An experimental aircraft pilot became disoriented, landed at controled field without clearance.

Attributes
ACN	512367
Time
Date	200105
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sbp.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : sbp.tower artcc : zmp.artcc
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Experimental
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing : roll
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : sbp.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : holding descent : approach
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 7 flight time total : 188 flight time type : 188
ASRS Report	512367
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Departed hollister (3o7) for aircraft familiarization (first flight) near but not over airport. Lost awareness of direction to airport. Decided to fly runway heading to get closer and visually locate airport. Selected wrong heading, ie, 130 degrees, then flew this heading looking for familiar ground characteristics. With gas low, looked for large runway airports. Approached twred airport with aircraft departing. Decided to land immediately. Approach ok, but cut power too soon and had hard landing found I was at san luis obispo. FSDO inspector was at airport and took my data (personal and flight). My aircraft blocked runway approximately 30 mins and forced commercial flight to holding pattern for 10 mins.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EXPERIMENTAL ACFT PLT BECAME DISORIENTED, LANDED AT CTLED FIELD WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: DEPARTED HOLLISTER (3O7) FOR ACFT FAMILIARIZATION (FIRST FLT) NEAR BUT NOT OVER ARPT. LOST AWARENESS OF DIRECTION TO ARPT. DECIDED TO FLY RWY HDG TO GET CLOSER AND VISUALLY LOCATE ARPT. SELECTED WRONG HDG, IE, 130 DEGS, THEN FLEW THIS HDG LOOKING FOR FAMILIAR GND CHARACTERISTICS. WITH GAS LOW, LOOKED FOR LARGE RWY ARPTS. APCHED TWRED ARPT WITH ACFT DEPARTING. DECIDED TO LAND IMMEDIATELY. APCH OK, BUT CUT PWR TOO SOON AND HAD HARD LNDG FOUND I WAS AT SAN LUIS OBISPO. FSDO INSPECTOR WAS AT ARPT AND TOOK MY DATA (PERSONAL AND FLT). MY ACFT BLOCKED RWY APPROX 30 MINS AND FORCED COMMERCIAL FLT TO HOLDING PATTERN FOR 10 MINS.

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.