Pilot of a small aircraft mistakenly approached the wrong airport to land and went around and depart...

Attributes
ACN	286150
Time
Date	199410
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : cwa airport : auw
State Reference	WI
Altitude	agl bound lower : 100 agl bound upper : 100
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : cwa
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 15 flight time total : 350 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	286150
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited penetrated airspace other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was flying VFR from madison, wi, to wausau, wi, and using highway 51 for navigation. I idented and passed stevens point. Shortly after passing I contacted wausau unicom for winds and active and continued up the highway. Thinking the next airport to be wausau I set up a pattern to land. I noticed on short final that the runway number was 26 instead of runway 22. I made a balked landing and flew out of the area to figure out why. Finding my error I continued to wausau and completed my trip. I found out later that I had been at cwa which is a tower controled field. To my knowledge no other aircraft were involved and I saw no lights from the tower. (Since I didn't know there was a tower I wasn't looking). I did not spend enough time studying the charts before leaving and as a result had no idea another airport existed between stevens point and wausau. Also the last chart I looked at (it was the handiest in the cockpit) was a low altitude en route chart which doesn't depict airport traffic areas. I also nearly always file IFR on longer trips and am used to ATC worrying about traffic and airspace.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A SMA MISTAKENLY APCHED THE WRONG ARPT TO LAND AND WENT AROUND AND DEPARTED THE CLASS B AIRSPACE.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING VFR FROM MADISON, WI, TO WAUSAU, WI, AND USING HWY 51 FOR NAV. I IDENTED AND PASSED STEVENS POINT. SHORTLY AFTER PASSING I CONTACTED WAUSAU UNICOM FOR WINDS AND ACTIVE AND CONTINUED UP THE HWY. THINKING THE NEXT ARPT TO BE WAUSAU I SET UP A PATTERN TO LAND. I NOTICED ON SHORT FINAL THAT THE RWY NUMBER WAS 26 INSTEAD OF RWY 22. I MADE A BALKED LNDG AND FLEW OUT OF THE AREA TO FIGURE OUT WHY. FINDING MY ERROR I CONTINUED TO WAUSAU AND COMPLETED MY TRIP. I FOUND OUT LATER THAT I HAD BEEN AT CWA WHICH IS A TWR CTLED FIELD. TO MY KNOWLEDGE NO OTHER ACFT WERE INVOLVED AND I SAW NO LIGHTS FROM THE TWR. (SINCE I DIDN'T KNOW THERE WAS A TWR I WASN'T LOOKING). I DID NOT SPEND ENOUGH TIME STUDYING THE CHARTS BEFORE LEAVING AND AS A RESULT HAD NO IDEA ANOTHER ARPT EXISTED BTWN STEVENS POINT AND WAUSAU. ALSO THE LAST CHART I LOOKED AT (IT WAS THE HANDIEST IN THE COCKPIT) WAS A LOW ALT ENRTE CHART WHICH DOESN'T DEPICT ARPT TFC AREAS. I ALSO NEARLY ALWAYS FILE IFR ON LONGER TRIPS AND AM USED TO ATC WORRYING ABOUT TFC AND AIRSPACE.

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.

Pilot of a small aircraft mistakenly approached the wrong airport to land and went around and departed the class B airspace.