Narrative:

We were on a VFR sightseeing flight to see the flooded conditions of the missouri & mississippi rivers. Local NOTAM required all VFR traffic to obtain advisories if sightseeing over the river in the vicinity of st. Louis TCA. As a result, the frequency was very crowded with a large number of aircraft. Everyone was making strange circling requests to photograph or otherwise look at objects on the ground. As we flew around the northeast side of the TCA, we were given 'traffic, 10 O'clock, slow moving, less than a mi, type and altitude unknown' by st. Louis approach. We were 9 NM north of downtown (cps) airport and indicating 210 KTS in a descent. I didn't want to leave approach until the traffic was sighted. At this point, we saw the traffic, a helicopter, low and to the left. He was no factor. Unfortunately, looking for the traffic had been a distraction. I failed to plan ahead for my entry of cps's air traffic area. Seeing us now only 5.5 NM from the airport, I rushed to get the tower frequency from an electronic moving map. I had the wrong airport selected! Without double-checking the identify of the airport, I called up the information page, saw the 'tower frequency' and entered that frequency into the communication. I reported '4 mi north, requesting low pass' (we have a hangar at that airport (cps) and wanted to see how close the flood water had gotten). The tower responded 'cleared for low approach, report 2 mi final for runway 17.' although I fly regularly from cps, I failed to recognize that: 1) the tower frequency was for aln, approximately 15 mi behind me, not downtown, immediately ahead. 2) aln has runway 17, downtown runway 22. I reported '2 NM final for the low pass.' aln said 'not in sight, cleared for low pass, runway 17.' it was then that I realized I was blasting through cps's air traffic area at 300 ft AGL while talking to a different tower. I called the tower after landing. Neither they nor any other traffic were aware of my low pass. In 20 yrs of flying I've never had a similar miscom with the wrong tower. Distraction got the better of me.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE. PROX OF ATA.

Narrative: WE WERE ON A VFR SIGHTSEEING FLT TO SEE THE FLOODED CONDITIONS OF THE MISSOURI & MISSISSIPPI RIVERS. LCL NOTAM REQUIRED ALL VFR TFC TO OBTAIN ADVISORIES IF SIGHTSEEING OVER THE RIVER IN THE VICINITY OF ST. LOUIS TCA. AS A RESULT, THE FREQ WAS VERY CROWDED WITH A LARGE NUMBER OF ACFT. EVERYONE WAS MAKING STRANGE CIRCLING REQUESTS TO PHOTOGRAPH OR OTHERWISE LOOK AT OBJECTS ON THE GND. AS WE FLEW AROUND THE NE SIDE OF THE TCA, WE WERE GIVEN 'TFC, 10 O'CLOCK, SLOW MOVING, LESS THAN A MI, TYPE AND ALT UNKNOWN' BY ST. LOUIS APCH. WE WERE 9 NM N OF DOWNTOWN (CPS) ARPT AND INDICATING 210 KTS IN A DSCNT. I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE APCH UNTIL THE TFC WAS SIGHTED. AT THIS POINT, WE SAW THE TFC, A HELI, LOW AND TO THE L. HE WAS NO FACTOR. UNFORTUNATELY, LOOKING FOR THE TFC HAD BEEN A DISTR. I FAILED TO PLAN AHEAD FOR MY ENTRY OF CPS'S ATA. SEEING US NOW ONLY 5.5 NM FROM THE ARPT, I RUSHED TO GET THE TWR FREQ FROM AN ELECTRONIC MOVING MAP. I HAD THE WRONG ARPT SELECTED! WITHOUT DOUBLE-CHKING THE IDENT OF THE ARPT, I CALLED UP THE INFO PAGE, SAW THE 'TWR FREQ' AND ENTERED THAT FREQ INTO THE COM. I RPTED '4 MI N, REQUESTING LOW PASS' (WE HAVE A HANGAR AT THAT ARPT (CPS) AND WANTED TO SEE HOW CLOSE THE FLOOD WATER HAD GOTTEN). THE TWR RESPONDED 'CLRED FOR LOW APCH, RPT 2 MI FINAL FOR RWY 17.' ALTHOUGH I FLY REGULARLY FROM CPS, I FAILED TO RECOGNIZE THAT: 1) THE TWR FREQ WAS FOR ALN, APPROX 15 MI BEHIND ME, NOT DOWNTOWN, IMMEDIATELY AHEAD. 2) ALN HAS RWY 17, DOWNTOWN RWY 22. I RPTED '2 NM FINAL FOR THE LOW PASS.' ALN SAID 'NOT IN SIGHT, CLRED FOR LOW PASS, RWY 17.' IT WAS THEN THAT I REALIZED I WAS BLASTING THROUGH CPS'S ATA AT 300 FT AGL WHILE TALKING TO A DIFFERENT TWR. I CALLED THE TWR AFTER LNDG. NEITHER THEY NOR ANY OTHER TFC WERE AWARE OF MY LOW PASS. IN 20 YRS OF FLYING I'VE NEVER HAD A SIMILAR MISCOM WITH THE WRONG TWR. DISTR GOT THE BETTER OF ME.

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.