Narrative:

I was descending for aid, in, on an IFR clearance and in touch with ft wayne approach. The aircraft was certified for GPS en route navigation, and my clearance was direct to the airport. The WX was beautiful high pressure, clear skies, unlimited visibility, daytime. I was approaching from the northeast, and spotted the airport from about 40 mi out and shortly thereafter, declared 'airport in sight' and was cleared for a visual approach. The problem, however, was I had instead spotted mie, in, 12 mi closer and right in line with my route of flight. (So now you know where this is going.) I had set up the ILS 30 for aid as a backup. I switched to the CTAF and declared my position. Turning final, I self-announced (on aid frequency, of course) and queried tower if anyone was there. Aid tower did respond, and cleared me to land, which I did, but in mie on their runway 32. I switched to ground frequency (aid) and, of course, no one answered. As I started at the tower, the mie tower controller shot me the green light for clearance to taxi, and I taxied into the FBO. I still did not know I was at the wrong airport. A worker, likely from the FBO, came out to me (engines still running) and flashed me a piece of paper that said 'ground 121.9.' I looked at my government charts, which said 121.6 for aid, and I was annoyed that the chart was wrong, and no NOTAM about it. (But of course it was. I still didn't know.) I called on 121.9 to the tower and said 'yes sir, I'm supposed to go to FBO #1, but all I see here is FBO #2, could you please direct me to FBO #1' at which point he politely informed me that he could, but he would have to send me to aid to get me started. I looked down at my GPS and it showed aid as till 12 mi away. The tower controller was the nicest man in the world and said he would cancel my flight plan for me, and suggested a VFR hop over to aid, which I did, and the day continued without incident. Although I had been into aid previously, it had been a number of months. I had never been to mie (and am generally unfamiliar with indiana). The runway sets are exactly alike at the 2 airports, except for a 20 degree offset. (Aid runway 18/36 and 30/12, and mie runway 20/2 and 32/14). I did not reference the aid ILS 30 backup that I had set, nor did I look again at the GPS to confirm the correct airport. Instead, I found an airport directly along my route of flight, though 12 mi closer than my destination, which had the exact same runway layouts (except 20 degrees different) and landed at it. Lately, I had been doing some incredibly demanding IFR flying in bad WX, single pilot, no autoplt, nighttime, twin turboprop at 12500 ft gross weight. It had been an early start on that morning awaking to the pager alert to come fly, and the good WX, light weight, part 91 short flight to get there had made me complacent. (At least I got the landing gear down!) one of a few possible conclusions: just because it's an easy day doesn't mean you're going to get it right, especially if you ignore the clues that are right there: the GPS and the ILS. So, I am responsible, of course. Something that might help with 2 airports so close together and with such similar runway orientations, would be to paint the name of the airport on one of the runways. Seems like an inexpensive clue for not shots like me who think they have the day licked!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SA-226 PLT LANDS AT WRONG ARPT.

