Narrative:

On feb/tue/94 I filed the enclosed flight plan with green bay FSS which was an IFR flight fro eau claire, wi, to kalamazoo, mi at approximately X10 hours. I departed eau claire at approximately X22 CST, runway 04 and was rerted north of requested flight path due to volk MOA east and west being hot. From the ste 090/020 fix, I was routed direct to pmm (pullman). At pullman, I was handed off by ARTCC to kalamazoo approach on 121.2. Shortly after, I was given 119.2 for radar vectors. I was then advised I would be vectored for a visual approach to runway 23. My charts confirmed runway 23 and both 121.2 and 119.2 as viable frequencys at azo. I complied with vectors and the controller advised me of traffic. Shortly, I was advised airport was now at 2 O'clock and 5 mi. Shortly thereafter, I confirmed airport in sight and was cleared for right base to runway 23 and to report base. I reported base and was informed I was not in sight but cleared to land 23. I reported short final to 23 and controller acknowledged I was in sight. On landing, I was asked my destination on airport. Not being familiar, I requested to be directed to an FBO, which he did, which was next to the tower. I parked the aircraft and my passenger went and rented a car while I assisted the FBO personnel in refueling. I assumed I had landed at kalamazoo/battle creek international airport. During the approach mode, the landing mode, and during taxi instructions I was never asked to change to tower or ground frequencys, which seemed odd to me, but I complied with instructions given by the controller. Since the WX was good VFR according to lansing FSS, I decided to return VFR. I prepared to depart at approximately X30 EST and called ground for taxi clearance. There was no reply. I switched radios and still no reply. At that time I heard an airborne aircraft on tower frequency, and I called him to see if he could hear me and he acknowledged I was loud and clear. I asked if he could contact tower for me as I was unable to reach them, and that I was requesting taxi clearance. I heard no reply to my request so I tuned to 119.2 on which I was vectored, cleared to land and given taxi instructions upon my arrival. Still no reply. Since my radios were apparently ok, I decided the tower had closed although I could see a person in the tower which was very close to my location. I then taxied away from the FBO and stopped facing the tower. The person in the tower appeared to be looking at me. So I indicated by hand signal that I was unable to contact them. I assumed he would visually respond with an arm response or a light signal -- nothing. I told my passenger evidently the tower was closed. So I taxied to runway 23 for normal non-tower VFR departure. I did my run-up and had my passenger watch the tower for any light signals. None were observed so again I tried all frequencys I had previously used with no response. The WX at the time was clear skies and excellent visibility. No traffic was observed in the traffic pattern, in fact, no traffic was observed in sight, so I departed runway 23. As I was clearing the airport, an aircraft (I assume the one I had previous contact with) informed me that he believed I was departing battle creek and not kalamazoo/battle creek international. Not until that time had I any indication I had been vectored to battle creek rather than kalamazoo/battle creek international as filed in my flight plan. I immediately went to battle creek tower and apologized for not contacting them as I was on kalamazoo/battle creek international frequencys which I had filed for and assumed I had been vectored to. First I was, for some reason, vectored to the wrong airport. Had I been given tower or ground frequencys, I would have inquired as they would not have matched my charts, or at the very least they would have been on my radios when I prepared to depart. The tower being aware that I was not in radio contact and that I was about to taxi or depart should have given me a light signal.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: IFR SMA IS GIVEN APCH TO WRONG ARPT AND NOT CAUGHT BY THE PLT.

