Narrative:

I was on an IFR flight plan from dvn to auw. About 15 mi south of auw, I was cleared for a visual approach to auw and to maintain 3300 ft MSL until the airport was in sight. I saw a bend in the river ahead where I thought auw was, so I reported the airport in sight and canceled IFR. 1-2 mins later, I saw an airport just ahead about 2 mi and began descending to the pattern, thinking it was auw. The bend in the river where I thought auw was must have been a mistake, I thought. I flew about 2 mi out on downwind to allow time to lose more altitude as I was high. On 2 mi base, I realized this was cwa, about 9 mi south of auw -- not auw. I departed the pattern and continued to auw. I quickly tuned to the cwa tower frequency but didn't hear any traffic. Strong visual cues in VFR conditions can be overwhelming! Greater reliance and verification by radio navaids would have prevented this error.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CPR PLT ON AN IFR FLT PLAN ENTERS CLASS D AIRSPACE WITHOUT CLRNC AFTER VISUALLY IDENTING THE WRONG ARPT AND BEGINNING A VISUAL APCH.

Narrative: I WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM DVN TO AUW. ABOUT 15 MI S OF AUW, I WAS CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO AUW AND TO MAINTAIN 3300 FT MSL UNTIL THE ARPT WAS IN SIGHT. I SAW A BEND IN THE RIVER AHEAD WHERE I THOUGHT AUW WAS, SO I RPTED THE ARPT IN SIGHT AND CANCELED IFR. 1-2 MINS LATER, I SAW AN ARPT JUST AHEAD ABOUT 2 MI AND BEGAN DSNDING TO THE PATTERN, THINKING IT WAS AUW. THE BEND IN THE RIVER WHERE I THOUGHT AUW WAS MUST HAVE BEEN A MISTAKE, I THOUGHT. I FLEW ABOUT 2 MI OUT ON DOWNWIND TO ALLOW TIME TO LOSE MORE ALT AS I WAS HIGH. ON 2 MI BASE, I REALIZED THIS WAS CWA, ABOUT 9 MI S OF AUW -- NOT AUW. I DEPARTED THE PATTERN AND CONTINUED TO AUW. I QUICKLY TUNED TO THE CWA TWR FREQ BUT DIDN'T HEAR ANY TFC. STRONG VISUAL CUES IN VFR CONDITIONS CAN BE OVERWHELMING! GREATER RELIANCE AND VERIFICATION BY RADIO NAVAIDS WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS ERROR.

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.