Narrative: I WAS DSNDING FOR AID, IN, ON AN IFR CLRNC AND IN TOUCH WITH FT WAYNE APCH. THE ACFT WAS CERTIFIED FOR GPS ENRTE NAV, AND MY CLRNC WAS DIRECT TO THE ARPT. THE WX WAS BEAUTIFUL HIGH PRESSURE, CLR SKIES, UNLIMITED VISIBILITY, DAYTIME. I WAS APCHING FROM THE NE, AND SPOTTED THE ARPT FROM ABOUT 40 MI OUT AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER, DECLARED 'ARPT IN SIGHT' AND WAS CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH. THE PROB, HOWEVER, WAS I HAD INSTEAD SPOTTED MIE, IN, 12 MI CLOSER AND RIGHT IN LINE WITH MY RTE OF FLT. (SO NOW YOU KNOW WHERE THIS IS GOING.) I HAD SET UP THE ILS 30 FOR AID AS A BACKUP. I SWITCHED TO THE CTAF AND DECLARED MY POS. TURNING FINAL, I SELF-ANNOUNCED (ON AID FREQ, OF COURSE) AND QUERIED TWR IF ANYONE WAS THERE. AID TWR DID RESPOND, AND CLRED ME TO LAND, WHICH I DID, BUT IN MIE ON THEIR RWY 32. I SWITCHED TO GND FREQ (AID) AND, OF COURSE, NO ONE ANSWERED. AS I STARTED AT THE TWR, THE MIE TWR CTLR SHOT ME THE GREEN LIGHT FOR CLRNC TO TAXI, AND I TAXIED INTO THE FBO. I STILL DID NOT KNOW I WAS AT THE WRONG ARPT. A WORKER, LIKELY FROM THE FBO, CAME OUT TO ME (ENGS STILL RUNNING) AND FLASHED ME A PIECE OF PAPER THAT SAID 'GND 121.9.' I LOOKED AT MY GOV CHARTS, WHICH SAID 121.6 FOR AID, AND I WAS ANNOYED THAT THE CHART WAS WRONG, AND NO NOTAM ABOUT IT. (BUT OF COURSE IT WAS. I STILL DIDN'T KNOW.) I CALLED ON 121.9 TO THE TWR AND SAID 'YES SIR, I'M SUPPOSED TO GO TO FBO #1, BUT ALL I SEE HERE IS FBO #2, COULD YOU PLEASE DIRECT ME TO FBO #1' AT WHICH POINT HE POLITELY INFORMED ME THAT HE COULD, BUT HE WOULD HAVE TO SEND ME TO AID TO GET ME STARTED. I LOOKED DOWN AT MY GPS AND IT SHOWED AID AS TILL 12 MI AWAY. THE TWR CTLR WAS THE NICEST MAN IN THE WORLD AND SAID HE WOULD CANCEL MY FLT PLAN FOR ME, AND SUGGESTED A VFR HOP OVER TO AID, WHICH I DID, AND THE DAY CONTINUED WITHOUT INCIDENT. ALTHOUGH I HAD BEEN INTO AID PREVIOUSLY, IT HAD BEEN A NUMBER OF MONTHS. I HAD NEVER BEEN TO MIE (AND AM GENERALLY UNFAMILIAR WITH INDIANA). THE RWY SETS ARE EXACTLY ALIKE AT THE 2 ARPTS, EXCEPT FOR A 20 DEG OFFSET. (AID RWY 18/36 AND 30/12, AND MIE RWY 20/2 AND 32/14). I DID NOT REF THE AID ILS 30 BACKUP THAT I HAD SET, NOR DID I LOOK AGAIN AT THE GPS TO CONFIRM THE CORRECT ARPT. INSTEAD, I FOUND AN ARPT DIRECTLY ALONG MY RTE OF FLT, THOUGH 12 MI CLOSER THAN MY DEST, WHICH HAD THE EXACT SAME RWY LAYOUTS (EXCEPT 20 DEGS DIFFERENT) AND LANDED AT IT. LATELY, I HAD BEEN DOING SOME INCREDIBLY DEMANDING IFR FLYING IN BAD WX, SINGLE PLT, NO AUTOPLT, NIGHTTIME, TWIN TURBOPROP AT 12500 FT GROSS WT. IT HAD BEEN AN EARLY START ON THAT MORNING AWAKING TO THE PAGER ALERT TO COME FLY, AND THE GOOD WX, LIGHT WT, PART 91 SHORT FLT TO GET THERE HAD MADE ME COMPLACENT. (AT LEAST I GOT THE LNDG GEAR DOWN!) ONE OF A FEW POSSIBLE CONCLUSIONS: JUST BECAUSE IT'S AN EASY DAY DOESN'T MEAN YOU'RE GOING TO GET IT RIGHT, ESPECIALLY IF YOU IGNORE THE CLUES THAT ARE RIGHT THERE: THE GPS AND THE ILS. SO, I AM RESPONSIBLE, OF COURSE. SOMETHING THAT MIGHT HELP WITH 2 ARPTS SO CLOSE TOGETHER AND WITH SUCH SIMILAR RWY ORIENTATIONS, WOULD BE TO PAINT THE NAME OF THE ARPT ON ONE OF THE RWYS. SEEMS LIKE AN INEXPENSIVE CLUE FOR NOT SHOTS LIKE ME WHO THINK THEY HAVE THE DAY LICKED!

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.