Paro pilot landed at the wrong airport.

Attributes
ACN	423081
Time
Date	199812
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : lax airport : ral
State Reference	CA
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Flight Phase	descent other landing other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	VFR
Aircraft 2
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 28 flight time total : 268 flight time type : 229
ASRS Report	423081
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was en route to corona with VFR flight following. Socal vectored me westward and told me to accelerate my descent. I went from 500 FPM to 1000 FPM descent. Socal came back and instructed me that they were not joking and to accelerate my descent. I increased my descent to around 1600 FPM. ATC told me to turn 90 degrees west then said 'no 90 degrees east, squawk 1200, frequency change approved, airport 4 mi east.' my passenger, also a pilot, asked me 'do you see the airport?' I did not. He pointed, at which time I saw an airport east of our direction. I headed for it. I received AWOS for corona and started announcing my position to corona (which turned out to be riverside, class D airspace). We saw a helicopter near the airport. I don't believe any corrective actions were taken by him. But I am not sure. ATC may have had us on radar and alerted him. I landed and noticed I was at the wrong airport. I contact riverside ground and taxied to parking. They instructed me to contact riverside tower by phone which I did. I have spent considerable time discussing this with a CFI. He believes more instrument training would have helped prevent my becoming disoriented. Other contributing factors: ATC being so busy in that airspace that it is hard to get in to ask for a clarification or help. My being unfamiliar with the area and an inadequate flight plan.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PARO PLT LANDED AT THE WRONG ARPT.

Narrative: I WAS ENRTE TO CORONA WITH VFR FLT FOLLOWING. SOCAL VECTORED ME WESTWARD AND TOLD ME TO ACCELERATE MY DSCNT. I WENT FROM 500 FPM TO 1000 FPM DSCNT. SOCAL CAME BACK AND INSTRUCTED ME THAT THEY WERE NOT JOKING AND TO ACCELERATE MY DSCNT. I INCREASED MY DSCNT TO AROUND 1600 FPM. ATC TOLD ME TO TURN 90 DEGS W THEN SAID 'NO 90 DEGS E, SQUAWK 1200, FREQ CHANGE APPROVED, ARPT 4 MI E.' MY PAX, ALSO A PLT, ASKED ME 'DO YOU SEE THE ARPT?' I DID NOT. HE POINTED, AT WHICH TIME I SAW AN ARPT E OF OUR DIRECTION. I HEADED FOR IT. I RECEIVED AWOS FOR CORONA AND STARTED ANNOUNCING MY POS TO CORONA (WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE RIVERSIDE, CLASS D AIRSPACE). WE SAW A HELI NEAR THE ARPT. I DON'T BELIEVE ANY CORRECTIVE ACTIONS WERE TAKEN BY HIM. BUT I AM NOT SURE. ATC MAY HAVE HAD US ON RADAR AND ALERTED HIM. I LANDED AND NOTICED I WAS AT THE WRONG ARPT. I CONTACT RIVERSIDE GND AND TAXIED TO PARKING. THEY INSTRUCTED ME TO CONTACT RIVERSIDE TWR BY PHONE WHICH I DID. I HAVE SPENT CONSIDERABLE TIME DISCUSSING THIS WITH A CFI. HE BELIEVES MORE INST TRAINING WOULD HAVE HELPED PREVENT MY BECOMING DISORIENTED. OTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: ATC BEING SO BUSY IN THAT AIRSPACE THAT IT IS HARD TO GET IN TO ASK FOR A CLARIFICATION OR HELP. MY BEING UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA AND AN INADEQUATE FLT PLAN.

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.