Narrative:

I took off from teb at approximately XA40. As I neared the vicinity of lincoln park, I put cdw in the GPS to maintain myself outside caldwell airspace and called on the CTAF at lincoln park for a TA. There was considerable static and calls from other airports making it difficult to get any information. I overflew the field at 1700 ft, idented runway 1 as the active, and made a turn to the east to enter a right downwind for runway 1. My turn was too wide evidently and there was wind drift that brought me into view of runway 4 at caldwell, approaching from the northeast, which I mistook for runway 1 at lincoln park. Making calls on the lincoln park CTAF, I proceeded to land on runway 4, only identing my mistake as I crossed the numbers. I taxied free of the active and notified caldwell tower that I had erroneously landed thinking the airfield was lincoln park, and requested to taxi to the active. The tower operator responded and told me to contact ground for taxi. I tried several times to contact ground, without success. I followed another plane to the active and contacted tower for departure. The departure proceeded normally and I flew to lincoln park for a subsequent landing where I inspected a plane for sale. I took off from lincoln park at XA45 and proceeded to teb where I landed at XA00. My mistake was based largely on not monitoring my distance from caldwell on the GPS as I maneuvered to land, and being unfamiliar with either airport when approaching VFR from the ene. Contributing was the fact that from this approach runways 4R could be mistaken for a shorter runway oriented more northward. I also could not see runway 27 at caldwell, which would have caught the error. Another contributing factor was my taking too much time maneuvering to find the airport again after flying rather far from the field while checking out traffic. I thought I was staying closer to lincoln park than I did. It was my first time to fly to lincoln park. I did at all times maintain the proper procedures for the airport I thought I had, carefully watching for aircraft in the pattern. Nonetheless, I feel very stupid about this mistake. I have learned an important lesson about airport recognition.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A LOW TIME PVT PLT PERFORMS AN UNAUTH UNCOORD LNDG AT THE WRONG ARPT WHEN LNDG AT CDW, NJ.

Narrative: I TOOK OFF FROM TEB AT APPROX XA40. AS I NEARED THE VICINITY OF LINCOLN PARK, I PUT CDW IN THE GPS TO MAINTAIN MYSELF OUTSIDE CALDWELL AIRSPACE AND CALLED ON THE CTAF AT LINCOLN PARK FOR A TA. THERE WAS CONSIDERABLE STATIC AND CALLS FROM OTHER ARPTS MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO GET ANY INFO. I OVERFLEW THE FIELD AT 1700 FT, IDENTED RWY 1 AS THE ACTIVE, AND MADE A TURN TO THE E TO ENTER A R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 1. MY TURN WAS TOO WIDE EVIDENTLY AND THERE WAS WIND DRIFT THAT BROUGHT ME INTO VIEW OF RWY 4 AT CALDWELL, APCHING FROM THE NE, WHICH I MISTOOK FOR RWY 1 AT LINCOLN PARK. MAKING CALLS ON THE LINCOLN PARK CTAF, I PROCEEDED TO LAND ON RWY 4, ONLY IDENTING MY MISTAKE AS I CROSSED THE NUMBERS. I TAXIED FREE OF THE ACTIVE AND NOTIFIED CALDWELL TWR THAT I HAD ERRONEOUSLY LANDED THINKING THE AIRFIELD WAS LINCOLN PARK, AND REQUESTED TO TAXI TO THE ACTIVE. THE TWR OPERATOR RESPONDED AND TOLD ME TO CONTACT GND FOR TAXI. I TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO CONTACT GND, WITHOUT SUCCESS. I FOLLOWED ANOTHER PLANE TO THE ACTIVE AND CONTACTED TWR FOR DEP. THE DEP PROCEEDED NORMALLY AND I FLEW TO LINCOLN PARK FOR A SUBSEQUENT LNDG WHERE I INSPECTED A PLANE FOR SALE. I TOOK OFF FROM LINCOLN PARK AT XA45 AND PROCEEDED TO TEB WHERE I LANDED AT XA00. MY MISTAKE WAS BASED LARGELY ON NOT MONITORING MY DISTANCE FROM CALDWELL ON THE GPS AS I MANEUVERED TO LAND, AND BEING UNFAMILIAR WITH EITHER ARPT WHEN APCHING VFR FROM THE ENE. CONTRIBUTING WAS THE FACT THAT FROM THIS APCH RWYS 4R COULD BE MISTAKEN FOR A SHORTER RWY ORIENTED MORE NORTHWARD. I ALSO COULD NOT SEE RWY 27 AT CALDWELL, WHICH WOULD HAVE CAUGHT THE ERROR. ANOTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS MY TAKING TOO MUCH TIME MANEUVERING TO FIND THE ARPT AGAIN AFTER FLYING RATHER FAR FROM THE FIELD WHILE CHKING OUT TFC. I THOUGHT I WAS STAYING CLOSER TO LINCOLN PARK THAN I DID. IT WAS MY FIRST TIME TO FLY TO LINCOLN PARK. I DID AT ALL TIMES MAINTAIN THE PROPER PROCS FOR THE ARPT I THOUGHT I HAD, CAREFULLY WATCHING FOR ACFT IN THE PATTERN. NONETHELESS, I FEEL VERY STUPID ABOUT THIS MISTAKE. I HAVE LEARNED AN IMPORTANT LESSON ABOUT ARPT RECOGNITION.

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.