Narrative:

While flying a C150 to gky, I departed the airspace of ZFW to the south over rbd. I then turned eastward, toward arlington. I saw what I thought was the correct airport and called unicom for an airport advisory. I was advised that left traffic was in use for runway 16. I maneuvered for a 45 degree entry to left downwind for runway 16, then turned downwind. Upon turning downwind, I saw the runway numbers for runway 35. This alerted me that I was not at gky, but was in fact at gpm. Seeing my proximity to the class B airspace, I began a climbing 180 degree right turn to avoid entering class B airspace without a clearance. At the same time, I tuned the radio to gpm's tower frequency, so as to establish contact with the facility whose airspace I had accidentally entered. I looked up to clear the area, and saw a high wing aircraft approaching me head-on. He was below me, and was on a wide left downwind for runway 17 at gpm. With little danger of collision, I turned left and climbed more to give him more room, but had very little time to give him any more clearance, due to our proximity. I then passed about 200 ft above, and 100 ft horizontally from him. After passing the other aircraft, I called the tower to alert them of my presence, and to apologize for infringing their airspace. The tower asked if I now had the proper airport in sight. I did, and I assured him so. He told me to have a nice day and that a frequency change was approved, so I then entered the pattern for gky airport and continued safely to my landing at gky. Contributing to this accidental infraction of airspace and near miss, were 2 factors: 1) the proximity of gpm and gky airports. The 2 are less than 3 mi apart, measured from center-to-center. 2) my unfamiliarity with the area and the 2 airports. I was aware, from my planning, that there were 2 airports very close together there. I did not have the benefit of an operative VOR or NDB/ADF, so I was navigating safely by pilotage at the end of this flight. I had attempted to use the 2 bodies of water around these 2 airports to better triangulate visually and erroneously determined that I was at gky airport, without actually yet having it in sight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C150 PLT ENTERS TFC FOR WRONG ARPT AND HAS A NEAR MISS.

Narrative: WHILE FLYING A C150 TO GKY, I DEPARTED THE AIRSPACE OF ZFW TO THE S OVER RBD. I THEN TURNED EASTWARD, TOWARD ARLINGTON. I SAW WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE CORRECT ARPT AND CALLED UNICOM FOR AN ARPT ADVISORY. I WAS ADVISED THAT L TFC WAS IN USE FOR RWY 16. I MANEUVERED FOR A 45 DEG ENTRY TO L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 16, THEN TURNED DOWNWIND. UPON TURNING DOWNWIND, I SAW THE RWY NUMBERS FOR RWY 35. THIS ALERTED ME THAT I WAS NOT AT GKY, BUT WAS IN FACT AT GPM. SEEING MY PROX TO THE CLASS B AIRSPACE, I BEGAN A CLBING 180 DEG R TURN TO AVOID ENTERING CLASS B AIRSPACE WITHOUT A CLRNC. AT THE SAME TIME, I TUNED THE RADIO TO GPM'S TWR FREQ, SO AS TO ESTABLISH CONTACT WITH THE FACILITY WHOSE AIRSPACE I HAD ACCIDENTALLY ENTERED. I LOOKED UP TO CLR THE AREA, AND SAW A HIGH WING ACFT APCHING ME HEAD-ON. HE WAS BELOW ME, AND WAS ON A WIDE L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 17 AT GPM. WITH LITTLE DANGER OF COLLISION, I TURNED L AND CLBED MORE TO GIVE HIM MORE ROOM, BUT HAD VERY LITTLE TIME TO GIVE HIM ANY MORE CLRNC, DUE TO OUR PROX. I THEN PASSED ABOUT 200 FT ABOVE, AND 100 FT HORIZLY FROM HIM. AFTER PASSING THE OTHER ACFT, I CALLED THE TWR TO ALERT THEM OF MY PRESENCE, AND TO APOLOGIZE FOR INFRINGING THEIR AIRSPACE. THE TWR ASKED IF I NOW HAD THE PROPER ARPT IN SIGHT. I DID, AND I ASSURED HIM SO. HE TOLD ME TO HAVE A NICE DAY AND THAT A FREQ CHANGE WAS APPROVED, SO I THEN ENTERED THE PATTERN FOR GKY ARPT AND CONTINUED SAFELY TO MY LNDG AT GKY. CONTRIBUTING TO THIS ACCIDENTAL INFRACTION OF AIRSPACE AND NEAR MISS, WERE 2 FACTORS: 1) THE PROX OF GPM AND GKY ARPTS. THE 2 ARE LESS THAN 3 MI APART, MEASURED FROM CTR-TO-CTR. 2) MY UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE AREA AND THE 2 ARPTS. I WAS AWARE, FROM MY PLANNING, THAT THERE WERE 2 ARPTS VERY CLOSE TOGETHER THERE. I DID NOT HAVE THE BENEFIT OF AN OPERATIVE VOR OR NDB/ADF, SO I WAS NAVING SAFELY BY PILOTAGE AT THE END OF THIS FLT. I HAD ATTEMPTED TO USE THE 2 BODIES OF WATER AROUND THESE 2 ARPTS TO BETTER TRIANGULATE VISUALLY AND ERRONEOUSLY DETERMINED THAT I WAS AT GKY ARPT, WITHOUT ACTUALLY YET HAVING IT IN SIGHT.

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.