Narrative:

Returning VFR from oshkosh to denver's centennial airport I hit severe turbulence, lightning and thunderstorms approximately 40 mi from centennial airport. I called flight watch for assistance navigating around the storms but was told the front range radar was not working and they could not help. At approximately 30 mi out of centennial airport I called flight watch again and received centennial airport WX. The storms intensified with multiple lightning strikes to the north and south of my westerly path. I found a hole between 2 thunderstorms and tried to get through. Suddenly a lightning strike severely threw the plane up and down and my LORAN stopped working, displaying only 'standby.' the last reading I saw on the LORAN display before it dropped off line was ftg 7.2 NM, meaning front range airport was 7.2 mi ahead of me. I had elected to try and land at front range airport because the storms would not let me through to centennial airport, about 20 mi further to the southwest. Through the storm I saw what I believed to be front range airport's runway 26. I transmitted on 123.0 CTAF a left base and final for runway 26 front range. I landed in severe turbulence and brought the plane to a stop only to realize I was not at front range airport, but at denver international airport which is right next to front range. Both airports have runways 26/8 and 36/18 which is detached from runway 26/8. The den terminal building is approximately 5 mi from the end of runway 26 and was not visible because of a storm front between the runway end and the terminal. From den to front range airport is approximately 5 mi. Of course I feel badly about landing at den runway 26 instead of front range runway 26, but with the terminal building not in sight they look very much alike, especially during violent storms. This is a real safety problem, and I guarantee it will happen again. Den was built too close to front range airport to have identical runways when viewed from low altitude inbound from the east.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH PENETRATION OF CLASS B AND D AIRSPACE, UNAUTH LNDG AFTER APCH TO WRONG ARPT.

Narrative: RETURNING VFR FROM OSHKOSH TO DENVER'S CENTENNIAL ARPT I HIT SEVERE TURB, LIGHTNING AND TSTMS APPROX 40 MI FROM CENTENNIAL ARPT. I CALLED FLT WATCH FOR ASSISTANCE NAVING AROUND THE STORMS BUT WAS TOLD THE FRONT RANGE RADAR WAS NOT WORKING AND THEY COULD NOT HELP. AT APPROX 30 MI OUT OF CENTENNIAL ARPT I CALLED FLT WATCH AGAIN AND RECEIVED CENTENNIAL ARPT WX. THE STORMS INTENSIFIED WITH MULTIPLE LIGHTNING STRIKES TO THE N AND S OF MY WESTERLY PATH. I FOUND A HOLE BTWN 2 TSTMS AND TRIED TO GET THROUGH. SUDDENLY A LIGHTNING STRIKE SEVERELY THREW THE PLANE UP AND DOWN AND MY LORAN STOPPED WORKING, DISPLAYING ONLY 'STANDBY.' THE LAST READING I SAW ON THE LORAN DISPLAY BEFORE IT DROPPED OFF LINE WAS FTG 7.2 NM, MEANING FRONT RANGE ARPT WAS 7.2 MI AHEAD OF ME. I HAD ELECTED TO TRY AND LAND AT FRONT RANGE ARPT BECAUSE THE STORMS WOULD NOT LET ME THROUGH TO CENTENNIAL ARPT, ABOUT 20 MI FURTHER TO THE SW. THROUGH THE STORM I SAW WHAT I BELIEVED TO BE FRONT RANGE ARPT'S RWY 26. I XMITTED ON 123.0 CTAF A L BASE AND FINAL FOR RWY 26 FRONT RANGE. I LANDED IN SEVERE TURB AND BROUGHT THE PLANE TO A STOP ONLY TO REALIZE I WAS NOT AT FRONT RANGE ARPT, BUT AT DENVER INTL ARPT WHICH IS RIGHT NEXT TO FRONT RANGE. BOTH ARPTS HAVE RWYS 26/8 AND 36/18 WHICH IS DETACHED FROM RWY 26/8. THE DEN TERMINAL BUILDING IS APPROX 5 MI FROM THE END OF RWY 26 AND WAS NOT VISIBLE BECAUSE OF A STORM FRONT BTWN THE RWY END AND THE TERMINAL. FROM DEN TO FRONT RANGE ARPT IS APPROX 5 MI. OF COURSE I FEEL BADLY ABOUT LNDG AT DEN RWY 26 INSTEAD OF FRONT RANGE RWY 26, BUT WITH THE TERMINAL BUILDING NOT IN SIGHT THEY LOOK VERY MUCH ALIKE, ESPECIALLY DURING VIOLENT STORMS. THIS IS A REAL SAFETY PROB, AND I GUARANTEE IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN. DEN WAS BUILT TOO CLOSE TO FRONT RANGE ARPT TO HAVE IDENTICAL RWYS WHEN VIEWED FROM LOW ALT INBOUND FROM THE E.

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.