Narrative:

I was IFR from cre going to fxe. WX was hazy. I was given numerous vectors over the ocean prior to being cleared for the field as #3. The field matched the look of fxe. I asked the controller for a 360 degree turn, as I was not comfortable with the visual spacing and proximity to the field. He said spacing was fine and I should turn south. I took this to mean he wanted a serpentine correction (no heading was called). In lining up about 3 mi out, it became obvious the wrong airport was lined up. I then proceeded on a heading of 180 degrees and the landing was uneventful at fxe following a normal visual approach. Numerous vectors contributed to a deterioration of situational awareness. I should have abandoned the approach at the time I requested a 360 degree turn in order to gain back that awareness. Also contributing was unfamiliarity with the area, similarity of runways and airports in close proximity, and misunderstanding the controller. I don't fault him, it's just that in the context of what occurred, an assigned heading, instead of a general direction might have alerted me to having idented the field improperly.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMT TWIN BECAME DISORIENTED DURING A VISUAL APCH TO THE ARPT AFTER ATC VECTORS RESULTING IN PENETRATING CLASS D AIRSPACE TO THE WRONG ARPT. APCH CTLR INTERVENED AND DIRECTED HIM TOWARD THE INTENDED NEARBY ARPT.

Narrative: I WAS IFR FROM CRE GOING TO FXE. WX WAS HAZY. I WAS GIVEN NUMEROUS VECTORS OVER THE OCEAN PRIOR TO BEING CLRED FOR THE FIELD AS #3. THE FIELD MATCHED THE LOOK OF FXE. I ASKED THE CTLR FOR A 360 DEG TURN, AS I WAS NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THE VISUAL SPACING AND PROX TO THE FIELD. HE SAID SPACING WAS FINE AND I SHOULD TURN S. I TOOK THIS TO MEAN HE WANTED A SERPENTINE CORRECTION (NO HDG WAS CALLED). IN LINING UP ABOUT 3 MI OUT, IT BECAME OBVIOUS THE WRONG ARPT WAS LINED UP. I THEN PROCEEDED ON A HDG OF 180 DEGS AND THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL AT FXE FOLLOWING A NORMAL VISUAL APCH. NUMEROUS VECTORS CONTRIBUTED TO A DETERIORATION OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. I SHOULD HAVE ABANDONED THE APCH AT THE TIME I REQUESTED A 360 DEG TURN IN ORDER TO GAIN BACK THAT AWARENESS. ALSO CONTRIBUTING WAS UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE AREA, SIMILARITY OF RWYS AND ARPTS IN CLOSE PROX, AND MISUNDERSTANDING THE CTLR. I DON'T FAULT HIM, IT'S JUST THAT IN THE CONTEXT OF WHAT OCCURRED, AN ASSIGNED HDG, INSTEAD OF A GENERAL DIRECTION MIGHT HAVE ALERTED ME TO HAVING IDENTED THE FIELD IMPROPERLY.

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.