Student pilot on first solo cross country entered the traffic pattern for the wrong nearby airport.

Attributes
ACN	334363
Time
Date	199604
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mht airport : ash
State Reference	NH
Altitude	agl bound lower : 1000 agl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mht tower : ash
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : student
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 3 flight time total : 93 flight time type : 93
ASRS Report	334363
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

This was my first solo cross country and based on that fact I was very nervous. I was heading towards nashua on my way back from sanford and I was using vors, dead reckoning, pilotage to track my course. I was also receiving flight following from mht approach. When mht approach called to ask if I saw the airport (nashua) I didn't. I then started to get nervous because I thought perhaps I was off course and the airport was really closer than what I was thinking. Mht approach called to see if I had it in sight yet and what I thought must be nashua was really mht. I told them I had the airport in sight and they told me to switch to nashua tower, while I started to enter a 45 to a downwind. At the exact moment, I realized that it was not nashua, nashua tower called to say I was really at mht. So I switched frequencys like I was told to and I climbed and turned. Mht approach then gave me exact vectors to nashua. What it all comes down to was I was really nervous and I panicked when I didn't have the airport in sight. I did make it back to nashua on the second attempt and landed safely.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STUDENT PLT ON FIRST SOLO XCOUNTRY ENTERED THE TFC PATTERN FOR THE WRONG NEARBY ARPT.

Narrative: THIS WAS MY FIRST SOLO XCOUNTRY AND BASED ON THAT FACT I WAS VERY NERVOUS. I WAS HEADING TOWARDS NASHUA ON MY WAY BACK FROM SANFORD AND I WAS USING VORS, DEAD RECKONING, PILOTAGE TO TRACK MY COURSE. I WAS ALSO RECEIVING FLT FOLLOWING FROM MHT APCH. WHEN MHT APCH CALLED TO ASK IF I SAW THE ARPT (NASHUA) I DIDN'T. I THEN STARTED TO GET NERVOUS BECAUSE I THOUGHT PERHAPS I WAS OFF COURSE AND THE ARPT WAS REALLY CLOSER THAN WHAT I WAS THINKING. MHT APCH CALLED TO SEE IF I HAD IT IN SIGHT YET AND WHAT I THOUGHT MUST BE NASHUA WAS REALLY MHT. I TOLD THEM I HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT AND THEY TOLD ME TO SWITCH TO NASHUA TWR, WHILE I STARTED TO ENTER A 45 TO A DOWNWIND. AT THE EXACT MOMENT, I REALIZED THAT IT WAS NOT NASHUA, NASHUA TWR CALLED TO SAY I WAS REALLY AT MHT. SO I SWITCHED FREQS LIKE I WAS TOLD TO AND I CLBED AND TURNED. MHT APCH THEN GAVE ME EXACT VECTORS TO NASHUA. WHAT IT ALL COMES DOWN TO WAS I WAS REALLY NERVOUS AND I PANICKED WHEN I DIDN'T HAVE THE ARPT IN SIGHT. I DID MAKE IT BACK TO NASHUA ON THE SECOND ATTEMPT AND LANDED SAFELY.

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.