Narrative:

I rented the airplane, a piper arrow, to do takeoffs and lndgs for night currency. Although this was my first time in this particular arrow, I am very familiar with the model. I received ATIS information at apa, and then communicated with ground and tower during taxi and takeoff. I left apa airport around XA00 pm local time so I could do the first lndgs before total darkness. I headed for ftg airport because it is a non controled airport in a scarcely populated area just east of denver. It has very few lights around it so it is ideal for night practice. When approaching ftg, I requested and received airport information on the unicom frequency. They informed me that runway 26 was in use. I made several lndgs during the next hour. I was diligently reporting my position in the traffic pattern as required since there was considerable traffic. Several airplanes arrived at ftg during this time and I was able to hear their communications. After about 1 hour I left ftg and turned to the south to fly some more night VFR in the uncontrolled airspace south and west of apa. I finally decided to return to home base. I dialed in the frequency for ATIS at around XB30 pm but could not pick up apa ATIS. Assuming that they are recording new information, I flew for another 10- 15 mins with 1 radio on apa tower frequency and the other on the ATIS but could not hear any communications on either channel. Finally I called apa tower to request clearance for landing. I got no answer even after repeated attempt so I tried ground and unicom without any success. I turned to the southeast from apa, climbed, and tried to isolate the problem by changing the setting on my communication radios to various frequencys of other airports in the vicinity but the only thing I could hear was static. However, when I tuned my ADF to a nearby commercial radio station I was able to hear their evening program both in my headset and through the overhead speaker of the airplane. This convinced me that my communication radios did not work but I did not know if only my receivers died or both the receivers and transmitters were out at the same time. Even though I heard the static from both radios I checked the circuit breakers using my flashlight, both were in. I knew that my ADF and DME worked, but I had no communications and very weak navigation reception. I suspected a loss of the navigation/communication antenna. Troubleshooting the radios took another 20-30 mins, so by this time I had been in the air for about 2 hours. I knew I had fuel and I switched tanks regularly during the evening, so I didn't have to worry about running out of gas. I decided to return to ftg since it was a non controled airport and also because it was the last frequency where I was able to communicate. I made several calls to ftg unicom without any answer from them. I monitored DME, ADF, and the weak vors to keep me out of the class B airspace over den and at the same time I was looking for the airport to the left of my airplane. Finally, when I spotted runway lighting in the general direction of where I expected ftg to appear I prepared for landing in the belief that I finally reached ftg. I was on extended base leg for runway 26. I visually monitored traffic and announced my turn to final to ftg runway 26 just in case my transmitter still worked. I turned on final after an airplane that appeared to be a bigger jet and followed it. When I was about 5-6 mi from the runway end I realized that I was landing at the wrong airport. I was landing at den runway 26 instead of ftg runway 26. I overflew ftg that is to the south of den by 5 mi. I was already within the central 10 mi circle of the den class B airspace in violation of FAA rules and by this time I was about 300- 400 ft AGL. I decided to continue with the landing instead of aborting it. I later learned when talking to den tower that they had to send around a heavy because of me. I think that trying to return to ftg that is a non controled airport after total communication failure at night was a better choice than trying to land at apa, even though apa is the home base for the aircraft. The stress caused by the radio failure was the main factor for landing at the wrong airport. I was aware of my proximity to the controled airspace and I tried to stay outside of the classbairspace using all available (and working) navaids. I just recently moved to denver and this was my first night flight here. Though I was in control of the aircraft, I felt I was tiring and I wanted to be on the ground as soon as I could. The close proximity of the 2 airports and both having runway 26's helped a great deal to create my confusion. Having a runway going in the right direction when you need to land is very enticing. Actions that could have been taken differently: to set transponder to 7600. I intentionally decided against it because I thought I would be returning to ftg. As a result, I flew into the class B airspace and den with the VFR code. By the time I realized that I was at den I was too far into the landing and I didn't want to divide my attention between the transponder and flying the airplane.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28-200 PLT HAS RADIO FAILURE, MISTAKES ONE ARPT FOR ANOTHER AND LANDS AT TWR CTLED ARPT. UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE CLASS B.

