Narrative:

I left from apa on an IFR flight plan to ogden, ut. I was unfamiliar with the area and I did not have my standard flying bag. I was in an airplane that I have never been in before, a new C182T, and I was flying with the factory representative. When we were about 20 mi from ogden, we went into VMC. We saw the lights of the city and ATC gave us a vector nnw of the city for the visual. When we were north of the airport, we were given a 180 degree turn to the south, and asked if we had the airport in sight. My actual destination of ogden was just under my nose, so I did not see it and I mistook hill AFB for ogden. Because I was unfamiliar with the area, I did not know hill AFB was so close to ogden (5 mi) approximately. Center told us to cancel with him or on the ground, so we canceled airborne because we told him we had the field in sight. Ogden tower was closed so we transmitted our position on the CTAF and I monitored the AWOS/WX on #2 radio with guard in standby. After landing, I immediately realized my mistake. The chain of errors were very subtle and I did not realize my errors until I began to reflect on the incident that night. My greatest error was not having my standard flight kit with me, not doing my normal in-depth preflight of the destination field, and not switching 121.5 back on the #2 radio. I also wish ATC would have mentioned that hill was 12 O'clock position and 5 mi and ogden was 1200 ft position and 1 mi.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C182 PLT MISTAKENLY LANDS AT THE WRONG ARPT AT NIGHT.

Narrative: I LEFT FROM APA ON AN IFR FLT PLAN TO OGDEN, UT. I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA AND I DID NOT HAVE MY STANDARD FLYING BAG. I WAS IN AN AIRPLANE THAT I HAVE NEVER BEEN IN BEFORE, A NEW C182T, AND I WAS FLYING WITH THE FACTORY REPRESENTATIVE. WHEN WE WERE ABOUT 20 MI FROM OGDEN, WE WENT INTO VMC. WE SAW THE LIGHTS OF THE CITY AND ATC GAVE US A VECTOR NNW OF THE CITY FOR THE VISUAL. WHEN WE WERE N OF THE ARPT, WE WERE GIVEN A 180 DEG TURN TO THE S, AND ASKED IF WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT. MY ACTUAL DEST OF OGDEN WAS JUST UNDER MY NOSE, SO I DID NOT SEE IT AND I MISTOOK HILL AFB FOR OGDEN. BECAUSE I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA, I DID NOT KNOW HILL AFB WAS SO CLOSE TO OGDEN (5 MI) APPROX. CTR TOLD US TO CANCEL WITH HIM OR ON THE GND, SO WE CANCELED AIRBORNE BECAUSE WE TOLD HIM WE HAD THE FIELD IN SIGHT. OGDEN TWR WAS CLOSED SO WE XMITTED OUR POS ON THE CTAF AND I MONITORED THE AWOS/WX ON #2 RADIO WITH GUARD IN STANDBY. AFTER LNDG, I IMMEDIATELY REALIZED MY MISTAKE. THE CHAIN OF ERRORS WERE VERY SUBTLE AND I DID NOT REALIZE MY ERRORS UNTIL I BEGAN TO REFLECT ON THE INCIDENT THAT NIGHT. MY GREATEST ERROR WAS NOT HAVING MY STANDARD FLT KIT WITH ME, NOT DOING MY NORMAL IN-DEPTH PREFLT OF THE DEST FIELD, AND NOT SWITCHING 121.5 BACK ON THE #2 RADIO. I ALSO WISH ATC WOULD HAVE MENTIONED THAT HILL WAS 12 O'CLOCK POS AND 5 MI AND OGDEN WAS 1200 FT POS AND 1 MI.

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.