Narrative:

I was terminating an IFR flight to key west (eyw). I was squawking code XXXX and communicating with navy key west approach control on 124.45 MHZ. Having descended from FL280 I was proceeding as instructed inbound on the 052 degree radial of the key west (eyw) VORTAC heading 232 degrees. I was being held at 4000 ft for clearance with a 'no radio' aircraft beneath me. I was in and out of clouds at 4000 ft and, within 10 NM of the field transitioned from my en route chart to the instrument approach plate for eyw in expectation of a possible 'cleared for approach' instruction. NAS is not depicted on the approach chart for eyw. NAS and eyw perimeters are separated by about 1 mi. Since my heading would place me in the downwind for a landing to the east, I was looking through breaks in the clouds for some sign of the airport. Within 1-2 mi of the field and still at 4000 ft I was told to contact eyw tower which I did on 118.2. Tower advised me I was 'in sight and cleared to land.' simultaneously I caught sight of what I thought was eyw through the clouds and started descending while configuring my aircraft for the landing which included turning on landing lights (strobes were already on), dropping gear and flaps and repeated my clearance to land back to the tower and advised them we were turning left base immediately. Air traffic in the area was extremely dense with an additional 100 aircraft landing to join the cayman caravan, an annual event which gets larger every yr. Due to the high altitude I was held at, a descent rate first officer 3000 FPM was required and part of my attention was diverted holding the airspeed within gear and flap limits while scanning for other traffic, configuring and communicating. Confident that I was on NAS approach radar squawking code XXXX and the tower had me 'in sight.' I proceeded to space myself with the other aircraft in the landing pattern. Being a frequent user of charleston, sc (chs) which has a mix of civil and military aircraft and observing no light gun signals from the tower, I continued the approach and landed. The tower then advised I had landed at NAS rather than eyw. I shut down and conferred with NAS personnel, signed the required forms and received permission to depart to eyw which flight was made without further incident. The tower later confirmed that safety was not compromised in any way since my intentions (strobes on, landing light on, gear down, flaps down and on the final approach path) were clear and separation standards were maintained.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT LANDED AT KEY WEST NAS, NQX, INSTEAD OF HIS DEST, KEY WEST INTL ARPT, EYW.

Narrative: I WAS TERMINATING AN IFR FLT TO KEY WEST (EYW). I WAS SQUAWKING CODE XXXX AND COMMUNICATING WITH NAVY KEY WEST APCH CTL ON 124.45 MHZ. HAVING DSNDED FROM FL280 I WAS PROCEEDING AS INSTRUCTED INBOUND ON THE 052 DEG RADIAL OF THE KEY WEST (EYW) VORTAC HDG 232 DEGS. I WAS BEING HELD AT 4000 FT FOR CLRNC WITH A 'NO RADIO' ACFT BENEATH ME. I WAS IN AND OUT OF CLOUDS AT 4000 FT AND, WITHIN 10 NM OF THE FIELD TRANSITIONED FROM MY ENRTE CHART TO THE INST APCH PLATE FOR EYW IN EXPECTATION OF A POSSIBLE 'CLRED FOR APCH' INSTRUCTION. NAS IS NOT DEPICTED ON THE APCH CHART FOR EYW. NAS AND EYW PERIMETERS ARE SEPARATED BY ABOUT 1 MI. SINCE MY HDG WOULD PLACE ME IN THE DOWNWIND FOR A LNDG TO THE E, I WAS LOOKING THROUGH BREAKS IN THE CLOUDS FOR SOME SIGN OF THE ARPT. WITHIN 1-2 MI OF THE FIELD AND STILL AT 4000 FT I WAS TOLD TO CONTACT EYW TWR WHICH I DID ON 118.2. TWR ADVISED ME I WAS 'IN SIGHT AND CLRED TO LAND.' SIMULTANEOUSLY I CAUGHT SIGHT OF WHAT I THOUGHT WAS EYW THROUGH THE CLOUDS AND STARTED DSNDING WHILE CONFIGURING MY ACFT FOR THE LNDG WHICH INCLUDED TURNING ON LNDG LIGHTS (STROBES WERE ALREADY ON), DROPPING GEAR AND FLAPS AND REPEATED MY CLRNC TO LAND BACK TO THE TWR AND ADVISED THEM WE WERE TURNING L BASE IMMEDIATELY. AIR TFC IN THE AREA WAS EXTREMELY DENSE WITH AN ADDITIONAL 100 ACFT LNDG TO JOIN THE CAYMAN CARAVAN, AN ANNUAL EVENT WHICH GETS LARGER EVERY YR. DUE TO THE HIGH ALT I WAS HELD AT, A DSCNT RATE FO 3000 FPM WAS REQUIRED AND PART OF MY ATTN WAS DIVERTED HOLDING THE AIRSPD WITHIN GEAR AND FLAP LIMITS WHILE SCANNING FOR OTHER TFC, CONFIGURING AND COMMUNICATING. CONFIDENT THAT I WAS ON NAS APCH RADAR SQUAWKING CODE XXXX AND THE TWR HAD ME 'IN SIGHT.' I PROCEEDED TO SPACE MYSELF WITH THE OTHER ACFT IN THE LNDG PATTERN. BEING A FREQUENT USER OF CHARLESTON, SC (CHS) WHICH HAS A MIX OF CIVIL AND MIL ACFT AND OBSERVING NO LIGHT GUN SIGNALS FROM THE TWR, I CONTINUED THE APCH AND LANDED. THE TWR THEN ADVISED I HAD LANDED AT NAS RATHER THAN EYW. I SHUT DOWN AND CONFERRED WITH NAS PERSONNEL, SIGNED THE REQUIRED FORMS AND RECEIVED PERMISSION TO DEPART TO EYW WHICH FLT WAS MADE WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE TWR LATER CONFIRMED THAT SAFETY WAS NOT COMPROMISED IN ANY WAY SINCE MY INTENTIONS (STROBES ON, LNDG LIGHT ON, GEAR DOWN, FLAPS DOWN AND ON THE FINAL APCH PATH) WERE CLR AND SEPARATION STANDARDS WERE MAINTAINED.

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.