Narrative:

Violated 91.130 by failing to maintain 2-WAY radio communications while in long island class C airspace. While navigating visually toward my destination (hwv), and while in contact with new york approach air traffic advisories, I mistook isp for hwv and turned toward it -- at about 20 SM out. Both airports have runways 15/33 and 6/24, so they look alike from a distance. When about 15 mi out, I advised new york approach that I was starting my descent into hwv -- I still didn't recognize that I was aligned with runway 15 at islip. When crossing the long island shore line, new york approach gave me a frequency change. I contacted them, but my reception was so bad (unintelligible reception) that, still thinking I was approaching hwv, I decided to discontinue contact with new york approach. I changed my transponder from assigned code to 1200, and contacted hwv unicom for their active runway, which was runway 33. I continued descending and lined up for an extended downwind. By the time I recognized the airport from its runway layout, I was already in the air traffic area. I then decided that in order to minimize possible conflict with other aircraft, I would 1) stay in a see and avoid mode and not divert my attention to getting communication frequencys from charts, 2) I would stay above GS intercept altitude, and 3) I would exit the airspace as rapidly as possible. Human performance (mine) was poor -- or at least too casual. This was an easy trip -- no WX, great visibility and only 45 mins en route time. Navigation was casual. Used radio navaids for the beginning of trip, but lapsed into 'just looking out the window.' didn't maintain use of preplanned visual chkpoints from sectional. Passenger distraction. Had 2 passenger who hadn't flown with me previously. Spent time 'pointing out the sights.' also, opted not to use my headset (thereby sacrificing reception clarify), in order to stay in close touch with the passenger.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C182 PLT MADE APCH TO ISP WHEN HIS DEST WAS HWV. AFTER BECOMING AWARE OF THE MISTAKE HE CHOSE NOT TO ESTABLISH COM WITH ISP TWR.

Narrative: VIOLATED 91.130 BY FAILING TO MAINTAIN 2-WAY RADIO COMS WHILE IN LONG ISLAND CLASS C AIRSPACE. WHILE NAVING VISUALLY TOWARD MY DEST (HWV), AND WHILE IN CONTACT WITH NEW YORK APCH AIR TFC ADVISORIES, I MISTOOK ISP FOR HWV AND TURNED TOWARD IT -- AT ABOUT 20 SM OUT. BOTH ARPTS HAVE RWYS 15/33 AND 6/24, SO THEY LOOK ALIKE FROM A DISTANCE. WHEN ABOUT 15 MI OUT, I ADVISED NEW YORK APCH THAT I WAS STARTING MY DSCNT INTO HWV -- I STILL DIDN'T RECOGNIZE THAT I WAS ALIGNED WITH RWY 15 AT ISLIP. WHEN XING THE LONG ISLAND SHORE LINE, NEW YORK APCH GAVE ME A FREQ CHANGE. I CONTACTED THEM, BUT MY RECEPTION WAS SO BAD (UNINTELLIGIBLE RECEPTION) THAT, STILL THINKING I WAS APCHING HWV, I DECIDED TO DISCONTINUE CONTACT WITH NEW YORK APCH. I CHANGED MY XPONDER FROM ASSIGNED CODE TO 1200, AND CONTACTED HWV UNICOM FOR THEIR ACTIVE RWY, WHICH WAS RWY 33. I CONTINUED DSNDING AND LINED UP FOR AN EXTENDED DOWNWIND. BY THE TIME I RECOGNIZED THE ARPT FROM ITS RWY LAYOUT, I WAS ALREADY IN THE ATA. I THEN DECIDED THAT IN ORDER TO MINIMIZE POSSIBLE CONFLICT WITH OTHER ACFT, I WOULD 1) STAY IN A SEE AND AVOID MODE AND NOT DIVERT MY ATTN TO GETTING COM FREQS FROM CHARTS, 2) I WOULD STAY ABOVE GS INTERCEPT ALT, AND 3) I WOULD EXIT THE AIRSPACE AS RAPIDLY AS POSSIBLE. HUMAN PERFORMANCE (MINE) WAS POOR -- OR AT LEAST TOO CASUAL. THIS WAS AN EASY TRIP -- NO WX, GREAT VISIBILITY AND ONLY 45 MINS ENRTE TIME. NAV WAS CASUAL. USED RADIO NAVAIDS FOR THE BEGINNING OF TRIP, BUT LAPSED INTO 'JUST LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW.' DIDN'T MAINTAIN USE OF PREPLANNED VISUAL CHKPOINTS FROM SECTIONAL. PAX DISTR. HAD 2 PAX WHO HADN'T FLOWN WITH ME PREVIOUSLY. SPENT TIME 'POINTING OUT THE SIGHTS.' ALSO, OPTED NOT TO USE MY HEADSET (THEREBY SACRIFICING RECEPTION CLARIFY), IN ORDER TO STAY IN CLOSE TOUCH WITH THE PAX.

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.