Narrative:

I landed at mcguire AFB mistaking it for mercer county (ttn) (trenton, nj). I left norfolk international VFR at about XA00 local on dec/xx/95 on a leg of a cross country flight from north palm beach county for southbridge, ma. I had been receiving VFR flight following from norfolk, patuxent river and atlantic city approachs. I was level at 6500 ft north of atlantic city when I asked the controller if I could descend to 3000 ft through restr area A-220 in order to land at mercer county for fuel (request was approved). The controller at atlantic city (when I reached the end of his airspace) advised me to contact mcguire approach. Mcguire advised me their 'secondary radar was inoperative' and could not provide VFR flight following. There was a very strong wind northwest flow that increased as I went north. (When checked at norfolk, flight service reported winds to be about 340 degrees at 35 KTS at 3000 ft and 280 degrees at 30 KTS at 6000 ft. The winds were a factor.) as I arrived over red lion airport I mistook it for buehl airport. Red lion is southwest of mcguire as buehl is southwest of mercer county. I had mcguire in sight thinking it was mercer county. To reinforce my mistake the beacon at mcguire AFB appeared to be a civilian beacon as only 1 white pulse was distinguishable. (This was later confirmed by base personnel to be a problem.) also the runway alignments were similar. ATIS at mercer county was reporting runway 24 in use. Mcguire has a runway 24. I contacted mercer tower and reported over buehl and was told to report left downwind for runway 24. (The runway into the wind was not in use due to snow cover at mercer wind was approximately 340 degrees at 18 KTS.) I entered left downwind for runway 24 at mcguire still thinking it was mercer county, reported as requested and cleared to land. It wasn't until after landing that I realized I was at the wrong airport. When I was allowed to leave mcguire at about XD00 local mercer tower was closed and I could not report what had happened. Several things all had to happen together for me to make this mistake, including slower ground track than I calculated, not xchking my position after I saw what I thought was the right airport (the second airport to the southwest confirmed this to me), the similar runway layouts, the beacon that looked civilian and even mcguire approach radar inoperative, as they may have let me know I was at the wrong airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT OF AN SMA SEL LANDED AT THE WRONG ARPT AT NIGHT.

Narrative: I LANDED AT MCGUIRE AFB MISTAKING IT FOR MERCER COUNTY (TTN) (TRENTON, NJ). I LEFT NORFOLK INTL VFR AT ABOUT XA00 LCL ON DEC/XX/95 ON A LEG OF A XCOUNTRY FLT FROM N PALM BEACH COUNTY FOR SOUTHBRIDGE, MA. I HAD BEEN RECEIVING VFR FLT FOLLOWING FROM NORFOLK, PATUXENT RIVER AND ATLANTIC CITY APCHS. I WAS LEVEL AT 6500 FT N OF ATLANTIC CITY WHEN I ASKED THE CTLR IF I COULD DSND TO 3000 FT THROUGH RESTR AREA A-220 IN ORDER TO LAND AT MERCER COUNTY FOR FUEL (REQUEST WAS APPROVED). THE CTLR AT ATLANTIC CITY (WHEN I REACHED THE END OF HIS AIRSPACE) ADVISED ME TO CONTACT MCGUIRE APCH. MCGUIRE ADVISED ME THEIR 'SECONDARY RADAR WAS INOP' AND COULD NOT PROVIDE VFR FLT FOLLOWING. THERE WAS A VERY STRONG WIND NW FLOW THAT INCREASED AS I WENT N. (WHEN CHKED AT NORFOLK, FLT SVC RPTED WINDS TO BE ABOUT 340 DEGS AT 35 KTS AT 3000 FT AND 280 DEGS AT 30 KTS AT 6000 FT. THE WINDS WERE A FACTOR.) AS I ARRIVED OVER RED LION ARPT I MISTOOK IT FOR BUEHL ARPT. RED LION IS SW OF MCGUIRE AS BUEHL IS SW OF MERCER COUNTY. I HAD MCGUIRE IN SIGHT THINKING IT WAS MERCER COUNTY. TO REINFORCE MY MISTAKE THE BEACON AT MCGUIRE AFB APPEARED TO BE A CIVILIAN BEACON AS ONLY 1 WHITE PULSE WAS DISTINGUISHABLE. (THIS WAS LATER CONFIRMED BY BASE PERSONNEL TO BE A PROB.) ALSO THE RWY ALIGNMENTS WERE SIMILAR. ATIS AT MERCER COUNTY WAS RPTING RWY 24 IN USE. MCGUIRE HAS A RWY 24. I CONTACTED MERCER TWR AND RPTED OVER BUEHL AND WAS TOLD TO RPT L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 24. (THE RWY INTO THE WIND WAS NOT IN USE DUE TO SNOW COVER AT MERCER WIND WAS APPROX 340 DEGS AT 18 KTS.) I ENTERED L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 24 AT MCGUIRE STILL THINKING IT WAS MERCER COUNTY, RPTED AS REQUESTED AND CLRED TO LAND. IT WASN'T UNTIL AFTER LNDG THAT I REALIZED I WAS AT THE WRONG ARPT. WHEN I WAS ALLOWED TO LEAVE MCGUIRE AT ABOUT XD00 LCL MERCER TWR WAS CLOSED AND I COULD NOT RPT WHAT HAD HAPPENED. SEVERAL THINGS ALL HAD TO HAPPEN TOGETHER FOR ME TO MAKE THIS MISTAKE, INCLUDING SLOWER GND TRACK THAN I CALCULATED, NOT XCHKING MY POS AFTER I SAW WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE RIGHT ARPT (THE SECOND ARPT TO THE SW CONFIRMED THIS TO ME), THE SIMILAR RWY LAYOUTS, THE BEACON THAT LOOKED CIVILIAN AND EVEN MCGUIRE APCH RADAR INOP, AS THEY MAY HAVE LET ME KNOW I WAS AT THE WRONG ARPT.

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.