Narrative:

I landed without clearance at pne. I was in communication with ilg tower on 126.00 at time of landing and was cleared to land at what I believed was pne (126.90). Ilg runway is 32 and pne is runway 33, both have a river on approach which is a reporting point for both airports. When contacting tower on 126.00 (ilg) which I believed was pne (126.90) at the time, I notified them that I had ATIS information. I reported 7 mi out, on base, and final. At no time did the tower at ilg tell me that I was in contact with the wrong tower. I became aware of the mistake on short final at pne. At this time I felt it was safer to land on the clear runway rather than go around and fly in the air traffic area and create an additional hazard. At no time was there a conflict with traffic as far as I am aware. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated he was flying a cessna 177B. The reporter was cleared to land no less than 3 times by ilg after calling 'northeast tower cardinal XXX ATIS information the marina for landing.' when ilg cleared him to land the tower did not say 'wilmington' at any time. Wilmington did say cleared to land on runway 32 and it did not register that they runway at pne is runway 33. There is not a 'marina' reporting point at wilmington nor any marina within 35 mi of wilmington. Wilmington frequency is 126.00 and pne is 126.9 which is just 1 click off each other. There are similar geographic landmarks with a river situated similarly with respect to the 2 airports. The fact the reporter stopped hearing the tower at about 100 ft was the first clue he was on the wrong frequency and cleared to land by the wrong tower. The reporter indicated he flies in the area regularly and uses VFR TA's as he did in this case. Usually the handoff to the tower is a coordinated handoff but in this case and 1 time before the approach control waited until just on the edge of the airport traffic area and told him radar service was terminated, squawk 1200 and frequency change approved, which made the reporter rush to change frequencys before entering the air traffic area he attributes this as a factor in his haste setting the wrong frequency by 1 digit. The FAA after reviewing the tapes indicated the reporter was free of fault that the wilmington tower on the VFR day should have had him in sight before clearing him to land.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR LANDS AT ARPT WITHOUT LNDG CLRNC FROM THAT ARPT TWR, BUT, WITH LNDG CLRNC FROM ANOTHER ARPT TWR FOR ANOTHER ARPT.

Narrative: I LANDED WITHOUT CLRNC AT PNE. I WAS IN COM WITH ILG TWR ON 126.00 AT TIME OF LNDG AND WAS CLRED TO LAND AT WHAT I BELIEVED WAS PNE (126.90). ILG RWY IS 32 AND PNE IS RWY 33, BOTH HAVE A RIVER ON APCH WHICH IS A RPTING POINT FOR BOTH ARPTS. WHEN CONTACTING TWR ON 126.00 (ILG) WHICH I BELIEVED WAS PNE (126.90) AT THE TIME, I NOTIFIED THEM THAT I HAD ATIS INFO. I RPTED 7 MI OUT, ON BASE, AND FINAL. AT NO TIME DID THE TWR AT ILG TELL ME THAT I WAS IN CONTACT WITH THE WRONG TWR. I BECAME AWARE OF THE MISTAKE ON SHORT FINAL AT PNE. AT THIS TIME I FELT IT WAS SAFER TO LAND ON THE CLR RWY RATHER THAN GAR AND FLY IN THE ATA AND CREATE AN ADDITIONAL HAZARD. AT NO TIME WAS THERE A CONFLICT WITH TFC AS FAR AS I AM AWARE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED HE WAS FLYING A CESSNA 177B. THE RPTR WAS CLRED TO LAND NO LESS THAN 3 TIMES BY ILG AFTER CALLING 'NE TWR CARDINAL XXX ATIS INFO THE MARINA FOR LNDG.' WHEN ILG CLRED HIM TO LAND THE TWR DID NOT SAY 'WILMINGTON' AT ANY TIME. WILMINGTON DID SAY CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 32 AND IT DID NOT REGISTER THAT THEY RWY AT PNE IS RWY 33. THERE IS NOT A 'MARINA' RPTING POINT AT WILMINGTON NOR ANY MARINA WITHIN 35 MI OF WILMINGTON. WILMINGTON FREQ IS 126.00 AND PNE IS 126.9 WHICH IS JUST 1 CLICK OFF EACH OTHER. THERE ARE SIMILAR GEOGRAPHIC LANDMARKS WITH A RIVER SITUATED SIMILARLY WITH RESPECT TO THE 2 ARPTS. THE FACT THE RPTR STOPPED HEARING THE TWR AT ABOUT 100 FT WAS THE FIRST CLUE HE WAS ON THE WRONG FREQ AND CLRED TO LAND BY THE WRONG TWR. THE RPTR INDICATED HE FLIES IN THE AREA REGULARLY AND USES VFR TA'S AS HE DID IN THIS CASE. USUALLY THE HDOF TO THE TWR IS A COORDINATED HDOF BUT IN THIS CASE AND 1 TIME BEFORE THE APCH CTL WAITED UNTIL JUST ON THE EDGE OF THE ARPT TFC AREA AND TOLD HIM RADAR SVC WAS TERMINATED, SQUAWK 1200 AND FREQ CHANGE APPROVED, WHICH MADE THE RPTR RUSH TO CHANGE FREQS BEFORE ENTERING THE ATA HE ATTRIBUTES THIS AS A FACTOR IN HIS HASTE SETTING THE WRONG FREQ BY 1 DIGIT. THE FAA AFTER REVIEWING THE TAPES INDICATED THE RPTR WAS FREE OF FAULT THAT THE WILMINGTON TWR ON THE VFR DAY SHOULD HAVE HAD HIM IN SIGHT BEFORE CLRING HIM TO LAND.

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.