An small aircraft pilot approached the wrong airport in an emergency situation.

Attributes
ACN	251986
Time
Date	199309
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hvn
State Reference	CT
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : hvn tower : bpr tracon : nrt
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 1300 flight time type : 120
ASRS Report	251986
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

On sep/sun/93 I departed republic airport, ny, (frg) on a cross country flight to bennington, vt (SB5), when roughly 20 mi north of bridgeport a large vibration started coming from the engine. As I started to trouble-shoot the problem, I made a right hand turn to return to bridgeport. I received the ATIS and contacted bridgeport tower telling them of my location to the airport. They told me to report a 2 mi right base for runway 24, and I complied. I set the aircraft up for the 2 mi right base, not realizing it was new haven airport and not bridgeport. I reported the right base and tower said they did not have me in sight, so I continued. At this point I realized I was not at bridgeport but rather at new haven. I turned final so I would flow with traffic at new haven and contacted bridgeport tower telling them I was on a final for runway 20 at new haven. Bridgeport tower told me to go around and to contact new haven tower, which I did. I told new haven tower of the mistake and that I was sorry, and they cleared me to land runway 20. I feel the reason I set up for the wrong airport is that I was more worried about the aircraft and not my position over the ground. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter states that part of his exhaust manifold had broken causing a lot of noise as well as vibration. The engine was still able to produce full power. Bpr tower asked the reporter if he could go around, so he did. There apparently is a landline between bpr and hvn towers as this situation happens regularly. No emergency was declared.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA PLT APCHED THE WRONG ARPT IN AN EMER SIT.

Narrative: ON SEP/SUN/93 I DEPARTED REPUBLIC ARPT, NY, (FRG) ON A XCOUNTRY FLT TO BENNINGTON, VT (SB5), WHEN ROUGHLY 20 MI N OF BRIDGEPORT A LARGE VIBRATION STARTED COMING FROM THE ENG. AS I STARTED TO TROUBLE-SHOOT THE PROB, I MADE A R HAND TURN TO RETURN TO BRIDGEPORT. I RECEIVED THE ATIS AND CONTACTED BRIDGEPORT TWR TELLING THEM OF MY LOCATION TO THE ARPT. THEY TOLD ME TO RPT A 2 MI R BASE FOR RWY 24, AND I COMPLIED. I SET THE ACFT UP FOR THE 2 MI R BASE, NOT REALIZING IT WAS NEW HAVEN ARPT AND NOT BRIDGEPORT. I RPTED THE R BASE AND TWR SAID THEY DID NOT HAVE ME IN SIGHT, SO I CONTINUED. AT THIS POINT I REALIZED I WAS NOT AT BRIDGEPORT BUT RATHER AT NEW HAVEN. I TURNED FINAL SO I WOULD FLOW WITH TFC AT NEW HAVEN AND CONTACTED BRIDGEPORT TWR TELLING THEM I WAS ON A FINAL FOR RWY 20 AT NEW HAVEN. BRIDGEPORT TWR TOLD ME TO GAR AND TO CONTACT NEW HAVEN TWR, WHICH I DID. I TOLD NEW HAVEN TWR OF THE MISTAKE AND THAT I WAS SORRY, AND THEY CLRED ME TO LAND RWY 20. I FEEL THE REASON I SET UP FOR THE WRONG ARPT IS THAT I WAS MORE WORRIED ABOUT THE ACFT AND NOT MY POS OVER THE GND. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATES THAT PART OF HIS EXHAUST MANIFOLD HAD BROKEN CAUSING A LOT OF NOISE AS WELL AS VIBRATION. THE ENG WAS STILL ABLE TO PRODUCE FULL PWR. BPR TWR ASKED THE RPTR IF HE COULD GAR, SO HE DID. THERE APPARENTLY IS A LANDLINE BTWN BPR AND HVN TWRS AS THIS SIT HAPPENS REGULARLY. NO EMER WAS DECLARED.

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.