A C172 private pilot enters the class D airspace of falcon field thinking he was on the approach to ...

Attributes
ACN	466530
Time
Date	200003
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ffz.airport
State Reference	AZ
Altitude	msl single value : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Weather Elements	Turbulence
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : ffz.tower tower : lga.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual arrival : vfr
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 190 flight time type : 125
ASRS Report	466530
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	observation : passenger
Events
Anomaly	airspace violation : entry cabin event : passenger illness inflight encounter : turbulence non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited penetrated airspace flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : executed go around
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather Passenger Human Performance Environmental Factor Airport Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I had taken 2 friends up for an aerial tour of phoenix. After departing sdl, I headed west and then north. I then turned east planning to approach sdl from the northeast since runway 21 was in use. While turning to the south to look for a peak that was a popular reporting point, one of the passenger became ill. I was distraction with this situation for a couple of mins. When everything settled down, I went back to searching for my peak. I found the peak and beyond it was the airport, right where it should be. I contacted tower and they cleared me straight in. When I called a 2 mi final, tower remarked they still didn't have me in sight. I then realized that the runway I was set up to land on was runway 22, not runway 21! I immediately added power and checked for aircraft to my left. I did a climbing left turn until headed away from what I now realized was ffz -- an airport about 10 mi south of sdl. There was only 1 aircraft in the pattern at ffz and they were at the other end of the field turning crosswind and no factor. I should have called falcon tower and explained my presence, but I was too flustered and embarrassed. I returned to the north and found the original peak I wanted, called sdl tower again and this time landed at the correct airport. I believe the foremost cause of this situation was my unfamiliarity with the area. This, combined with the passenger distraction and the fact that I had just finished my instrument rating and had not done any VFR pilotage in over a yr would be the main causes. To prevent this situation from ever occurring again, I have vowed to myself to always verify my position with major landmarks and/or VOR radials when available when I am just sightseeing without a flight plan.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 PVT PLT ENTERS THE CLASS D AIRSPACE OF FALCON FIELD THINKING HE WAS ON THE APCH TO SCOTTSDALE ARPT, SDL, 2 MI NE OF FFZ, AZ.

Narrative: I HAD TAKEN 2 FRIENDS UP FOR AN AERIAL TOUR OF PHOENIX. AFTER DEPARTING SDL, I HEADED W AND THEN N. I THEN TURNED E PLANNING TO APCH SDL FROM THE NE SINCE RWY 21 WAS IN USE. WHILE TURNING TO THE S TO LOOK FOR A PEAK THAT WAS A POPULAR RPTING POINT, ONE OF THE PAX BECAME ILL. I WAS DISTR WITH THIS SIT FOR A COUPLE OF MINS. WHEN EVERYTHING SETTLED DOWN, I WENT BACK TO SEARCHING FOR MY PEAK. I FOUND THE PEAK AND BEYOND IT WAS THE ARPT, RIGHT WHERE IT SHOULD BE. I CONTACTED TWR AND THEY CLRED ME STRAIGHT IN. WHEN I CALLED A 2 MI FINAL, TWR REMARKED THEY STILL DIDN'T HAVE ME IN SIGHT. I THEN REALIZED THAT THE RWY I WAS SET UP TO LAND ON WAS RWY 22, NOT RWY 21! I IMMEDIATELY ADDED PWR AND CHKED FOR ACFT TO MY L. I DID A CLBING L TURN UNTIL HEADED AWAY FROM WHAT I NOW REALIZED WAS FFZ -- AN ARPT ABOUT 10 MI S OF SDL. THERE WAS ONLY 1 ACFT IN THE PATTERN AT FFZ AND THEY WERE AT THE OTHER END OF THE FIELD TURNING XWIND AND NO FACTOR. I SHOULD HAVE CALLED FALCON TWR AND EXPLAINED MY PRESENCE, BUT I WAS TOO FLUSTERED AND EMBARRASSED. I RETURNED TO THE N AND FOUND THE ORIGINAL PEAK I WANTED, CALLED SDL TWR AGAIN AND THIS TIME LANDED AT THE CORRECT ARPT. I BELIEVE THE FOREMOST CAUSE OF THIS SIT WAS MY UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE AREA. THIS, COMBINED WITH THE PAX DISTR AND THE FACT THAT I HAD JUST FINISHED MY INST RATING AND HAD NOT DONE ANY VFR PILOTAGE IN OVER A YR WOULD BE THE MAIN CAUSES. TO PREVENT THIS SIT FROM EVER OCCURRING AGAIN, I HAVE VOWED TO MYSELF TO ALWAYS VERIFY MY POS WITH MAJOR LANDMARKS AND/OR VOR RADIALS WHEN AVAILABLE WHEN I AM JUST SIGHTSEEING WITHOUT A FLT PLAN.

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.

A C172 private pilot enters the class D airspace of falcon field thinking he was on the approach to scottsdale airport, sdl, 2 mi northeast of ffz, az.