Narrative:

While flying on a night VFR cross country flight returning to myf airport from sna, I was instructing my student. We were in contact with socal approach while at 5500 ft MSL and given a class B clearance on V23 direct mzb VOR. As we approached oceanside VOR, we were encountering a cloud layer based at 3000 ft and top at 4000 ft just along the coast line that was starting to move inland as a scattered condition. Approach ok'ed us to descend down to 3500 ft. I felt that would put us too close or into the clouds, so to stay VFR I advised socal we would stay at 5500 ft until closer to mzb. As we saw the clouds breaking, we then descended to 3500 ft over mount soledad. I should have had my student continue direct to the VOR, but instead we thought we would continue the descent and go direct to myf airport. The other mistake was when socal asked if he could assist us any more, we said we could handle it. On looking back, we should have asked for radar vector to myf. At night, the familiar landmarks suddenly looked different. When we turned our C172 toward myf, we thought instead we were unknowingly heading to the miramar marine station, which is located fairly close to myf within 10 mi to the north and has 2 east/west runways like myf. We continued heading towards miramar thinking it was myf, and also were calling in on the myf airport frequency of 119.2 since the tower was closed. As we got closer, I thought it strange the airport looked different but the runways still were in the same direction I expected. Also, I thought it strange that my keying the microphone had no effect on the runway light intensity. When we turned final I realized this runway was not the runway 28L at myf and immediately instructed my student to do a left climbing turn and depart to the south to myf. We did land safely at myf and I was instructed by a police helicopter overhead to phone miramar tower regarding this airport incursion. I apologized telling them I got the airport mixed up. They just wanted me to get my name and aircraft number and said there would be no action taken. In looking back on this, all this could have been prevented if I would have just followed the 145 degree radial to mzb VOR and then turned northeast to track the 055 degree radial to myf. Also, I could have stayed with socal approach who would have given me vectors to myf.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NIGHT VFR XCOUNTRY TRAINING FLT INADVERTENTLY MAKES APCH TO LAND AT A MIL BASE INSTEAD OF NEARBY CIVIL ARPT.

Narrative: WHILE FLYING ON A NIGHT VFR XCOUNTRY FLT RETURNING TO MYF ARPT FROM SNA, I WAS INSTRUCTING MY STUDENT. WE WERE IN CONTACT WITH SOCAL APCH WHILE AT 5500 FT MSL AND GIVEN A CLASS B CLRNC ON V23 DIRECT MZB VOR. AS WE APCHED OCEANSIDE VOR, WE WERE ENCOUNTERING A CLOUD LAYER BASED AT 3000 FT AND TOP AT 4000 FT JUST ALONG THE COAST LINE THAT WAS STARTING TO MOVE INLAND AS A SCATTERED CONDITION. APCH OK'ED US TO DSND DOWN TO 3500 FT. I FELT THAT WOULD PUT US TOO CLOSE OR INTO THE CLOUDS, SO TO STAY VFR I ADVISED SOCAL WE WOULD STAY AT 5500 FT UNTIL CLOSER TO MZB. AS WE SAW THE CLOUDS BREAKING, WE THEN DSNDED TO 3500 FT OVER MOUNT SOLEDAD. I SHOULD HAVE HAD MY STUDENT CONTINUE DIRECT TO THE VOR, BUT INSTEAD WE THOUGHT WE WOULD CONTINUE THE DSCNT AND GO DIRECT TO MYF ARPT. THE OTHER MISTAKE WAS WHEN SOCAL ASKED IF HE COULD ASSIST US ANY MORE, WE SAID WE COULD HANDLE IT. ON LOOKING BACK, WE SHOULD HAVE ASKED FOR RADAR VECTOR TO MYF. AT NIGHT, THE FAMILIAR LANDMARKS SUDDENLY LOOKED DIFFERENT. WHEN WE TURNED OUR C172 TOWARD MYF, WE THOUGHT INSTEAD WE WERE UNKNOWINGLY HDG TO THE MIRAMAR MARINE STATION, WHICH IS LOCATED FAIRLY CLOSE TO MYF WITHIN 10 MI TO THE N AND HAS 2 E/W RWYS LIKE MYF. WE CONTINUED HEADING TOWARDS MIRAMAR THINKING IT WAS MYF, AND ALSO WERE CALLING IN ON THE MYF ARPT FREQ OF 119.2 SINCE THE TWR WAS CLOSED. AS WE GOT CLOSER, I THOUGHT IT STRANGE THE ARPT LOOKED DIFFERENT BUT THE RWYS STILL WERE IN THE SAME DIRECTION I EXPECTED. ALSO, I THOUGHT IT STRANGE THAT MY KEYING THE MIKE HAD NO EFFECT ON THE RWY LIGHT INTENSITY. WHEN WE TURNED FINAL I REALIZED THIS RWY WAS NOT THE RWY 28L AT MYF AND IMMEDIATELY INSTRUCTED MY STUDENT TO DO A L CLBING TURN AND DEPART TO THE S TO MYF. WE DID LAND SAFELY AT MYF AND I WAS INSTRUCTED BY A POLICE HELI OVERHEAD TO PHONE MIRAMAR TWR REGARDING THIS ARPT INCURSION. I APOLOGIZED TELLING THEM I GOT THE ARPT MIXED UP. THEY JUST WANTED ME TO GET MY NAME AND ACFT NUMBER AND SAID THERE WOULD BE NO ACTION TAKEN. IN LOOKING BACK ON THIS, ALL THIS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IF I WOULD HAVE JUST FOLLOWED THE 145 DEG RADIAL TO MZB VOR AND THEN TURNED NE TO TRACK THE 055 DEG RADIAL TO MYF. ALSO, I COULD HAVE STAYED WITH SOCAL APCH WHO WOULD HAVE GIVEN ME VECTORS TO MYF.

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.