Narrative: ON FEB/TUE/94 I FILED THE ENCLOSED FLT PLAN WITH GREEN BAY FSS WHICH WAS AN IFR FLT FRO EAU CLAIRE, WI, TO KALAMAZOO, MI AT APPROX X10 HRS. I DEPARTED EAU CLAIRE AT APPROX X22 CST, RWY 04 AND WAS RERTED N OF REQUESTED FLT PATH DUE TO VOLK MOA E AND W BEING HOT. FROM THE STE 090/020 FIX, I WAS ROUTED DIRECT TO PMM (PULLMAN). AT PULLMAN, I WAS HANDED OFF BY ARTCC TO KALAMAZOO APCH ON 121.2. SHORTLY AFTER, I WAS GIVEN 119.2 FOR RADAR VECTORS. I WAS THEN ADVISED I WOULD BE VECTORED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 23. MY CHARTS CONFIRMED RWY 23 AND BOTH 121.2 AND 119.2 AS VIABLE FREQS AT AZO. I COMPLIED WITH VECTORS AND THE CTLR ADVISED ME OF TFC. SHORTLY, I WAS ADVISED ARPT WAS NOW AT 2 O'CLOCK AND 5 MI. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, I CONFIRMED ARPT IN SIGHT AND WAS CLRED FOR R BASE TO RWY 23 AND TO RPT BASE. I RPTED BASE AND WAS INFORMED I WAS NOT IN SIGHT BUT CLRED TO LAND 23. I RPTED SHORT FINAL TO 23 AND CTLR ACKNOWLEDGED I WAS IN SIGHT. ON LNDG, I WAS ASKED MY DEST ON ARPT. NOT BEING FAMILIAR, I REQUESTED TO BE DIRECTED TO AN FBO, WHICH HE DID, WHICH WAS NEXT TO THE TWR. I PARKED THE ACFT AND MY PAX WENT AND RENTED A CAR WHILE I ASSISTED THE FBO PERSONNEL IN REFUELING. I ASSUMED I HAD LANDED AT KALAMAZOO/BATTLE CREEK INTL ARPT. DURING THE APCH MODE, THE LNDG MODE, AND DURING TAXI INSTRUCTIONS I WAS NEVER ASKED TO CHANGE TO TWR OR GND FREQS, WHICH SEEMED ODD TO ME, BUT I COMPLIED WITH INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN BY THE CTLR. SINCE THE WX WAS GOOD VFR ACCORDING TO LANSING FSS, I DECIDED TO RETURN VFR. I PREPARED TO DEPART AT APPROX X30 EST AND CALLED GND FOR TAXI CLRNC. THERE WAS NO REPLY. I SWITCHED RADIOS AND STILL NO REPLY. AT THAT TIME I HEARD AN AIRBORNE ACFT ON TWR FREQ, AND I CALLED HIM TO SEE IF HE COULD HEAR ME AND HE ACKNOWLEDGED I WAS LOUD AND CLR. I ASKED IF HE COULD CONTACT TWR FOR ME AS I WAS UNABLE TO REACH THEM, AND THAT I WAS REQUESTING TAXI CLRNC. I HEARD NO REPLY TO MY REQUEST SO I TUNED TO 119.2 ON WHICH I WAS VECTORED, CLRED TO LAND AND GIVEN TAXI INSTRUCTIONS UPON MY ARR. STILL NO REPLY. SINCE MY RADIOS WERE APPARENTLY OK, I DECIDED THE TWR HAD CLOSED ALTHOUGH I COULD SEE A PERSON IN THE TWR WHICH WAS VERY CLOSE TO MY LOCATION. I THEN TAXIED AWAY FROM THE FBO AND STOPPED FACING THE TWR. THE PERSON IN THE TWR APPEARED TO BE LOOKING AT ME. SO I INDICATED BY HAND SIGNAL THAT I WAS UNABLE TO CONTACT THEM. I ASSUMED HE WOULD VISUALLY RESPOND WITH AN ARM RESPONSE OR A LIGHT SIGNAL -- NOTHING. I TOLD MY PAX EVIDENTLY THE TWR WAS CLOSED. SO I TAXIED TO RWY 23 FOR NORMAL NON-TWR VFR DEP. I DID MY RUN-UP AND HAD MY PAX WATCH THE TWR FOR ANY LIGHT SIGNALS. NONE WERE OBSERVED SO AGAIN I TRIED ALL FREQS I HAD PREVIOUSLY USED WITH NO RESPONSE. THE WX AT THE TIME WAS CLR SKIES AND EXCELLENT VISIBILITY. NO TFC WAS OBSERVED IN THE TFC PATTERN, IN FACT, NO TFC WAS OBSERVED IN SIGHT, SO I DEPARTED RWY 23. AS I WAS CLRING THE ARPT, AN ACFT (I ASSUME THE ONE I HAD PREVIOUS CONTACT WITH) INFORMED ME THAT HE BELIEVED I WAS DEPARTING BATTLE CREEK AND NOT KALAMAZOO/BATTLE CREEK INTL. NOT UNTIL THAT TIME HAD I ANY INDICATION I HAD BEEN VECTORED TO BATTLE CREEK RATHER THAN KALAMAZOO/BATTLE CREEK INTL AS FILED IN MY FLT PLAN. I IMMEDIATELY WENT TO BATTLE CREEK TWR AND APOLOGIZED FOR NOT CONTACTING THEM AS I WAS ON KALAMAZOO/BATTLE CREEK INTL FREQS WHICH I HAD FILED FOR AND ASSUMED I HAD BEEN VECTORED TO. FIRST I WAS, FOR SOME REASON, VECTORED TO THE WRONG ARPT. HAD I BEEN GIVEN TWR OR GND FREQS, I WOULD HAVE INQUIRED AS THEY WOULD NOT HAVE MATCHED MY CHARTS, OR AT THE VERY LEAST THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN ON MY RADIOS WHEN I PREPARED TO DEPART. THE TWR BEING AWARE THAT I WAS NOT IN RADIO CONTACT AND THAT I WAS ABOUT TO TAXI OR DEPART SHOULD HAVE GIVEN ME A LIGHT SIGNAL.

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.