided to use the woodside (osi) VOR R-040 to help me locate the airport, with which I was not familiar. Before crossing the VOR I corrected my heading to intercept the 040 degree radial, but became distracted by traffic and slightly overshot the radial. Noticing a left deflected CDI I turned left to reintercept the course. I then contacted pao tower and advised inbound from osi VOR. I was instructed to enter right base for runway 12 and report crossing the 101 freeway. Noticing by the symbology on the sfo sectional that my destination was on a slight peninsula I looked for a peninsula near a freeway and located san carlos airport. Thinking it to be palo alto, I continued inbound visually. I set my position up for a right base entry, disregarding the right CDI deflection because I had measured the 040 degree radial to airport center and I knew I was off setting to enter on base. I reported crossing the 101 freeway and now could see the runway #12 on the san carlos runway but failed to notice the airport name. Pao tower told me to follow traffic on right base. I reported 'turning final, traffic not in sight.' pao tower then asked me if I was at san carlos and I then saw the airport name on the runway. I immediately went around and pao advised me to contact sql tower on 119.0. I did so, explained my error to sql, and they advised heading 090 degrees and to recontact pao tower. I flew heading 090 degrees and 1400 ft MSL to avoid the sfo TCA and contacted pao tower. I landed without further incident. I believe this incident happened for 3 reasons: 1) insufficient study of the area during preflight planning, 2) failure to cross osi before turning on course, and 3) disregarding right CDI due to a mind set that I indeed had pao in sight. In future flts to unfamiliar areas I will avoid this situation through better preflight planning, utilization of navaids and radar vectors, and constant doublechking all information in-flight.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT MADE A VFR APCH TO THE WRONG ARPT AFTER RECEIVING CLRNC FROM INTENDED DEST ARPT TWR.

Narrative: DURING A VFR FLT TO PALO ALTO, CA, I DECIDED TO USE THE WOODSIDE (OSI) VOR R-040 TO HELP ME LOCATE THE ARPT, WITH WHICH I WAS NOT FAMILIAR. BEFORE XING THE VOR I CORRECTED MY HDG TO INTERCEPT THE 040 DEG RADIAL, BUT BECAME DISTRACTED BY TFC AND SLIGHTLY OVERSHOT THE RADIAL. NOTICING A L DEFLECTED CDI I TURNED L TO REINTERCEPT THE COURSE. I THEN CONTACTED PAO TWR AND ADVISED INBOUND FROM OSI VOR. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO ENTER R BASE FOR RWY 12 AND RPT XING THE 101 FREEWAY. NOTICING BY THE SYMBOLOGY ON THE SFO SECTIONAL THAT MY DEST WAS ON A SLIGHT PENINSULA I LOOKED FOR A PENINSULA NEAR A FREEWAY AND LOCATED SAN CARLOS ARPT. THINKING IT TO BE PALO ALTO, I CONTINUED INBOUND VISUALLY. I SET MY POS UP FOR A R BASE ENTRY, DISREGARDING THE R CDI DEFLECTION BECAUSE I HAD MEASURED THE 040 DEG RADIAL TO ARPT CTR AND I KNEW I WAS OFF SETTING TO ENTER ON BASE. I RPTED XING THE 101 FREEWAY AND NOW COULD SEE THE RWY #12 ON THE SAN CARLOS RWY BUT FAILED TO NOTICE THE ARPT NAME. PAO TWR TOLD ME TO FOLLOW TFC ON R BASE. I RPTED 'TURNING FINAL, TFC NOT IN SIGHT.' PAO TWR THEN ASKED ME IF I WAS AT SAN CARLOS AND I THEN SAW THE ARPT NAME ON THE RWY. I IMMEDIATELY WENT AROUND AND PAO ADVISED ME TO CONTACT SQL TWR ON 119.0. I DID SO, EXPLAINED MY ERROR TO SQL, AND THEY ADVISED HDG 090 DEGS AND TO RECONTACT PAO TWR. I FLEW HDG 090 DEGS AND 1400 FT MSL TO AVOID THE SFO TCA AND CONTACTED PAO TWR. I LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. I BELIEVE THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED FOR 3 REASONS: 1) INSUFFICIENT STUDY OF THE AREA DURING PREFLT PLANNING, 2) FAILURE TO CROSS OSI BEFORE TURNING ON COURSE, AND 3) DISREGARDING R CDI DUE TO A MIND SET THAT I INDEED HAD PAO IN SIGHT. IN FUTURE FLTS TO UNFAMILIAR AREAS I WILL AVOID THIS SIT THROUGH BETTER PREFLT PLANNING, UTILIZATION OF NAVAIDS AND RADAR VECTORS, AND CONSTANT DOUBLECHKING ALL INFO INFLT.

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.