C-208 pilot landed at a military airport by mistake.

Attributes
ACN	568874
Time
Date	200212
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : geg.airport
State Reference	WA
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : geg.tracon tower : bos.tower
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Caravan 1 208A
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 5500 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	568874
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	faa : assigned or threatened penalties faa : investigated
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airport Flight Crew Human Performance Environmental Factor
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

IFR flight returning to spokane international from wenatchee, wa, had cancelled IFR and was with spokane approach and then tower. Had looked down for something, and when I looked up was crossing final approach path for runway 5 at fairchild AFB. It was a clear night and their approach lights were on high intensity, and thinking I had passed the AFB I turned on final. Spokane tower cleared me to land and I was on very short final near the ground when I realized my mistake. I didn't know what the best course of action was at that point, so I thought I'd better land and admit my mistake. Autoplt was coupled to the GPS on direct flight, and it led me almost to the threshold of runway 5 at fairchild. Fatigue and sinus infection were probably also factors.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C-208 PLT LANDED AT A MIL ARPT BY MISTAKE.

Narrative: IFR FLT RETURNING TO SPOKANE INTL FROM WENATCHEE, WA, HAD CANCELLED IFR AND WAS WITH SPOKANE APCH AND THEN TWR. HAD LOOKED DOWN FOR SOMETHING, AND WHEN I LOOKED UP WAS XING FINAL APCH PATH FOR RWY 5 AT FAIRCHILD AFB. IT WAS A CLR NIGHT AND THEIR APCH LIGHTS WERE ON HIGH INTENSITY, AND THINKING I HAD PASSED THE AFB I TURNED ON FINAL. SPOKANE TWR CLRED ME TO LAND AND I WAS ON VERY SHORT FINAL NEAR THE GND WHEN I REALIZED MY MISTAKE. I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION WAS AT THAT POINT, SO I THOUGHT I'D BETTER LAND AND ADMIT MY MISTAKE. AUTOPLT WAS COUPLED TO THE GPS ON DIRECT FLT, AND IT LED ME ALMOST TO THE THRESHOLD OF RWY 5 AT FAIRCHILD. FATIGUE AND SINUS INFECTION WERE PROBABLY ALSO FACTORS.

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.