Narrative:

Reporter was on a training flight from 1n7 (blairstown) to cdw (essex county) at night. Reporter reported 10 mi out from cdw and was advised by cdw tower to follow a cessna on downwind. When reporter reported downwind as instructed by cdw tower, reporter could not locate cessna and was then advised by tower that tower would call my base. Tower put reporter on an extended downwind and reporter lost sight of airport. When reporter turned final, he realized he was over 10 mi out on final. When reporter was about 1 1/2 mi final, cdw tower requested his position. Cdw tower stated that they had reporter in sight and that reporter was cleared to land. However, at that time reporter had overflown cdw and was landing at mmu (morristown) which was 10 mi to the west. Reporter knew that he was at mmu instead of cdw because cdw has runway 22 as the main runway and mmu has runway 23 as the main runway (reporter saw runway 23 at the threshold). I doubt whether mmu realized that I had landed there. Corrective action: cdw tower should not have directed reporter on extended downwind behind C152. The cessna flew the traffic pattern at about 80 KTS and reporter's twin flew pattern at 120 KTS. Cdw tower should have monitored reporter's aircraft more closely and should have never cleared it to land when clearly they were monitoring another aircraft. Reporter should have not lost sight of airport, but cdw tower put reporter's aircraft on an extended downwind more than 10 mi out. Reporter should have monitored his moving map (argus 7000) to confirm his position. Cdw and mmu are in a direct line and at night they appear similar on an approach to a night landing. When cdw tower advised they would call my base, I wrongfully assumed that they would keep me in sight and they failed to do so.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A LIGHT TWIN ENG SMT LANDED AT THE WRONG ARPT AFTER BEING CLRED TO LAND AT HIS INTENDED ARPT TWR. THE TWR PUT HIM ON AN EXTENDED DOWNWIND LEG TO FOLLOW A C152 OF WHICH RESULTED IN LOCATING HIM NEAR THE WRONG ARPT.

Narrative: RPTR WAS ON A TRAINING FLT FROM 1N7 (BLAIRSTOWN) TO CDW (ESSEX COUNTY) AT NIGHT. RPTR RPTED 10 MI OUT FROM CDW AND WAS ADVISED BY CDW TWR TO FOLLOW A CESSNA ON DOWNWIND. WHEN RPTR RPTED DOWNWIND AS INSTRUCTED BY CDW TWR, RPTR COULD NOT LOCATE CESSNA AND WAS THEN ADVISED BY TWR THAT TWR WOULD CALL MY BASE. TWR PUT RPTR ON AN EXTENDED DOWNWIND AND RPTR LOST SIGHT OF ARPT. WHEN RPTR TURNED FINAL, HE REALIZED HE WAS OVER 10 MI OUT ON FINAL. WHEN RPTR WAS ABOUT 1 1/2 MI FINAL, CDW TWR REQUESTED HIS POS. CDW TWR STATED THAT THEY HAD RPTR IN SIGHT AND THAT RPTR WAS CLRED TO LAND. HOWEVER, AT THAT TIME RPTR HAD OVERFLOWN CDW AND WAS LNDG AT MMU (MORRISTOWN) WHICH WAS 10 MI TO THE W. RPTR KNEW THAT HE WAS AT MMU INSTEAD OF CDW BECAUSE CDW HAS RWY 22 AS THE MAIN RWY AND MMU HAS RWY 23 AS THE MAIN RWY (RPTR SAW RWY 23 AT THE THRESHOLD). I DOUBT WHETHER MMU REALIZED THAT I HAD LANDED THERE. CORRECTIVE ACTION: CDW TWR SHOULD NOT HAVE DIRECTED RPTR ON EXTENDED DOWNWIND BEHIND C152. THE CESSNA FLEW THE TFC PATTERN AT ABOUT 80 KTS AND RPTR'S TWIN FLEW PATTERN AT 120 KTS. CDW TWR SHOULD HAVE MONITORED RPTR'S ACFT MORE CLOSELY AND SHOULD HAVE NEVER CLRED IT TO LAND WHEN CLRLY THEY WERE MONITORING ANOTHER ACFT. RPTR SHOULD HAVE NOT LOST SIGHT OF ARPT, BUT CDW TWR PUT RPTR'S ACFT ON AN EXTENDED DOWNWIND MORE THAN 10 MI OUT. RPTR SHOULD HAVE MONITORED HIS MOVING MAP (ARGUS 7000) TO CONFIRM HIS POS. CDW AND MMU ARE IN A DIRECT LINE AND AT NIGHT THEY APPEAR SIMILAR ON AN APCH TO A NIGHT LNDG. WHEN CDW TWR ADVISED THEY WOULD CALL MY BASE, I WRONGFULLY ASSUMED THAT THEY WOULD KEEP ME IN SIGHT AND THEY FAILED TO DO SO.

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.