Narrative:

Unfamiliar with the area, believing I had been at destination a little over 1 yr ago and visibility 5-7 NM due to haze. Flight following to enterprise, al, (edn) was in use. GPS was used only for periodic position checks due to this being a pilotage cross country leg. Flight was uneventful up to the point we thought we had enterprise in sight. A runway came into view at 12 O'clock and 7 mi. A quick check on the GPS showed 7.3 NM. Student reported field in sight to cairns approach. We were released to advisory frequency. Contact was made, one in the pattern, runway 5 in use. Looked good. We could not see traffic due to haze. In descent to 1600 ft MSL, we planned to fly south of the runway, fly crosswind, verify wind and other traffic then descend on down to pattern altitude and enter downwind from the north. The traffic reported base, not in sight. At approximately 3 mi out, I noticed UH1 helicopters on the north side of the runway. Not a problem as there were army helicopters here last time I was here. Still, the other traffic was not to be seen. Looking for other clues, I found a 4-LANE divided highway where it did not belong. And a north/south runway that was adjacent to the UH1's. From the initial angle, I thought they were parked on it. Now realizing we were not over enterprise, I opened my sectional another flap width. There was cairns army airfield 4 NM on the other side of the chart crease! While the student initiated a climb and turn out to the south, I punched up the navigation page on the GPS and dialed in cairns approach. Cairns was calling us. He told us where we were. The GPS verified enterprise was 280 degrees for 9 NM. Factors: 1) haze. 2) didn't verify bearing to destination on last GPS check. In retrospect, I should have had the navigation page up the whole time due to the visibility. 3) had convinced myself I had been here once before last yr. And there were helicopters on the field. As it turns out, andalusia-opp (79J) was the field I was at before (leg #2 of today's flight). 4) enterprise airport was not visible from the 7.3 NM check. Either hidden in thicker haze -- most likely behind the left door post and a tree line along the south side of the airport. Due to the sun reflection cairns aaf showed up and we flew to it. 5) if I had the student report airport in sight 12 O'clock for 7 mi instead of 'airport in sight' maybe cairns could have immediately corrected us.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR PLT DURING A DUAL XCOUNTRY FLT MISTAKENLY ENTERED AN ATA BELIEVING THAT IT WAS HIS DEST ARPT. THE RPTR CAUGHT HIS MISTAKE WHILE HAVING HIS STUDENT MANEUVER THE ACFT OVER THE ARPT INTO THE TFC PATTERN.

Narrative: UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA, BELIEVING I HAD BEEN AT DEST A LITTLE OVER 1 YR AGO AND VISIBILITY 5-7 NM DUE TO HAZE. FLT FOLLOWING TO ENTERPRISE, AL, (EDN) WAS IN USE. GPS WAS USED ONLY FOR PERIODIC POS CHKS DUE TO THIS BEING A PILOTAGE XCOUNTRY LEG. FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL UP TO THE POINT WE THOUGHT WE HAD ENTERPRISE IN SIGHT. A RWY CAME INTO VIEW AT 12 O'CLOCK AND 7 MI. A QUICK CHK ON THE GPS SHOWED 7.3 NM. STUDENT RPTED FIELD IN SIGHT TO CAIRNS APCH. WE WERE RELEASED TO ADVISORY FREQ. CONTACT WAS MADE, ONE IN THE PATTERN, RWY 5 IN USE. LOOKED GOOD. WE COULD NOT SEE TFC DUE TO HAZE. IN DSCNT TO 1600 FT MSL, WE PLANNED TO FLY S OF THE RWY, FLY XWIND, VERIFY WIND AND OTHER TFC THEN DSND ON DOWN TO PATTERN ALT AND ENTER DOWNWIND FROM THE N. THE TFC RPTED BASE, NOT IN SIGHT. AT APPROX 3 MI OUT, I NOTICED UH1 HELIS ON THE N SIDE OF THE RWY. NOT A PROB AS THERE WERE ARMY HELIS HERE LAST TIME I WAS HERE. STILL, THE OTHER TFC WAS NOT TO BE SEEN. LOOKING FOR OTHER CLUES, I FOUND A 4-LANE DIVIDED HWY WHERE IT DID NOT BELONG. AND A N/S RWY THAT WAS ADJACENT TO THE UH1'S. FROM THE INITIAL ANGLE, I THOUGHT THEY WERE PARKED ON IT. NOW REALIZING WE WERE NOT OVER ENTERPRISE, I OPENED MY SECTIONAL ANOTHER FLAP WIDTH. THERE WAS CAIRNS ARMY AIRFIELD 4 NM ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CHART CREASE! WHILE THE STUDENT INITIATED A CLB AND TURN OUT TO THE S, I PUNCHED UP THE NAV PAGE ON THE GPS AND DIALED IN CAIRNS APCH. CAIRNS WAS CALLING US. HE TOLD US WHERE WE WERE. THE GPS VERIFIED ENTERPRISE WAS 280 DEGS FOR 9 NM. FACTORS: 1) HAZE. 2) DIDN'T VERIFY BEARING TO DEST ON LAST GPS CHK. IN RETROSPECT, I SHOULD HAVE HAD THE NAV PAGE UP THE WHOLE TIME DUE TO THE VISIBILITY. 3) HAD CONVINCED MYSELF I HAD BEEN HERE ONCE BEFORE LAST YR. AND THERE WERE HELIS ON THE FIELD. AS IT TURNS OUT, ANDALUSIA-OPP (79J) WAS THE FIELD I WAS AT BEFORE (LEG #2 OF TODAY'S FLT). 4) ENTERPRISE ARPT WAS NOT VISIBLE FROM THE 7.3 NM CHK. EITHER HIDDEN IN THICKER HAZE -- MOST LIKELY BEHIND THE L DOOR POST AND A TREE LINE ALONG THE S SIDE OF THE ARPT. DUE TO THE SUN REFLECTION CAIRNS AAF SHOWED UP AND WE FLEW TO IT. 5) IF I HAD THE STUDENT RPT ARPT IN SIGHT 12 O'CLOCK FOR 7 MI INSTEAD OF 'ARPT IN SIGHT' MAYBE CAIRNS COULD HAVE IMMEDIATELY CORRECTED US.

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.