An small aircraft pilot landed without clearance at a controled airport instead of the uncontrolled ...

Attributes
ACN	239232
Time
Date	199304
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : apf
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : apf artcc : zfw
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 18 flight time total : 1250 flight time type : 1100
ASRS Report	239232
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
Airport	other physical facility procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

While on a sight-seeing/lunch cross country on a cavu day in south fl, was headed for venice from vero beach. Field is uncontrolled without a VOR. Pilotage navigation seemed fine until reaching where I thought the airport should be. Spotted a field a little to the north, but assumed it was sarasota since I thought I was headed direct venice. Winds aloft were apparently blowing me south. Turned south along the coast. Saw an airport ahead with crossing runways. Felt it was too far south to be venice so overflew it to check runway headings. They were the same as venice. Announced all intentions on 122.7. After landing, saw the word 'naples' written on a vehicle and told by lineman tower wanted to speak to me. What I learned from this was to check winds aloft at altitude and prepare a detailed pilotage flight plan even on a cavu day with fairly light surface winds. A suggestion, though, might be for airports to put their name or 3-LETTER identifier near the segmented circle or windsock. If I'd seen I was over naples, I would've either called the tower or continued looking for venice being sure to avoid the ft myers arsa.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA PLT LANDED WITHOUT CLRNC AT A CTLED ARPT INSTEAD OF THE UNCTLED ARPT THAT WAS THE DEST.

Narrative: WHILE ON A SIGHT-SEEING/LUNCH XCOUNTRY ON A CAVU DAY IN S FL, WAS HEADED FOR VENICE FROM VERO BEACH. FIELD IS UNCTLED WITHOUT A VOR. PILOTAGE NAV SEEMED FINE UNTIL REACHING WHERE I THOUGHT THE ARPT SHOULD BE. SPOTTED A FIELD A LITTLE TO THE N, BUT ASSUMED IT WAS SARASOTA SINCE I THOUGHT I WAS HEADED DIRECT VENICE. WINDS ALOFT WERE APPARENTLY BLOWING ME S. TURNED S ALONG THE COAST. SAW AN ARPT AHEAD WITH XING RWYS. FELT IT WAS TOO FAR S TO BE VENICE SO OVERFLEW IT TO CHK RWY HDGS. THEY WERE THE SAME AS VENICE. ANNOUNCED ALL INTENTIONS ON 122.7. AFTER LNDG, SAW THE WORD 'NAPLES' WRITTEN ON A VEHICLE AND TOLD BY LINEMAN TWR WANTED TO SPEAK TO ME. WHAT I LEARNED FROM THIS WAS TO CHK WINDS ALOFT AT ALT AND PREPARE A DETAILED PILOTAGE FLT PLAN EVEN ON A CAVU DAY WITH FAIRLY LIGHT SURFACE WINDS. A SUGGESTION, THOUGH, MIGHT BE FOR ARPTS TO PUT THEIR NAME OR 3-LETTER IDENTIFIER NEAR THE SEGMENTED CIRCLE OR WINDSOCK. IF I'D SEEN I WAS OVER NAPLES, I WOULD'VE EITHER CALLED THE TWR OR CONTINUED LOOKING FOR VENICE BEING SURE TO AVOID THE FT MYERS ARSA.

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.

An small aircraft pilot landed without clearance at a controled airport instead of the uncontrolled airport that was the destination.