Small aircraft pilot landed at the wrong airport.

Attributes
ACN	435960
Time
Date	199904
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : wvi.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : sns.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : roll
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 2950 flight time type : 2600
ASRS Report	435960
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I landed at the wrong airport. On a pleasure flight from concord, ca, to salinas, ca, I called salinas tower for permission to land and was cleared to runway 26. I executed the landing and attempted calling the tower and ground for taxi instructions. When there was no response with either radio, I supposed my radios had suddenly gone out. We taxied to the restaurant and tied the plane down. I tried to find the phone number for the tower to explain that my radios had gone out when I discovered to my dismay that I was at watsonville and locking the right phone number for the sns tower. I called flight service asking the specialist to relay my message to salinas tower that I had landed safely at watsonville. Then I flew on to salinas. I had a talk with the tower chief who was stern with me but accepted my apologies and my resolve to do better next time. I simply was not paying sufficient attention to the charts. I was cleared to land on runway 26. Both salinas and watsonville have runways 26. They are rather similar in layout and from the air one sees monterey bay from either one. Careless. There was no mishap beyond the inconvenience to salinas traffic and some alarm for the controllers.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT LANDED AT THE WRONG ARPT.

Narrative: I LANDED AT THE WRONG ARPT. ON A PLEASURE FLT FROM CONCORD, CA, TO SALINAS, CA, I CALLED SALINAS TWR FOR PERMISSION TO LAND AND WAS CLRED TO RWY 26. I EXECUTED THE LNDG AND ATTEMPTED CALLING THE TWR AND GND FOR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. WHEN THERE WAS NO RESPONSE WITH EITHER RADIO, I SUPPOSED MY RADIOS HAD SUDDENLY GONE OUT. WE TAXIED TO THE RESTAURANT AND TIED THE PLANE DOWN. I TRIED TO FIND THE PHONE NUMBER FOR THE TWR TO EXPLAIN THAT MY RADIOS HAD GONE OUT WHEN I DISCOVERED TO MY DISMAY THAT I WAS AT WATSONVILLE AND LOCKING THE RIGHT PHONE NUMBER FOR THE SNS TWR. I CALLED FLT SVC ASKING THE SPECIALIST TO RELAY MY MESSAGE TO SALINAS TWR THAT I HAD LANDED SAFELY AT WATSONVILLE. THEN I FLEW ON TO SALINAS. I HAD A TALK WITH THE TWR CHIEF WHO WAS STERN WITH ME BUT ACCEPTED MY APOLOGIES AND MY RESOLVE TO DO BETTER NEXT TIME. I SIMPLY WAS NOT PAYING SUFFICIENT ATTN TO THE CHARTS. I WAS CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 26. BOTH SALINAS AND WATSONVILLE HAVE RWYS 26. THEY ARE RATHER SIMILAR IN LAYOUT AND FROM THE AIR ONE SEES MONTEREY BAY FROM EITHER ONE. CARELESS. THERE WAS NO MISHAP BEYOND THE INCONVENIENCE TO SALINAS TFC AND SOME ALARM FOR THE CTLRS.

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.