A beech bonanza pilot entered pmd's class D airspace without permission.

Attributes
ACN	587872
Time
Date	200307
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pmd.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3600 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : wjf.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Beechcraft, Beech Aircraft Corp Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : traffic pattern arrival : vfr
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 7.4 flight time total : 638 flight time type : 450
ASRS Report	587872
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	controller : local
Events
Anomaly	airspace violation : entry non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited penetrated airspace flight crew : returned to intended or assigned course flight crew : became reoriented
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

En route from camarillo to bracket field. Due to poor visibility in la basin, decided to divert to antelope valley where visibility was unrestr. Upon crossing mountains northbound, idented airport runway out right window and incorrectly thought it was wjf. Contacted wjf tower after getting current ATIS and reported 10 mi west, landing with ATIS. Instructed to report right downwind for runway 24. There was numerous aircraft inbound to wjf and 1 aircraft outbound, my direction. My eyes were focused outside aircraft looking for traffic. When approaching departure end of assigned runway, I noticed runway to be runway 7. I immediately knew I was not at wjf. At this time, I was descending to pattern altitude of 3150 ft and was approximately 3600 ft. Palmdale class D ceiling is 5000 ft. I scanned for traffic out of left window and, when clear, made a left climbing turn towards wjf field. At this point, I had no communication with wjf tower since being told to report right downwind for runway 24. Radio was always tuned to wjf tower on 120.3. I then called wjf tower and informed controller that I had confused palmdale airport with wjf, was approximately 7 mi southeast, landing wjf. I was instructed to enter left base runway 24. I was then cleared to land and subsequently to taxi to restaurant parking. I departed approximately 45 mins later to return to camarillo without any other incident. ATC at wjf made no mention of my flight and intrusion into palmdale class D airspace. I did not contact palmdale ATC. I have flown to wjf airport on a number of occasions although not recently. I normally cross mountain ridge much further west of airport to allow time to set-up descent, identify airport and listen to ATC for traffic departing wjf in my direction. On this date, I made decision to divert to antelope valley much further east and crossed mountain ridge considerably further east. This did not allow me much time to plan my arrival to wjf, which I believe caused the confusion as to which airport I was viewing.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BEECH BONANZA PLT ENTERED PMD'S CLASS D AIRSPACE WITHOUT PERMISSION.

Narrative: ENRTE FROM CAMARILLO TO BRACKET FIELD. DUE TO POOR VISIBILITY IN LA BASIN, DECIDED TO DIVERT TO ANTELOPE VALLEY WHERE VISIBILITY WAS UNRESTR. UPON XING MOUNTAINS NBOUND, IDENTED ARPT RWY OUT R WINDOW AND INCORRECTLY THOUGHT IT WAS WJF. CONTACTED WJF TWR AFTER GETTING CURRENT ATIS AND RPTED 10 MI W, LNDG WITH ATIS. INSTRUCTED TO RPT R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 24. THERE WAS NUMEROUS ACFT INBOUND TO WJF AND 1 ACFT OUTBOUND, MY DIRECTION. MY EYES WERE FOCUSED OUTSIDE ACFT LOOKING FOR TFC. WHEN APCHING DEP END OF ASSIGNED RWY, I NOTICED RWY TO BE RWY 7. I IMMEDIATELY KNEW I WAS NOT AT WJF. AT THIS TIME, I WAS DSNDING TO PATTERN ALT OF 3150 FT AND WAS APPROX 3600 FT. PALMDALE CLASS D CEILING IS 5000 FT. I SCANNED FOR TFC OUT OF L WINDOW AND, WHEN CLR, MADE A L CLBING TURN TOWARDS WJF FIELD. AT THIS POINT, I HAD NO COM WITH WJF TWR SINCE BEING TOLD TO RPT R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 24. RADIO WAS ALWAYS TUNED TO WJF TWR ON 120.3. I THEN CALLED WJF TWR AND INFORMED CTLR THAT I HAD CONFUSED PALMDALE ARPT WITH WJF, WAS APPROX 7 MI SE, LNDG WJF. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO ENTER L BASE RWY 24. I WAS THEN CLRED TO LAND AND SUBSEQUENTLY TO TAXI TO RESTAURANT PARKING. I DEPARTED APPROX 45 MINS LATER TO RETURN TO CAMARILLO WITHOUT ANY OTHER INCIDENT. ATC AT WJF MADE NO MENTION OF MY FLT AND INTRUSION INTO PALMDALE CLASS D AIRSPACE. I DID NOT CONTACT PALMDALE ATC. I HAVE FLOWN TO WJF ARPT ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS ALTHOUGH NOT RECENTLY. I NORMALLY CROSS MOUNTAIN RIDGE MUCH FURTHER W OF ARPT TO ALLOW TIME TO SET-UP DSCNT, IDENTIFY ARPT AND LISTEN TO ATC FOR TFC DEPARTING WJF IN MY DIRECTION. ON THIS DATE, I MADE DECISION TO DIVERT TO ANTELOPE VALLEY MUCH FURTHER E AND CROSSED MOUNTAIN RIDGE CONSIDERABLY FURTHER E. THIS DID NOT ALLOW ME MUCH TIME TO PLAN MY ARR TO WJF, WHICH I BELIEVE CAUSED THE CONFUSION AS TO WHICH ARPT I WAS VIEWING.

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.