Narrative:

I took off from suwannee county airport to fly to moultrie, GA. Airport with scattered thunderstorms in area. Was flying 310 degrees with intentions of intercepting 180 degree radial from moultrie VOR or 355 degree radial from greenville VOR. I was deviating to avoid rain showers and after approximately 25 mins my navigation communication quit working. I checked fuses, squelch, knobs and everything else concerning the radio, but it was not working at all. I figured that if I flew a compass heading of approximately 320 degrees that I would soon see the railroad tracks leading to moultrie. After approximately 60 mins from takeoff, I decided that I was northwest of moultrie, so I flew southeast. After about 10 mins I saw an airport that looked like moultrie, so I circled it and saw no traffic and I landed on its north runway and turned off at the first turnoff. Something felt terribly wrong and I taxied back to the departure end of the runway and promptly took off. I remained alert for other air traffic and saw none. As I climbed for altitude, I was desperately trying to figure out what was wrong. Suddenly it hit me like a ton of bricks. I had landed at the wrong airport and I had violated an air traffic area and I had landed without a landing clearance. I was dumbstruck that I had done such a stupid thing. I flew back to suwannee airport and checked my aircraft and found: 1) my navigation communication had come unplugged and had no power. I plugged it back in and it works. 2) my magnetic compass was 50 degrees off heading. The rubber diaphragm had cracked and it was almost totally dry of fluid. A rebuild kit has been ordered. 3) it seems that my deviating in thunderstorms, a wind from the west, and my compass being off approximately 50 degrees, and my turning to 320 degrees (which was actually about 010 degrees) had put me east of moultrie and nnw of valdosta, GA. 4) if I had known that I was landing at valdosta and its air traffic area, I would not have landed! I had full tanks and sectionals on board (5 hours endurance. Estimated round trip was just under 2 hours -- C172B). I did a poor job of pilotage and need to work on that. Although my radio plug became loose when some work was being done under the dash, everything will be checked by a radio technician. A GPS in this situation would have been a godsend!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT LANDS AT WRONG ARPT, VIOLATES CLASS D AIRSPACE. LANDED WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: I TOOK OFF FROM SUWANNEE COUNTY ARPT TO FLY TO MOULTRIE, GA. ARPT WITH SCATTERED TSTMS IN AREA. WAS FLYING 310 DEGS WITH INTENTIONS OF INTERCEPTING 180 DEG RADIAL FROM MOULTRIE VOR OR 355 DEG RADIAL FROM GREENVILLE VOR. I WAS DEVIATING TO AVOID RAIN SHOWERS AND AFTER APPROX 25 MINS MY NAV COM QUIT WORKING. I CHKED FUSES, SQUELCH, KNOBS AND EVERYTHING ELSE CONCERNING THE RADIO, BUT IT WAS NOT WORKING AT ALL. I FIGURED THAT IF I FLEW A COMPASS HDG OF APPROX 320 DEGS THAT I WOULD SOON SEE THE RAILROAD TRACKS LEADING TO MOULTRIE. AFTER APPROX 60 MINS FROM TKOF, I DECIDED THAT I WAS NW OF MOULTRIE, SO I FLEW SE. AFTER ABOUT 10 MINS I SAW AN ARPT THAT LOOKED LIKE MOULTRIE, SO I CIRCLED IT AND SAW NO TFC AND I LANDED ON ITS N RWY AND TURNED OFF AT THE FIRST TURNOFF. SOMETHING FELT TERRIBLY WRONG AND I TAXIED BACK TO THE DEP END OF THE RWY AND PROMPTLY TOOK OFF. I REMAINED ALERT FOR OTHER AIR TFC AND SAW NONE. AS I CLBED FOR ALT, I WAS DESPERATELY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS WRONG. SUDDENLY IT HIT ME LIKE A TON OF BRICKS. I HAD LANDED AT THE WRONG ARPT AND I HAD VIOLATED AN ATA AND I HAD LANDED WITHOUT A LNDG CLRNC. I WAS DUMBSTRUCK THAT I HAD DONE SUCH A STUPID THING. I FLEW BACK TO SUWANNEE ARPT AND CHKED MY ACFT AND FOUND: 1) MY NAV COM HAD COME UNPLUGGED AND HAD NO PWR. I PLUGGED IT BACK IN AND IT WORKS. 2) MY MAGNETIC COMPASS WAS 50 DEGS OFF HDG. THE RUBBER DIAPHRAGM HAD CRACKED AND IT WAS ALMOST TOTALLY DRY OF FLUID. A REBUILD KIT HAS BEEN ORDERED. 3) IT SEEMS THAT MY DEVIATING IN TSTMS, A WIND FROM THE W, AND MY COMPASS BEING OFF APPROX 50 DEGS, AND MY TURNING TO 320 DEGS (WHICH WAS ACTUALLY ABOUT 010 DEGS) HAD PUT ME E OF MOULTRIE AND NNW OF VALDOSTA, GA. 4) IF I HAD KNOWN THAT I WAS LNDG AT VALDOSTA AND ITS ATA, I WOULD NOT HAVE LANDED! I HAD FULL TANKS AND SECTIONALS ON BOARD (5 HRS ENDURANCE. ESTIMATED ROUND TRIP WAS JUST UNDER 2 HRS -- C172B). I DID A POOR JOB OF PILOTAGE AND NEED TO WORK ON THAT. ALTHOUGH MY RADIO PLUG BECAME LOOSE WHEN SOME WORK WAS BEING DONE UNDER THE DASH, EVERYTHING WILL BE CHKED BY A RADIO TECHNICIAN. A GPS IN THIS SIT WOULD HAVE BEEN A GODSEND!

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.