Narrative:

While en route from ensenada, mexico, to brown field, united states, in a PA28, I called tijuana approach and asked for radar vectors to brown field and also said I would like to fly directly over mmtj airport, all of the navs were set up for that approach. I was having difficulty finding mmtj airport, even with approach calling out the distance and direction of the airport. It was hard to see because of haze with the sun low in the sky, and I was unfamiliar with the area. About 5 mi southwest of tijuana airport, tijuana approach turned me north and said to cross the border at this time. So I complied, then asked for brown field location from where I was crossing. He said 4 mi east and then told me I should contact brown field. By the time I contacted brown field I was 1-1 1/2 mins into the united states, and about 2-2 1/2 mi north of the border. On my initial call to brown field I also asked for radar vectors to brown field airport. The tower asked for my position and suggested a heading to fly. I don't remember if the tower told me unable radar vectors, in the air, but do remember her telling me when I called the tower on the ground on a land line. Anyway I continued inbound, and tower asked me to report airport in sight, make left traffic for runway 26R. I called in and said I believe I have airport in sight at my 2 O'clock. Tower responded cleared to land runway 26R. Not hearing a response to the airport being at my 2 O'clock I assumed I was headed for the right airport, even though the tower called for left traffic and I was turning right. 'Bad judgement call.' I turned right base. Tower called to ask where I was. I told the tower I was on base. Tower said they lost sight. I reported the runway numbers when I got close enough to see them and realized I was at tijuana airport. Brown tower said to contact tijuana tower. I complied. Tijuana tower said this happens often, turn right, contact brown tower. I complied. Brown tower said make left traffic runway 26R. I replied and added I do not have airport in sight. So I continued to fly north, and I had everyone in the plane looking for the airport. About this time my son said a plane flew over us. At this point I finally saw the airport. I called the tower and told them my position and asked for right traffic. I did this twice, either we transmitted at the same time or we were stepped on. Tower said continue downwind, cleared to land runway 26R, and call the tower by phone when on the ground. I complied. After about 20 mins, the tower and I decided that there was some breakdown in communication and perhaps we could have better informed each other.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT ENTERED CLASS D WITHOUT ESTABLISHING 2-WAY RADIO COM AND WAS ON FINAL APCH TO RWY AT THE WRONG ARPT. WRONG ARPT APCH. APCH ABANDONED.

Narrative: WHILE ENRTE FROM ENSENADA, MEXICO, TO BROWN FIELD, UNITED STATES, IN A PA28, I CALLED TIJUANA APCH AND ASKED FOR RADAR VECTORS TO BROWN FIELD AND ALSO SAID I WOULD LIKE TO FLY DIRECTLY OVER MMTJ ARPT, ALL OF THE NAVS WERE SET UP FOR THAT APCH. I WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY FINDING MMTJ ARPT, EVEN WITH APCH CALLING OUT THE DISTANCE AND DIRECTION OF THE ARPT. IT WAS HARD TO SEE BECAUSE OF HAZE WITH THE SUN LOW IN THE SKY, AND I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA. ABOUT 5 MI SW OF TIJUANA ARPT, TIJUANA APCH TURNED ME N AND SAID TO CROSS THE BORDER AT THIS TIME. SO I COMPLIED, THEN ASKED FOR BROWN FIELD LOCATION FROM WHERE I WAS XING. HE SAID 4 MI E AND THEN TOLD ME I SHOULD CONTACT BROWN FIELD. BY THE TIME I CONTACTED BROWN FIELD I WAS 1-1 1/2 MINS INTO THE UNITED STATES, AND ABOUT 2-2 1/2 MI N OF THE BORDER. ON MY INITIAL CALL TO BROWN FIELD I ALSO ASKED FOR RADAR VECTORS TO BROWN FIELD ARPT. THE TWR ASKED FOR MY POS AND SUGGESTED A HDG TO FLY. I DON'T REMEMBER IF THE TWR TOLD ME UNABLE RADAR VECTORS, IN THE AIR, BUT DO REMEMBER HER TELLING ME WHEN I CALLED THE TWR ON THE GND ON A LAND LINE. ANYWAY I CONTINUED INBOUND, AND TWR ASKED ME TO RPT ARPT IN SIGHT, MAKE L TFC FOR RWY 26R. I CALLED IN AND SAID I BELIEVE I HAVE ARPT IN SIGHT AT MY 2 O'CLOCK. TWR RESPONDED CLRED TO LAND RWY 26R. NOT HEARING A RESPONSE TO THE ARPT BEING AT MY 2 O'CLOCK I ASSUMED I WAS HEADED FOR THE RIGHT ARPT, EVEN THOUGH THE TWR CALLED FOR L TFC AND I WAS TURNING R. 'BAD JUDGEMENT CALL.' I TURNED R BASE. TWR CALLED TO ASK WHERE I WAS. I TOLD THE TWR I WAS ON BASE. TWR SAID THEY LOST SIGHT. I RPTED THE RWY NUMBERS WHEN I GOT CLOSE ENOUGH TO SEE THEM AND REALIZED I WAS AT TIJUANA ARPT. BROWN TWR SAID TO CONTACT TIJUANA TWR. I COMPLIED. TIJUANA TWR SAID THIS HAPPENS OFTEN, TURN R, CONTACT BROWN TWR. I COMPLIED. BROWN TWR SAID MAKE L TFC RWY 26R. I REPLIED AND ADDED I DO NOT HAVE ARPT IN SIGHT. SO I CONTINUED TO FLY N, AND I HAD EVERYONE IN THE PLANE LOOKING FOR THE ARPT. ABOUT THIS TIME MY SON SAID A PLANE FLEW OVER US. AT THIS POINT I FINALLY SAW THE ARPT. I CALLED THE TWR AND TOLD THEM MY POS AND ASKED FOR R TFC. I DID THIS TWICE, EITHER WE XMITTED AT THE SAME TIME OR WE WERE STEPPED ON. TWR SAID CONTINUE DOWNWIND, CLRED TO LAND RWY 26R, AND CALL THE TWR BY PHONE WHEN ON THE GND. I COMPLIED. AFTER ABOUT 20 MINS, THE TWR AND I DECIDED THAT THERE WAS SOME BREAKDOWN IN COM AND PERHAPS WE COULD HAVE BETTER INFORMED EACH OTHER.

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.