Narrative:

X climbed to 3500 ft, and about over livermore, I contacted stockton approach on 123.85 for flight advisories. I noticed the thule fog was right to the top of the altamont pass, and flowing westerly over the hills toward livermore airport. Continuing, and after passing approximately over the manteca VOR (eca), I was given a handoff to another controller, on 125.1. I was reaching the limit of their radar coverage for that sector, and the controller advised me radar service was terminated, and to squawk 1200. By this time, it was almost dark. I was just coming to the northeast edge of the thule fog and seeing land again. I asked at that time, 'before going, could you verify my heading to pine mountain lake?' after a few seconds, she replied, 'heading 110 degrees,' and I believe she said '28 mi.' 'you can contact' what I thought she said, 'ZOA, on 120.95, and they can help you find the airport.' I knew ZOA controls that sector at the higher altitudes and didn't think any more about it. Pine mountain lake airport should be about 12 O'clock about 15 mi. I immediately questioned, 'heading 110 degrees?' I initially questioned in my mind that it seemed like a big heading correction. I decide to give stockton approach another call. I dial up 120.95, the guy answers 'stockton approach.' my initial reaction was, 'I thought this was ZOA's sectors. Well, maybe at night they take over each other's sectors as business slows down.' wrong. After being reidented, I again ask for a heading to 'pine mountain lake.' heading 120 degrees he says. I whip a 180 degree turn and head 120 degrees. After awhile he says, 'the airport is at your 1 O'clock at about 3 mi.' I still don't see it. I see again the big mountain at my 11 O'clock position, with the big strobe and radio towers. As I pass abeam of it (my 9 O'clock position), I see a town about 4 mi at my 12 O'clock position. 'That must be groveland, but the airport is in the wrong place. Why can't I see the pine mountain lake 'lake'?' all these thoughts pass through my mind. The controller now says, 'the airport is 1 O'clock, 1/2 mi. Sure enough, I look almost straight down. There is an airport. By this time, all I want to do is put it on the ground. But wait, there are hangars on that airport. Pml doesn't have hangars like that. The beacon is also in the wrong place. The hell with it, we're putting this thing down on that airport. I'm at about 4500 ft MSL, and I start to circle down over the airport, first to the left. But that damn mountain is over there someplace. Back to the right. It's black as a coal bin this direction. Finally, tight south turns over the beacon. I make a low pass over what I thought was the runway. My landing light finally shines on the runway numbers. Back up a little, a right 20 degree turn, a left 270 and line up on final. A little up on final. A little downwind, but landing was made with no incident. I taxi up to the gas pumps. I wonder where in the hell we are. Mariposa yosemite!!! I call the emergency number to arrange for fuel. I then call flight service and tell them of the incident. They gave me the number for stockton approach. I call them, talk to the watch supervisor and tell them I am slightly pissed. I relate the whole incident to them. The watch supervisor promised to check into it, listen to the tapes, and call me. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: facility supervisor stated they have a new video map and the controller thought Q68 was 068. Controller knowledge of map was the problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR ISSUED HEADING TO WRONG ARPT.