Narrative: I RENTED THE AIRPLANE, A PIPER ARROW, TO DO TKOFS AND LNDGS FOR NIGHT CURRENCY. ALTHOUGH THIS WAS MY FIRST TIME IN THIS PARTICULAR ARROW, I AM VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE MODEL. I RECEIVED ATIS INFO AT APA, AND THEN COMMUNICATED WITH GND AND TWR DURING TAXI AND TKOF. I LEFT APA ARPT AROUND XA00 PM LCL TIME SO I COULD DO THE FIRST LNDGS BEFORE TOTAL DARKNESS. I HEADED FOR FTG ARPT BECAUSE IT IS A NON CTLED ARPT IN A SCARCELY POPULATED AREA JUST E OF DENVER. IT HAS VERY FEW LIGHTS AROUND IT SO IT IS IDEAL FOR NIGHT PRACTICE. WHEN APCHING FTG, I REQUESTED AND RECEIVED ARPT INFO ON THE UNICOM FREQ. THEY INFORMED ME THAT RWY 26 WAS IN USE. I MADE SEVERAL LNDGS DURING THE NEXT HR. I WAS DILIGENTLY RPTING MY POS IN THE TFC PATTERN AS REQUIRED SINCE THERE WAS CONSIDERABLE TFC. SEVERAL AIRPLANES ARRIVED AT FTG DURING THIS TIME AND I WAS ABLE TO HEAR THEIR COMS. AFTER ABOUT 1 HR I LEFT FTG AND TURNED TO THE S TO FLY SOME MORE NIGHT VFR IN THE UNCTLED AIRSPACE S AND W OF APA. I FINALLY DECIDED TO RETURN TO HOME BASE. I DIALED IN THE FREQ FOR ATIS AT AROUND XB30 PM BUT COULD NOT PICK UP APA ATIS. ASSUMING THAT THEY ARE RECORDING NEW INFO, I FLEW FOR ANOTHER 10- 15 MINS WITH 1 RADIO ON APA TWR FREQ AND THE OTHER ON THE ATIS BUT COULD NOT HEAR ANY COMS ON EITHER CHANNEL. FINALLY I CALLED APA TWR TO REQUEST CLRNC FOR LNDG. I GOT NO ANSWER EVEN AFTER REPEATED ATTEMPT SO I TRIED GND AND UNICOM WITHOUT ANY SUCCESS. I TURNED TO THE SE FROM APA, CLBED, AND TRIED TO ISOLATE THE PROB BY CHANGING THE SETTING ON MY COM RADIOS TO VARIOUS FREQS OF OTHER ARPTS IN THE VICINITY BUT THE ONLY THING I COULD HEAR WAS STATIC. HOWEVER, WHEN I TUNED MY ADF TO A NEARBY COMMERCIAL RADIO STATION I WAS ABLE TO HEAR THEIR EVENING PROGRAM BOTH IN MY HEADSET AND THROUGH THE OVERHEAD SPEAKER OF THE AIRPLANE. THIS CONVINCED ME THAT MY COM RADIOS DID NOT WORK BUT I DID NOT KNOW IF ONLY MY RECEIVERS DIED OR BOTH THE RECEIVERS AND XMITTERS WERE OUT AT THE SAME TIME. EVEN THOUGH I HEARD THE STATIC FROM BOTH RADIOS I CHKED THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS USING MY FLASHLIGHT, BOTH WERE IN. I KNEW THAT MY ADF AND DME WORKED, BUT I HAD NO COMS AND VERY WEAK NAV RECEPTION. I SUSPECTED A LOSS OF THE NAV/COM ANTENNA. TROUBLESHOOTING THE RADIOS TOOK ANOTHER 20-30 MINS, SO BY THIS TIME I HAD BEEN IN THE AIR FOR ABOUT 2 HRS. I KNEW I HAD FUEL AND I SWITCHED TANKS REGULARLY DURING THE EVENING, SO I DIDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT RUNNING OUT OF GAS. I DECIDED TO