Narrative:

1 day prior to incident, received chkout flight with FBO at lakeland, since was new to the area and the FBO. CFI oriented me to geography northwest of airport. WX to south prohibited going there. Day of incident departed lal for scenic flight and aerial photography. After 2 hour flight returned from the south and mistook barton for lakeland airport. Was talking with lal tower, and cleared to land runway 5. Landed on runway 5 at bartow, and found I could not raise (lal) tower or ground or lal FBO. Not until told by bartow FBO to call tower did I realize I was not at lakeland. (On the approach, noticed aircraft departing runway 9 that crossed my runway when I was almost over the threshold.) returned to lal uneventfully. Problem arose 1) because I was unfamiliar with the area, 2) did not get orientation the prior day for approach from the south, 3) too busy, distracted scanning for traffic to use the lal VOR to verify I was at the correct airport, 4) my pilotage was poor. I saw a large lake that wasn't consistent with the chart, but ignored this discrepancy, because the field looked so much like I had expected it to. Recommendations/lessons learned: 1) get an orientation in the area from which approach is anticipated, if possible, or carefully study the chart and memorize key land marks prior to departure. 2) if tower doesn't see you on short final, suspect something and miss the approach. 3) use the VOR! I had done so, but after maneuvering for traffic earlier did not rechk. 4) study chart for things that may confuse, such as 2 airports of similar size/appearance. 5) if possible, climb a bit when a ways out to get a better visual perspective of the area. Not possible in this case, due to clouds above. 6) if possible, bring passenger along to help with chart reading and orienting.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF C172 LANDED ON RWY 5 AT BOW, THINKING IT WAS RWY 5 AT LAL. HAD RECEIVED LNDG CLRNC FROM LAL LCL CTLR.

Narrative: 1 DAY PRIOR TO INCIDENT, RECEIVED CHKOUT FLT WITH FBO AT LAKELAND, SINCE WAS NEW TO THE AREA AND THE FBO. CFI ORIENTED ME TO GEOGRAPHY NW OF ARPT. WX TO S PROHIBITED GOING THERE. DAY OF INCIDENT DEPARTED LAL FOR SCENIC FLT AND AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY. AFTER 2 HR FLT RETURNED FROM THE S AND MISTOOK BARTON FOR LAKELAND ARPT. WAS TALKING WITH LAL TWR, AND CLRED TO LAND RWY 5. LANDED ON RWY 5 AT BARTOW, AND FOUND I COULD NOT RAISE (LAL) TWR OR GND OR LAL FBO. NOT UNTIL TOLD BY BARTOW FBO TO CALL TWR DID I REALIZE I WAS NOT AT LAKELAND. (ON THE APCH, NOTICED ACFT DEPARTING RWY 9 THAT CROSSED MY RWY WHEN I WAS ALMOST OVER THE THRESHOLD.) RETURNED TO LAL UNEVENTFULLY. PROB AROSE 1) BECAUSE I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA, 2) DID NOT GET ORIENTATION THE PRIOR DAY FOR APCH FROM THE S, 3) TOO BUSY, DISTRACTED SCANNING FOR TFC TO USE THE LAL VOR TO VERIFY I WAS AT THE CORRECT ARPT, 4) MY PILOTAGE WAS POOR. I SAW A LARGE LAKE THAT WASN'T CONSISTENT WITH THE CHART, BUT IGNORED THIS DISCREPANCY, BECAUSE THE FIELD LOOKED SO MUCH LIKE I HAD EXPECTED IT TO. RECOMMENDATIONS/LESSONS LEARNED: 1) GET AN ORIENTATION IN THE AREA FROM WHICH APCH IS ANTICIPATED, IF POSSIBLE, OR CAREFULLY STUDY THE CHART AND MEMORIZE KEY LAND MARKS PRIOR TO DEP. 2) IF TWR DOESN'T SEE YOU ON SHORT FINAL, SUSPECT SOMETHING AND MISS THE APCH. 3) USE THE VOR! I HAD DONE SO, BUT AFTER MANEUVERING FOR TFC EARLIER DID NOT RECHK. 4) STUDY CHART FOR THINGS THAT MAY CONFUSE, SUCH AS 2 ARPTS OF SIMILAR SIZE/APPEARANCE. 5) IF POSSIBLE, CLB A BIT WHEN A WAYS OUT TO GET A BETTER VISUAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE AREA. NOT POSSIBLE IN THIS CASE, DUE TO CLOUDS ABOVE. 6) IF POSSIBLE, BRING PAX ALONG TO HELP WITH CHART READING AND ORIENTING.

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.