Narrative:

Came from north/emt with flight following under lax class B airspace. Handed off to tower to report at mile square. Acknowledged being unfamiliar and tower instruction was to follow freeway and do a short approach to runway 19R (short approach not an issue for a C206 and a long runway). Freeway splits and I followed southern branch -- reporting in error, airport in sight. I thought the dark river valley south of the actual airport was the airport. Obviously, in retrospect, and one of the lessons learned, I hadn't seen the beacon or at least recognized that the beacon was on the wrong side of the freeway for what I was calling an airport. As I approached the departure end of runway 19R/approach end of runway 1L, the controller recognized I was in the wrong position -- thought I was setting up for runway 1L. Simultaneously, I also recognized that I didn't have the airport in sight and was actually setting up to land in some mud. Controller sent around to downwind for runway 19L. Lessons: 1) night in socal is a very different experience with a lot of lights. 2) should have been quicker to realize I didn't really have the airport. This is the real mistake here probably, reporting the airport in sight without more confirmation and confidence. 3) local landmarks to unfamiliar pilots should be a red flag to more explicitly ask for vectors and be very clear to the controllers to follow carefully.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C206 PLT ACCEPTS VISUAL TRANSITION FROM SCT TO SNA BUT FOLLOWS WRONG FREEWAY, ENDING AT DEP END INSTEAD OF APCH OF RWYS 19.

Narrative: CAME FROM N/EMT WITH FLT FOLLOWING UNDER LAX CLASS B AIRSPACE. HANDED OFF TO TWR TO RPT AT MILE SQUARE. ACKNOWLEDGED BEING UNFAMILIAR AND TWR INSTRUCTION WAS TO FOLLOW FREEWAY AND DO A SHORT APCH TO RWY 19R (SHORT APCH NOT AN ISSUE FOR A C206 AND A LONG RWY). FREEWAY SPLITS AND I FOLLOWED SOUTHERN BRANCH -- RPTING IN ERROR, ARPT IN SIGHT. I THOUGHT THE DARK RIVER VALLEY S OF THE ACTUAL ARPT WAS THE ARPT. OBVIOUSLY, IN RETROSPECT, AND ONE OF THE LESSONS LEARNED, I HADN'T SEEN THE BEACON OR AT LEAST RECOGNIZED THAT THE BEACON WAS ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE FREEWAY FOR WHAT I WAS CALLING AN ARPT. AS I APCHED THE DEP END OF RWY 19R/APCH END OF RWY 1L, THE CTLR RECOGNIZED I WAS IN THE WRONG POS -- THOUGHT I WAS SETTING UP FOR RWY 1L. SIMULTANEOUSLY, I ALSO RECOGNIZED THAT I DIDN'T HAVE THE ARPT IN SIGHT AND WAS ACTUALLY SETTING UP TO LAND IN SOME MUD. CTLR SENT AROUND TO DOWNWIND FOR RWY 19L. LESSONS: 1) NIGHT IN SOCAL IS A VERY DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE WITH A LOT OF LIGHTS. 2) SHOULD HAVE BEEN QUICKER TO REALIZE I DIDN'T REALLY HAVE THE ARPT. THIS IS THE REAL MISTAKE HERE PROBABLY, RPTING THE ARPT IN SIGHT WITHOUT MORE CONFIRMATION AND CONFIDENCE. 3) LCL LANDMARKS TO UNFAMILIAR PLTS SHOULD BE A RED FLAG TO MORE EXPLICITLY ASK FOR VECTORS AND BE VERY CLR TO THE CTLRS TO FOLLOW CAREFULLY.

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.