Narrative:

As a student pilot, this was my first short cross country solo flight. I left my home base (2n8) and was heading to ttn for 3 practice takeoffs and lndgs, at a controled field. I was following a heading of 265 degrees. When I saw the delaware river ahead, I realized I had missed trenton. I felt that I was north of my destination and turned to a heading of 180 degrees. I saw an airplane landing, in the distance and was relieved to have found trenton so easily. I called the tower with my location and intentions and they instructed me to call at 'downwind runway 06.' upon turning downwind runway 06, I called trenton tower, informed them of my position and was 'cleared to land' on runway 06. The landing was uneventful until I dialed in the frequency for ground control. After several attempts to raise ground control and the tower, I realized that my radio was out. In the meantime, I taxied off the runway at the first available point, parked the airplane and tried to get the radio back on line. Unsuccessful at getting the radio working, I decided to try to find someone to help. I taxied toward a large hangar in the distance. I went as far as I could when I saw a large green airplane parked in front of the hangar. At that point I realized that I had not landed at trenton at all, but at wri. I parked the airplane, got out and approached the first available person. I explained my situation and indicated that I did need to communication with the tower so that I could takeoff. Within a few mins, I was surrounded by mp's asking me questions and searching my cessna 150 for contraband. Upon explanation of my error, the director of base operations arrived. With his help, I signed a stack of forms. After which, I taxied the cessna, with an escort, to far end of the field. As it was approaching nighttime and I have had no night experience, I had to wait for the 2 instructors from marlboro to come down and retrieve me. I flew home with one of the instructors, still unable to get the radio working. At least he was prepared with a hand-held. The amazing thing was that I was 'cleared to land' on runway 06 and landed on runway 06. It was just the wrong airport! Obviously trenton tower never saw me and still gave me clearance to land. The second issue was my ability to land at an air force base unnoticed. I was on the ground approximately 1/2 hour trying to get the radio working before I tried to find some help. No one knew I was there until I made my presence known. Corrective actions: I believe the following 2 points to have been critical to have prevented this unintended landing: if the controller at trenton did not see me, he should have indicated so. Further pursuit of my exact location would have proven that I was not in their pattern. If airports had their 'identifier' prominently painted on a building or roof, this problem could be more easily be avoided. I understand that in 1935, franklin D. Roosevelt enacted the works progress administration. With the building of those airports, some standardization had been established regarding lighting, airport markings, etc. We should go back to the old ways. A couple of gallons of white paint and brush would be an inexpensive way to avoid a situation such as this for the future. Human performance considerations: it is true, I made a huge blunder. I thank the folks at mcguire operations for having such a good sense of humor. As a student, however, I learned several valuable lessons. The most important lesson of all is the necessity of being totally prepared prior to any flight. Preparation should have included completion of a flight plan even though this was a short cross country. I should have used navaids when I realized that I was off course. I do not feel however that my instructor prepared me properly. You can be sure that I will not wait for instructions, in the future, but will prepare everything completely and precisely, myself, prior to my next flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STUDENT PLT LANDED WRONG ARPT, TWR DIDN'T KNOW.