RETURN TO FTG SINCE IT WAS A NON CTLED ARPT AND ALSO BECAUSE IT WAS THE LAST FREQ WHERE I WAS ABLE TO COMMUNICATE. I MADE SEVERAL CALLS TO FTG UNICOM WITHOUT ANY ANSWER FROM THEM. I MONITORED DME, ADF, AND THE WEAK VORS TO KEEP ME OUT OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE OVER DEN AND AT THE SAME TIME I WAS LOOKING FOR THE ARPT TO THE L OF MY AIRPLANE. FINALLY, WHEN I SPOTTED RWY LIGHTING IN THE GENERAL DIRECTION OF WHERE I EXPECTED FTG TO APPEAR I PREPARED FOR LNDG IN THE BELIEF THAT I FINALLY REACHED FTG. I WAS ON EXTENDED BASE LEG FOR RWY 26. I VISUALLY MONITORED TFC AND ANNOUNCED MY TURN TO FINAL TO FTG RWY 26 JUST IN CASE MY XMITTER STILL WORKED. I TURNED ON FINAL AFTER AN AIRPLANE THAT APPEARED TO BE A BIGGER JET AND FOLLOWED IT. WHEN I WAS ABOUT 5-6 MI FROM THE RWY END I REALIZED THAT I WAS LNDG AT THE WRONG ARPT. I WAS LNDG AT DEN RWY 26 INSTEAD OF FTG RWY 26. I OVERFLEW FTG THAT IS TO THE S OF DEN BY 5 MI. I WAS ALREADY WITHIN THE CENTRAL 10 MI CIRCLE OF THE DEN CLASS B AIRSPACE IN VIOLATION OF FAA RULES AND BY THIS TIME I WAS ABOUT 300- 400 FT AGL. I DECIDED TO CONTINUE WITH THE LNDG INSTEAD OF ABORTING IT. I LATER LEARNED WHEN TALKING TO DEN TWR THAT THEY HAD TO SEND AROUND A HVY BECAUSE OF ME. I THINK THAT TRYING TO RETURN TO FTG THAT IS A NON CTLED ARPT AFTER TOTAL COM FAILURE AT NIGHT WAS A BETTER CHOICE THAN TRYING TO LAND AT APA, EVEN THOUGH APA IS THE HOME BASE FOR THE ACFT. THE STRESS CAUSED BY THE RADIO FAILURE WAS THE MAIN FACTOR FOR LNDG AT THE WRONG ARPT. I WAS AWARE OF MY PROX TO THE CTLED AIRSPACE AND I TRIED TO STAY OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSBAIRSPACE USING ALL AVAILABLE (AND WORKING) NAVAIDS. I JUST RECENTLY MOVED TO DENVER AND THIS WAS MY FIRST NIGHT FLT HERE. THOUGH I WAS IN CTL OF THE ACFT, I FELT I WAS TIRING AND I WANTED TO BE ON THE GND AS SOON AS I COULD. THE CLOSE PROX OF THE 2 ARPTS AND BOTH HAVING RWY 26'S HELPED A GREAT DEAL TO CREATE MY CONFUSION. HAVING A RWY GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION WHEN YOU NEED TO LAND IS VERY ENTICING. ACTIONS THAT COULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN DIFFERENTLY: TO SET XPONDER TO 7600. I INTENTIONALLY DECIDED AGAINST IT BECAUSE I THOUGHT I WOULD BE RETURNING TO FTG. AS A RESULT, I FLEW INTO THE CLASS B AIRSPACE AND DEN WITH THE VFR CODE. BY THE TIME I REALIZED THAT I WAS AT DEN I WAS TOO FAR INTO THE LNDG AND I DIDN'T WANT TO DIVIDE MY ATTN BTWN THE XPONDER AND FLYING THE AIRPLANE.

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.