Narrative:

On apr/wed/97, I was on an IFR flight plan from fci to cxy. Conditions were VFR with some haze. North of baltimore, harrisburg approach asked if I had GPS or LORAN aboard. I did not. Approach began to vector me off the airways direct to cxy on a heading of 010 degrees. Approach gave me a few position reports. As I had never been to cxy, I was unfamiliar with the exact location of the airport relative to any landmarks and had difficulty identing the airport. The last assistance I received from approach was that the airport was at 10 O'clock and 5 mi. Visibility was at least 10 mi with some haze at 3000 ft. I had been cleared down to 2000 ft. When I believed I had the airport idented, approach handed me off to tower. Tower cleared me to land #2 on runway 30 behind cessna traffic. At that time I did not have the traffic or runway 30 in sight. I was still on a heading of 010 degrees southeast of airport. I continued to look for runway 30. I began to wonder if I was at the wrong airport as I only had 1 long runway in sight and was not able to identify the second runway which was runway 30. I knew harrisburg international was nearby with only 1 runway. I questioned tower and they assured me they had me in sight and that I was at the right airport. I was then told to fly a heading of 300 degrees and that there was traffic. I was then told that if I did not see the traffic, I was to turn left immediately. I turned left to a heading of approximately 270 degrees. I was then instructed to turn right 180 degrees and enter a downwind for runway 30. That was the last clearance I was given. I heard the tower controller talking to other traffic. I continued to fly a downwind, waiting for a further clearance to land. I had extended well past a normal base leg, still with no further clearance. I began to become concerned that the controller forgot about me and was ready to call him when he called me and told me I had just had an airspace incursion at harrisburg international. The incursion was unintentional. He asked what my intentions were and I told him I intended to land at cxy, but had not received any further clearance after the assigned downwind. At that point he cleared me to land on runway 26 and told me to call him on the ground. The conversation was professional. I explained that I did not believe I had received a clearance to land and was getting ready to question him, when he called me about the airspace incursion. The controller did state that he was busy with other traffic. I was very concerned with what had happened and apologized for any problems I might have caused. He told me that there were not any traffic conflicts involved in the incursion. Contributing factors in this case: accepting a clearance to land before I actually had the proper runway in sight, assuming I would see it as I got closer. Delay in calling the tower for further clearance after established on a downwind. Unfamiliarity with the area and unaware that I had flown into other controled airspace. My visual distance estimated from cxy was approximately 2-3 mi on an extended downwind when the controller called me.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B376 PLT ENTERS MDT CLASS D AIRSPACE WHILE ATTEMPTING AN APCH TO CXY'S RWY 30. NO CONFLICTS.

Narrative: ON APR/WED/97, I WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM FCI TO CXY. CONDITIONS WERE VFR WITH SOME HAZE. N OF BALTIMORE, HARRISBURG APCH ASKED IF I HAD GPS OR LORAN ABOARD. I DID NOT. APCH BEGAN TO VECTOR ME OFF THE AIRWAYS DIRECT TO CXY ON A HDG OF 010 DEGS. APCH GAVE ME A FEW POS RPTS. AS I HAD NEVER BEEN TO CXY, I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE EXACT LOCATION OF THE ARPT RELATIVE TO ANY LANDMARKS AND HAD DIFFICULTY IDENTING THE ARPT. THE LAST ASSISTANCE I RECEIVED FROM APCH WAS THAT THE ARPT WAS AT 10 O'CLOCK AND 5 MI. VISIBILITY WAS AT LEAST 10 MI WITH SOME HAZE AT 3000 FT. I HAD BEEN CLRED DOWN TO 2000 FT. WHEN I BELIEVED I HAD THE ARPT IDENTED, APCH HANDED ME OFF TO TWR. TWR CLRED ME TO LAND #2 ON RWY 30 BEHIND CESSNA TFC. AT THAT TIME I DID NOT HAVE THE TFC OR RWY 30 IN SIGHT. I WAS STILL ON A HDG OF 010 DEGS SE OF ARPT. I CONTINUED TO LOOK FOR RWY 30. I BEGAN TO WONDER IF I WAS AT THE WRONG ARPT AS I ONLY HAD 1 LONG RWY IN SIGHT AND WAS NOT ABLE TO IDENT THE SECOND RWY WHICH WAS RWY 30. I KNEW HARRISBURG INTL WAS NEARBY WITH ONLY 1 RWY. I QUESTIONED TWR AND THEY ASSURED ME THEY HAD ME IN SIGHT AND THAT I WAS AT THE RIGHT ARPT. I WAS THEN TOLD TO FLY A HDG OF 300 DEGS AND THAT THERE WAS TFC. I WAS THEN TOLD THAT IF I DID NOT SEE THE TFC, I WAS TO TURN L IMMEDIATELY. I TURNED L TO A HDG OF APPROX 270 DEGS. I WAS THEN INSTRUCTED TO TURN R 180 DEGS AND ENTER A DOWNWIND FOR RWY 30. THAT WAS THE LAST CLRNC I WAS GIVEN. I HEARD THE TWR CTLR TALKING TO OTHER TFC. I CONTINUED TO FLY A DOWNWIND, WAITING FOR A FURTHER CLRNC TO LAND. I HAD EXTENDED WELL PAST A NORMAL BASE LEG, STILL WITH NO FURTHER CLRNC. I BEGAN TO BECOME CONCERNED THAT THE CTLR FORGOT ABOUT ME AND WAS READY TO CALL HIM WHEN HE CALLED ME AND TOLD ME I HAD JUST HAD AN AIRSPACE INCURSION AT HARRISBURG INTL. THE INCURSION WAS UNINTENTIONAL. HE ASKED WHAT MY INTENTIONS WERE AND I TOLD HIM I INTENDED TO LAND AT CXY, BUT HAD NOT RECEIVED ANY FURTHER CLRNC AFTER THE ASSIGNED DOWNWIND. AT THAT POINT HE CLRED ME TO LAND ON RWY 26 AND TOLD ME TO CALL HIM ON THE GND. THE CONVERSATION WAS PROFESSIONAL. I EXPLAINED THAT I DID NOT BELIEVE I HAD RECEIVED A CLRNC TO LAND AND WAS GETTING READY TO QUESTION HIM, WHEN HE CALLED ME ABOUT THE AIRSPACE INCURSION. THE CTLR DID STATE THAT HE WAS BUSY WITH OTHER TFC. I WAS VERY CONCERNED WITH WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND APOLOGIZED FOR ANY PROBS I MIGHT HAVE CAUSED. HE TOLD ME THAT THERE WERE NOT ANY TFC CONFLICTS INVOLVED IN THE INCURSION. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS IN THIS CASE: ACCEPTING A CLRNC TO LAND BEFORE I ACTUALLY HAD THE PROPER RWY IN SIGHT, ASSUMING I WOULD SEE IT AS I GOT CLOSER. DELAY IN CALLING THE TWR FOR FURTHER CLRNC AFTER ESTABLISHED ON A DOWNWIND. UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE AREA AND UNAWARE THAT I HAD FLOWN INTO OTHER CTLED AIRSPACE. MY VISUAL DISTANCE ESTIMATED FROM CXY WAS APPROX 2-3 MI ON AN EXTENDED DOWNWIND WHEN THE CTLR CALLED ME.

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.