Narrative: X CLBED TO 3500 FT, AND ABOUT OVER LIVERMORE, I CONTACTED STOCKTON APCH ON 123.85 FOR FLT ADVISORIES. I NOTICED THE THULE FOG WAS RIGHT TO THE TOP OF THE ALTAMONT PASS, AND FLOWING WESTERLY OVER THE HILLS TOWARD LIVERMORE ARPT. CONTINUING, AND AFTER PASSING APPROX OVER THE MANTECA VOR (ECA), I WAS GIVEN A HDOF TO ANOTHER CTLR, ON 125.1. I WAS REACHING THE LIMIT OF THEIR RADAR COVERAGE FOR THAT SECTOR, AND THE CTLR ADVISED ME RADAR SVC WAS TERMINATED, AND TO SQUAWK 1200. BY THIS TIME, IT WAS ALMOST DARK. I WAS JUST COMING TO THE NE EDGE OF THE THULE FOG AND SEEING LAND AGAIN. I ASKED AT THAT TIME, 'BEFORE GOING, COULD YOU VERIFY MY HEADING TO PINE MOUNTAIN LAKE?' AFTER A FEW SECONDS, SHE REPLIED, 'HEADING 110 DEGS,' AND I BELIEVE SHE SAID '28 MI.' 'YOU CAN CONTACT' WHAT I THOUGHT SHE SAID, 'ZOA, ON 120.95, AND THEY CAN HELP YOU FIND THE ARPT.' I KNEW ZOA CTLS THAT SECTOR AT THE HIGHER ALTS AND DIDN'T THINK ANY MORE ABOUT IT. PINE MOUNTAIN LAKE ARPT SHOULD BE ABOUT 12 O'CLOCK ABOUT 15 MI. I IMMEDIATELY QUESTIONED, 'HEADING 110 DEGS?' I INITIALLY QUESTIONED IN MY MIND THAT IT SEEMED LIKE A BIG HEADING CORRECTION. I DECIDE TO GIVE STOCKTON APCH ANOTHER CALL. I DIAL UP 120.95, THE GUY ANSWERS 'STOCKTON APCH.' MY INITIAL REACTION WAS, 'I THOUGHT THIS WAS ZOA'S SECTORS. WELL, MAYBE AT NIGHT THEY TAKE OVER EACH OTHER'S SECTORS AS BUSINESS SLOWS DOWN.' WRONG. AFTER BEING REIDENTED, I AGAIN ASK FOR A HEADING TO 'PINE MOUNTAIN LAKE.' HEADING 120 DEGS HE SAYS. I WHIP A 180 DEG TURN AND HEAD 120 DEGS. AFTER AWHILE HE SAYS, 'THE ARPT IS AT YOUR 1 O'CLOCK AT ABOUT 3 MI.' I STILL DON'T SEE IT. I SEE AGAIN THE BIG MOUNTAIN AT MY 11 O'CLOCK POS, WITH THE BIG STROBE AND RADIO TWRS. AS I PASS ABEAM OF IT (MY 9 O'CLOCK POS), I SEE A TOWN ABOUT 4 MI AT MY 12 O'CLOCK POS. 'THAT MUST BE GROVELAND, BUT THE ARPT IS IN THE WRONG PLACE. WHY CAN'T I SEE THE PINE MOUNTAIN LAKE 'LAKE'?' ALL THESE THOUGHTS PASS THROUGH MY MIND. THE CTLR NOW SAYS, 'THE ARPT IS 1 O'CLOCK, 1/2 MI. SURE ENOUGH, I LOOK ALMOST STRAIGHT DOWN. THERE IS AN ARPT. BY THIS TIME, ALL I WANT TO DO IS PUT IT ON THE GND. BUT WAIT, THERE ARE HANGARS ON THAT ARPT. PML DOESN'T HAVE HANGARS LIKE THAT. THE BEACON IS ALSO IN THE WRONG PLACE. THE HELL WITH IT, WE'RE PUTTING THIS THING DOWN ON THAT ARPT. I'M AT ABOUT 4500 FT MSL, AND I START TO CIRCLE DOWN OVER THE ARPT, FIRST TO THE L. BUT THAT DAMN MOUNTAIN IS OVER THERE SOMEPLACE. BACK TO THE R. IT'S BLACK AS A COAL BIN THIS DIRECTION. FINALLY, TIGHT S TURNS OVER THE BEACON. I MAKE A LOW PASS OVER WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE RWY. MY LNDG LIGHT FINALLY SHINES ON THE RWY NUMBERS. BACK UP A LITTLE, A R 20 DEG TURN, A L 270 AND LINE UP ON FINAL. A LITTLE UP ON FINAL. A LITTLE DOWNWIND, BUT LNDG WAS MADE WITH NO INCIDENT. I TAXI UP TO THE GAS PUMPS. I WONDER WHERE IN THE HELL WE ARE. MARIPOSA YOSEMITE!!! I CALL THE EMER NUMBER TO ARRANGE FOR FUEL. I THEN CALL FLT SVC AND TELL THEM OF THE INCIDENT. THEY GAVE ME THE NUMBER FOR STOCKTON APCH. I CALL THEM, TALK TO THE WATCH SUPVR AND TELL THEM I AM SLIGHTLY PISSED. I RELATE THE WHOLE INCIDENT TO THEM. THE WATCH SUPVR PROMISED TO CHK INTO IT, LISTEN TO THE TAPES, AND CALL ME. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: FACILITY SUPVR STATED THEY HAVE A NEW VIDEO MAP AND THE CTLR THOUGHT Q68 WAS 068. CTLR KNOWLEDGE OF MAP WAS THE PROB.

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.