Wrong airport approach landing.

Attributes
ACN	300523
Time
Date	199503
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ipt
State Reference	PA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : bwi
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Cessna 152
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : holding ground other : taxi landing other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : student
Experience	flight time total : 46
ASRS Report	300523
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : far other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While on a solo cross country training flight using pilotage and dead reckoning from aoo to lhv, this pilot mistook the controled field of williamsport for the intended lhv, and landed. All the chkpoints on the way were working out on time. After receiving no reply on the lhv frequency, I figured it was slow and was clear to land. I thought I had idented the correct airport because both lockhaven and williamsport are up against a mountain, at the end of a city, have a river and highway beside them and have marked runways 9/27. It wasn't until down and clear of runway 27 that I saw the tower. I did not make contact with tower for clearance to land or taxi. Also, left without instructor's endorsement because it never occurred that I wasn't endorsed to do so, and I taxied past the hold line because I was frazzled and the line is pretty faded. I feel the extreme idiot and will never ever forget this incident.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WRONG ARPT APCH LNDG.

Narrative: WHILE ON A SOLO XCOUNTRY TRAINING FLT USING PILOTAGE AND DEAD RECKONING FROM AOO TO LHV, THIS PLT MISTOOK THE CTLED FIELD OF WILLIAMSPORT FOR THE INTENDED LHV, AND LANDED. ALL THE CHKPOINTS ON THE WAY WERE WORKING OUT ON TIME. AFTER RECEIVING NO REPLY ON THE LHV FREQ, I FIGURED IT WAS SLOW AND WAS CLR TO LAND. I THOUGHT I HAD IDENTED THE CORRECT ARPT BECAUSE BOTH LOCKHAVEN AND WILLIAMSPORT ARE UP AGAINST A MOUNTAIN, AT THE END OF A CITY, HAVE A RIVER AND HWY BESIDE THEM AND HAVE MARKED RWYS 9/27. IT WASN'T UNTIL DOWN AND CLR OF RWY 27 THAT I SAW THE TWR. I DID NOT MAKE CONTACT WITH TWR FOR CLRNC TO LAND OR TAXI. ALSO, LEFT WITHOUT INSTRUCTOR'S ENDORSEMENT BECAUSE IT NEVER OCCURRED THAT I WASN'T ENDORSED TO DO SO, AND I TAXIED PAST THE HOLD LINE BECAUSE I WAS FRAZZLED AND THE LINE IS PRETTY FADED. I FEEL THE EXTREME IDIOT AND WILL NEVER EVER FORGET THIS INCIDENT.

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.