Narrative:

3 incidents in the last 2 weeks has prompted me to write. In 25 yrs of flying, and 17 yrs as an air traffic controller, I am seeing an alarming trend. That is, the lack of basic airmanship skills. A learjet nearly landed at the wrong airport -- a field 10 mi from mine. A malibu looking for the other field made a low approach down one of my runways, and the third was a falcon jet again looking for the other airport. That flight crew takes the cake. At 100 ft AGL they woke up and realized something was amiss. On the go around they maneuvered evasively missing the first solo C150 student at 300 ft AGL, by 100 ft laterally. Pilots (airplane drivers or wheel holders more aptly describes these incompetents) need to get their heads out of the cockpit. With the advent of LORAN and GPS few pilots look out the window anymore. Pilotage is a lost art, and when suddenly the pilot isn't being led by the hand to the runway threshold by a radar controller, they are literally lost. Ours is a VFR tower. That means we have no radar. We scan out the window. We usually see the boneheads coming and scramble to move everyone out of their way. Sometimes, because we simply are not talking with or expecting traffic, one sneaks up on us. If you don't think witnessing a near midair of which the only thing you can do is try to get the one you are talking with out of the way of the incompetent lost pilot in an airplane mi ahead of him can ruin a controller's whole day -- think again. Very rare is the controller who won't wake up many nights to come to relive that scene. How people can ride around in lears, falcons, and malibus, and not have any idea within 10 mi of their location, is completely beyond my comprehension. That won't meet private pilot chkride standards.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPT A FALCON JET ON A GAR AFTER MAKING AN APCH TO THE WRONG ARPT MISSED A C150 WHOSE PLT IS ON FIRST SOLO FLT.

Narrative: 3 INCIDENTS IN THE LAST 2 WKS HAS PROMPTED ME TO WRITE. IN 25 YRS OF FLYING, AND 17 YRS AS AN AIR TFC CTLR, I AM SEEING AN ALARMING TREND. THAT IS, THE LACK OF BASIC AIRMANSHIP SKILLS. A LEARJET NEARLY LANDED AT THE WRONG ARPT -- A FIELD 10 MI FROM MINE. A MALIBU LOOKING FOR THE OTHER FIELD MADE A LOW APCH DOWN ONE OF MY RWYS, AND THE THIRD WAS A FALCON JET AGAIN LOOKING FOR THE OTHER ARPT. THAT FLC TAKES THE CAKE. AT 100 FT AGL THEY WOKE UP AND REALIZED SOMETHING WAS AMISS. ON THE GAR THEY MANEUVERED EVASIVELY MISSING THE FIRST SOLO C150 STUDENT AT 300 FT AGL, BY 100 FT LATERALLY. PLTS (AIRPLANE DRIVERS OR WHEEL HOLDERS MORE APTLY DESCRIBES THESE INCOMPETENTS) NEED TO GET THEIR HEADS OUT OF THE COCKPIT. WITH THE ADVENT OF LORAN AND GPS FEW PLTS LOOK OUT THE WINDOW ANYMORE. PILOTAGE IS A LOST ART, AND WHEN SUDDENLY THE PLT ISN'T BEING LED BY THE HAND TO THE RWY THRESHOLD BY A RADAR CTLR, THEY ARE LITERALLY LOST. OURS IS A VFR TWR. THAT MEANS WE HAVE NO RADAR. WE SCAN OUT THE WINDOW. WE USUALLY SEE THE BONEHEADS COMING AND SCRAMBLE TO MOVE EVERYONE OUT OF THEIR WAY. SOMETIMES, BECAUSE WE SIMPLY ARE NOT TALKING WITH OR EXPECTING TFC, ONE SNEAKS UP ON US. IF YOU DON'T THINK WITNESSING A NEAR MIDAIR OF WHICH THE ONLY THING YOU CAN DO IS TRY TO GET THE ONE YOU ARE TALKING WITH OUT OF THE WAY OF THE INCOMPETENT LOST PLT IN AN AIRPLANE MI AHEAD OF HIM CAN RUIN A CTLR'S WHOLE DAY -- THINK AGAIN. VERY RARE IS THE CTLR WHO WON'T WAKE UP MANY NIGHTS TO COME TO RELIVE THAT SCENE. HOW PEOPLE CAN RIDE AROUND IN LEARS, FALCONS, AND MALIBUS, AND NOT HAVE ANY IDEA WITHIN 10 MI OF THEIR LOCATION, IS COMPLETELY BEYOND MY COMPREHENSION. THAT WON'T MEET PVT PLT CHKRIDE STANDARDS.

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.