A BE76 aircraft lands at the wrong airport in idaho.

Attributes
ACN	443875
Time
Date	199907
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : u01.airport
State Reference	ID
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zlc.artcc
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Duchess 76
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : roll
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : private
ASRS Report	443875
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : clearance non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued alert flight crew : became reoriented none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Between burley, identification, and pocatello, identification (unfamiliar area), expect cleared for visual approach (20+ mi). After identing airport, cleared for visual approach runway 21. Looked at commercial chart airport map and saw similarity and a large '21' on the long paved runway. Contacted tower, reported downwind, and final when cleared to land. Landed and tower was hard to hear. Still not knowing we were at wrong airport, stopped at which appeared to be FBO. Looked up. Card in window showed we were at american falls. Realized problem and decided to take off and contact tower. Attempted to start left engine and it refused. I got out of aircraft and called FSS on portable phone and advised them to let center know (and the tower) what had happened. Turned on aircraft radio and asked pilot to relay we had landed. (He told tower we had put it down somewhere and search had begun because of this.) finally got aircraft started and airborne. Contacted pocatello tower and landed. Meanwhile, sheriff went to american falls. Reported us not there and search was started again until the tower told sheriff we had finally landed at the right airport. Psychological factors involved difficult IFR flight with several amended clrncs, moderate turbulence, and thunderstorm avoidance under IMC.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE76 ACFT LANDS AT THE WRONG ARPT IN IDAHO.

Narrative: BTWN BURLEY, ID, AND POCATELLO, ID (UNFAMILIAR AREA), EXPECT CLRED FOR VISUAL APCH (20+ MI). AFTER IDENTING ARPT, CLRED FOR VISUAL APCH RWY 21. LOOKED AT COMMERCIAL CHART ARPT MAP AND SAW SIMILARITY AND A LARGE '21' ON THE LONG PAVED RWY. CONTACTED TWR, RPTED DOWNWIND, AND FINAL WHEN CLRED TO LAND. LANDED AND TWR WAS HARD TO HEAR. STILL NOT KNOWING WE WERE AT WRONG ARPT, STOPPED AT WHICH APPEARED TO BE FBO. LOOKED UP. CARD IN WINDOW SHOWED WE WERE AT AMERICAN FALLS. REALIZED PROB AND DECIDED TO TAKE OFF AND CONTACT TWR. ATTEMPTED TO START L ENG AND IT REFUSED. I GOT OUT OF ACFT AND CALLED FSS ON PORTABLE PHONE AND ADVISED THEM TO LET CTR KNOW (AND THE TWR) WHAT HAD HAPPENED. TURNED ON ACFT RADIO AND ASKED PLT TO RELAY WE HAD LANDED. (HE TOLD TWR WE HAD PUT IT DOWN SOMEWHERE AND SEARCH HAD BEGUN BECAUSE OF THIS.) FINALLY GOT ACFT STARTED AND AIRBORNE. CONTACTED POCATELLO TWR AND LANDED. MEANWHILE, SHERIFF WENT TO AMERICAN FALLS. RPTED US NOT THERE AND SEARCH WAS STARTED AGAIN UNTIL THE TWR TOLD SHERIFF WE HAD FINALLY LANDED AT THE RIGHT ARPT. PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS INVOLVED DIFFICULT IFR FLT WITH SEVERAL AMENDED CLRNCS, MODERATE TURB, AND TSTM AVOIDANCE UNDER IMC.

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.