Narrative: AS A STUDENT PLT, THIS WAS MY FIRST SHORT XCOUNTRY SOLO FLT. I LEFT MY HOME BASE (2N8) AND WAS HDG TO TTN FOR 3 PRACTICE TKOFS AND LNDGS, AT A CTLED FIELD. I WAS FOLLOWING A HDG OF 265 DEGS. WHEN I SAW THE DELAWARE RIVER AHEAD, I REALIZED I HAD MISSED TRENTON. I FELT THAT I WAS N OF MY DEST AND TURNED TO A HDG OF 180 DEGS. I SAW AN AIRPLANE LNDG, IN THE DISTANCE AND WAS RELIEVED TO HAVE FOUND TRENTON SO EASILY. I CALLED THE TWR WITH MY LOCATION AND INTENTIONS AND THEY INSTRUCTED ME TO CALL AT 'DOWNWIND RWY 06.' UPON TURNING DOWNWIND RWY 06, I CALLED TRENTON TWR, INFORMED THEM OF MY POSITION AND WAS 'CLRED TO LAND' ON RWY 06. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL UNTIL I DIALED IN THE FREQ FOR GND CTL. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO RAISE GND CTL AND THE TWR, I REALIZED THAT MY RADIO WAS OUT. IN THE MEANTIME, I TAXIED OFF THE RWY AT THE FIRST AVAILABLE POINT, PARKED THE AIRPLANE AND TRIED TO GET THE RADIO BACK ON LINE. UNSUCCESSFUL AT GETTING THE RADIO WORKING, I DECIDED TO TRY TO FIND SOMEONE TO HELP. I TAXIED TOWARD A LARGE HANGAR IN THE DISTANCE. I WENT AS FAR AS I COULD WHEN I SAW A LARGE GREEN AIRPLANE PARKED IN FRONT OF THE HANGAR. AT THAT POINT I REALIZED THAT I HAD NOT LANDED AT TRENTON AT ALL, BUT AT WRI. I PARKED THE AIRPLANE, GOT OUT AND APCHED THE FIRST AVAILABLE PERSON. I EXPLAINED MY SIT AND INDICATED THAT I DID NEED TO COM WITH THE TWR SO THAT I COULD TKOF. WITHIN A FEW MINS, I WAS SURROUNDED BY MP'S ASKING ME QUESTIONS AND SEARCHING MY CESSNA 150 FOR CONTRABAND. UPON EXPLANATION OF MY ERROR, THE DIRECTOR OF BASE OPS ARRIVED. WITH HIS HELP, I SIGNED A STACK OF FORMS. AFTER WHICH, I TAXIED THE CESSNA, WITH AN ESCORT, TO FAR END OF THE FIELD. AS IT WAS APCHING NIGHTTIME AND I HAVE HAD NO NIGHT EXPERIENCE, I HAD TO WAIT FOR THE 2 INSTRUCTORS FROM MARLBORO TO COME DOWN AND RETRIEVE ME. I FLEW HOME WITH ONE OF THE INSTRUCTORS, STILL UNABLE TO GET THE RADIO WORKING. AT LEAST HE WAS PREPARED WITH A HAND-HELD. THE AMAZING THING WAS THAT I WAS 'CLRED TO LAND' ON RWY 06 AND LANDED ON RWY 06. IT WAS JUST THE WRONG ARPT! OBVIOUSLY TRENTON TWR NEVER SAW ME AND STILL GAVE ME CLRNC TO LAND. THE SECOND ISSUE WAS MY ABILITY TO LAND AT AN AIR FORCE BASE UNNOTICED. I WAS ON THE GND APPROX 1/2 HR TRYING TO GET THE RADIO WORKING BEFORE I TRIED TO FIND SOME HELP. NO ONE KNEW I WAS THERE UNTIL I MADE MY PRESENCE KNOWN. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: I BELIEVE THE FOLLOWING 2 POINTS TO HAVE BEEN CRITICAL TO HAVE PREVENTED THIS UNINTENDED LNDG: IF THE CTLR AT TRENTON DID NOT SEE ME, HE SHOULD HAVE INDICATED SO. FURTHER PURSUIT OF MY EXACT LOCATION WOULD HAVE PROVEN THAT I WAS NOT IN THEIR PATTERN. IF ARPTS HAD THEIR 'IDENTIFIER' PROMINENTLY PAINTED ON A BUILDING OR ROOF, THIS PROB COULD BE MORE EASILY BE AVOIDED. I UNDERSTAND THAT IN 1935, FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT ENACTED THE WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION. WITH THE BUILDING OF THOSE ARPTS, SOME STANDARDIZATION HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED REGARDING LIGHTING, ARPT MARKINGS, ETC. WE SHOULD GO BACK TO THE OLD WAYS. A COUPLE OF GALLONS OF WHITE PAINT AND BRUSH WOULD BE AN INEXPENSIVE WAY TO AVOID A SIT SUCH AS THIS FOR THE FUTURE. HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS: IT IS TRUE, I MADE A HUGE BLUNDER. I THANK THE FOLKS AT MCGUIRE OPS FOR HAVING SUCH A GOOD SENSE OF HUMOR. AS A STUDENT, HOWEVER, I LEARNED SEVERAL VALUABLE LESSONS. THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON OF ALL IS THE NECESSITY OF BEING TOTALLY PREPARED PRIOR TO ANY FLT. PREPARATION SHOULD HAVE INCLUDED COMPLETION OF A FLT PLAN EVEN THOUGH THIS WAS A SHORT XCOUNTRY. I SHOULD HAVE USED NAVAIDS WHEN I REALIZED THAT I WAS OFF COURSE. I DO NOT FEEL HOWEVER THAT MY INSTRUCTOR PREPARED ME PROPERLY. YOU CAN BE SURE THAT I WILL NOT WAIT FOR INSTRUCTIONS, IN THE FUTURE, BUT WILL PREPARE EVERYTHING COMPLETELY AND PRECISELY, MYSELF, PRIOR TO MY NEXT FLT.

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.