Narrative:

As a pilot examiner, I was finishing up a private pilot practical test. While returning from the practice area which is approximately 15 NM northwest of both pmp and fxe airport which are located closely enough that their class D airspace circles overlap each other's airport (they are 4 NM apart). The applicant headed for fxe airport instead of pmp. Both airports have lighted northwest-southeast runways as well as ew lighted runways and look alike at night. Upon realizing we were approaching fxe instead of pmp, I took control of the aircraft at a point I approximate as being between 4 NM and 3 NM from fxe airport. We were and had been in communication with pmp tower which has radar and heard nothing from them from the time we contacted them approximately 12 NM northwest of the area of both airports. Until after I made an abrupt 180 degree turn at our altitude of 800 ft MSL and headed northwest and then told pmp tower we were turning right base for their runway 15. Uneventful landing was made at pmp. Cause: not having conducted a practice test in that area at night in many yrs, coupled with the explosive construction growth of that area made it appear vastly different from our cockpit, coupled with the applicant being from an out of town area and not familiar with the area, day or night. Solution: my knowing that pmp tower had radar, I should have asked the controller to identify our radar target to see that we were heading for the correct airport. Reason for not utilizing the above solution: with my 47 yrs of having flown in this same area, day and occasionally at night, I was sure I could spot the proper airport prior to our reaching the outer edge of their class D airspace. Next time, at night, I'll utilize the tower's radar.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT EXAMINER ADMINISTERING A PVT PLT TEST ALLOWED STUDENT PLT TO INADVERTENTLY ENTER AN ADJACENT ARPT TFC CTL AIRSPACE AT NIGHT.

Narrative: AS A PLT EXAMINER, I WAS FINISHING UP A PVT PLT PRACTICAL TEST. WHILE RETURNING FROM THE PRACTICE AREA WHICH IS APPROX 15 NM NW OF BOTH PMP AND FXE ARPT WHICH ARE LOCATED CLOSELY ENOUGH THAT THEIR CLASS D AIRSPACE CIRCLES OVERLAP EACH OTHER'S ARPT (THEY ARE 4 NM APART). THE APPLICANT HEADED FOR FXE ARPT INSTEAD OF PMP. BOTH ARPTS HAVE LIGHTED NW-SE RWYS AS WELL AS EW LIGHTED RWYS AND LOOK ALIKE AT NIGHT. UPON REALIZING WE WERE APCHING FXE INSTEAD OF PMP, I TOOK CTL OF THE ACFT AT A POINT I APPROXIMATE AS BEING BTWN 4 NM AND 3 NM FROM FXE ARPT. WE WERE AND HAD BEEN IN COM WITH PMP TWR WHICH HAS RADAR AND HEARD NOTHING FROM THEM FROM THE TIME WE CONTACTED THEM APPROX 12 NM NW OF THE AREA OF BOTH ARPTS. UNTIL AFTER I MADE AN ABRUPT 180 DEG TURN AT OUR ALT OF 800 FT MSL AND HEADED NW AND THEN TOLD PMP TWR WE WERE TURNING R BASE FOR THEIR RWY 15. UNEVENTFUL LNDG WAS MADE AT PMP. CAUSE: NOT HAVING CONDUCTED A PRACTICE TEST IN THAT AREA AT NIGHT IN MANY YRS, COUPLED WITH THE EXPLOSIVE CONSTRUCTION GROWTH OF THAT AREA MADE IT APPEAR VASTLY DIFFERENT FROM OUR COCKPIT, COUPLED WITH THE APPLICANT BEING FROM AN OUT OF TOWN AREA AND NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA, DAY OR NIGHT. SOLUTION: MY KNOWING THAT PMP TWR HAD RADAR, I SHOULD HAVE ASKED THE CTLR TO IDENT OUR RADAR TARGET TO SEE THAT WE WERE HEADING FOR THE CORRECT ARPT. REASON FOR NOT UTILIZING THE ABOVE SOLUTION: WITH MY 47 YRS OF HAVING FLOWN IN THIS SAME AREA, DAY AND OCCASIONALLY AT NIGHT, I WAS SURE I COULD SPOT THE PROPER ARPT PRIOR TO OUR REACHING THE OUTER EDGE OF THEIR CLASS D AIRSPACE. NEXT TIME, AT NIGHT, I'LL UTILIZE THE TWR'S RADAR.

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.