Land at wrong airport.

Attributes
ACN	258480
Time
Date	199312
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bab airport : o51
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : bab tracon : n90
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 15 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	258480
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : investigated faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Destination was lincoln. Departure airport san jose international. Was in contact with sac approach. Last contact with them was 'lincoln is 12 O'clock, 8 mi. Do you see it?' I replied 'no, but I'm sure I'll run into it.' reply 'radar service terminated. Squawk VFR.' mistake #1: since I was unfamiliar I should have asked them to stay with me until I had positive contact. Apparently I missed lincoln, overflew it and misidented beale which is on about the same VOR radial from sac as lincoln and has the same runway orientation 15/33. I had been communicating with lincoln traffic on 123.00 and, when I called final and was informed by lincoln traffic that I was not in sight I realized that I was at the wrong airport, though I did not identify beale until after touchdown when I was able to take a look at the chart. My mistakes were mostly complacency, and failure to monitor elapsed time between being informed that I was 8 mi from my destination and my final arrival at beale. Also, I should have paid more attention to the chart. I have also written to the commanding officer at beale suggesting that, because of the identical runway orientation, and similar VOR bearings of the 2 airports that, in the event of a civil aircraft appearing in their pattern they should attempt contact on 123.00.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LAND AT WRONG ARPT.

Narrative: DEST WAS LINCOLN. DEP ARPT SAN JOSE INTL. WAS IN CONTACT WITH SAC APCH. LAST CONTACT WITH THEM WAS 'LINCOLN IS 12 O'CLOCK, 8 MI. DO YOU SEE IT?' I REPLIED 'NO, BUT I'M SURE I'LL RUN INTO IT.' REPLY 'RADAR SVC TERMINATED. SQUAWK VFR.' MISTAKE #1: SINCE I WAS UNFAMILIAR I SHOULD HAVE ASKED THEM TO STAY WITH ME UNTIL I HAD POSITIVE CONTACT. APPARENTLY I MISSED LINCOLN, OVERFLEW IT AND MISIDENTED BEALE WHICH IS ON ABOUT THE SAME VOR RADIAL FROM SAC AS LINCOLN AND HAS THE SAME RWY ORIENTATION 15/33. I HAD BEEN COMMUNICATING WITH LINCOLN TFC ON 123.00 AND, WHEN I CALLED FINAL AND WAS INFORMED BY LINCOLN TFC THAT I WAS NOT IN SIGHT I REALIZED THAT I WAS AT THE WRONG ARPT, THOUGH I DID NOT IDENT BEALE UNTIL AFTER TOUCHDOWN WHEN I WAS ABLE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE CHART. MY MISTAKES WERE MOSTLY COMPLACENCY, AND FAILURE TO MONITOR ELAPSED TIME BTWN BEING INFORMED THAT I WAS 8 MI FROM MY DEST AND MY FINAL ARR AT BEALE. ALSO, I SHOULD HAVE PAID MORE ATTN TO THE CHART. I HAVE ALSO WRITTEN TO THE COMMANDING OFFICER AT BEALE SUGGESTING THAT, BECAUSE OF THE IDENTICAL RWY ORIENTATION, AND SIMILAR VOR BEARINGS OF THE 2 ARPTS THAT, IN THE EVENT OF A CIVIL ACFT APPEARING IN THEIR PATTERN THEY SHOULD ATTEMPT CONTACT ON 123.00.

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.