Narrative:

I landed at a controled airport with no communication with tower. I, as a single pilot, had checked winds aloft for 6000 ft as we (my safety pilot and passenger observer and I) were flying from lnk, lincoln, northeast, to kearney. I was going to fly under the hood to log instrument time. Upon climb out, we had reached approximately 6000 ft and it was quite bumpy, so I requested clearance to 10500 ft to get over the top of the broken clouds, between approximately 7000-8500 ft. After receiving clearance, we climbed to 10500 ft and I began flying instruments. This was my first time in this aircraft flying instrument. The aircraft has dual navcoms and a DME, both to the very far right side of the panel. I set the navs to kearney and continued to fly. Checked AWOS at kearney and after flying for approximately an hour and 10-15 mins, my safety pilot announced she saw the airport. Both navs were saying it was, in fact, directly in front of me. We started our descent, and I was still under the hood. The DME was acting sporadically at best. Perhaps they act this way regularly or perhaps it wasn't receiving a good signal. I did reference our location to HSI (hastings, northeast) and appeared to be about right, but not exactly. I felt very confident in the belief that my safety pilot was correct as she was from the area. Anyway, I looked at it, there were certain things that I wasn't interping correctly. About 5-10 mi out, I pulled off the hood, called standard calls and landed. Upon landing and pulling off the runway, I did think it was rather odd that a citation on base from the other direction hadn't called in. To my surprise, I didn't realize that we were in grand island till we had pulled off the runway. I exited the aircraft and was called by the tower at the FBO. I explained what had happened in detail and was told I would be contacted by the FSDO office. I was, 3 days later items that led directly to mistake are: 1) not familiar enough with aircraft navigation equipment and use and limitations of equipment. 2) DME not working all the time. 3) layout of navigation equipment was not easily readable from pilot's location. 4) layout of airports are exactly the same.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLASS D AIRSPACE AND RWY INCURSION AFTER A NORAC PA28 LOW TIME PVT PLT LANDS WITHOUT CLRNC AT GRI, NE.

Narrative: I LANDED AT A CTLED ARPT WITH NO COM WITH TWR. I, AS A SINGLE PLT, HAD CHKED WINDS ALOFT FOR 6000 FT AS WE (MY SAFETY PLT AND PAX OBSERVER AND I) WERE FLYING FROM LNK, LINCOLN, NE, TO KEARNEY. I WAS GOING TO FLY UNDER THE HOOD TO LOG INST TIME. UPON CLBOUT, WE HAD REACHED APPROX 6000 FT AND IT WAS QUITE BUMPY, SO I REQUESTED CLRNC TO 10500 FT TO GET OVER THE TOP OF THE BROKEN CLOUDS, BTWN APPROX 7000-8500 FT. AFTER RECEIVING CLRNC, WE CLBED TO 10500 FT AND I BEGAN FLYING INSTS. THIS WAS MY FIRST TIME IN THIS ACFT FLYING INST. THE ACFT HAS DUAL NAVCOMS AND A DME, BOTH TO THE VERY FAR R SIDE OF THE PANEL. I SET THE NAVS TO KEARNEY AND CONTINUED TO FLY. CHKED AWOS AT KEARNEY AND AFTER FLYING FOR APPROX AN HR AND 10-15 MINS, MY SAFETY PLT ANNOUNCED SHE SAW THE ARPT. BOTH NAVS WERE SAYING IT WAS, IN FACT, DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME. WE STARTED OUR DSCNT, AND I WAS STILL UNDER THE HOOD. THE DME WAS ACTING SPORADICALLY AT BEST. PERHAPS THEY ACT THIS WAY REGULARLY OR PERHAPS IT WASN'T RECEIVING A GOOD SIGNAL. I DID REF OUR LOCATION TO HSI (HASTINGS, NE) AND APPEARED TO BE ABOUT RIGHT, BUT NOT EXACTLY. I FELT VERY CONFIDENT IN THE BELIEF THAT MY SAFETY PLT WAS CORRECT AS SHE WAS FROM THE AREA. ANYWAY, I LOOKED AT IT, THERE WERE CERTAIN THINGS THAT I WASN'T INTERPING CORRECTLY. ABOUT 5-10 MI OUT, I PULLED OFF THE HOOD, CALLED STANDARD CALLS AND LANDED. UPON LNDG AND PULLING OFF THE RWY, I DID THINK IT WAS RATHER ODD THAT A CITATION ON BASE FROM THE OTHER DIRECTION HADN'T CALLED IN. TO MY SURPRISE, I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT WE WERE IN GRAND ISLAND TILL WE HAD PULLED OFF THE RWY. I EXITED THE ACFT AND WAS CALLED BY THE TWR AT THE FBO. I EXPLAINED WHAT HAD HAPPENED IN DETAIL AND WAS TOLD I WOULD BE CONTACTED BY THE FSDO OFFICE. I WAS, 3 DAYS LATER ITEMS THAT LED DIRECTLY TO MISTAKE ARE: 1) NOT FAMILIAR ENOUGH WITH ACFT NAV EQUIP AND USE AND LIMITATIONS OF EQUIP. 2) DME NOT WORKING ALL THE TIME. 3) LAYOUT OF NAV EQUIP WAS NOT EASILY READABLE FROM PLT'S LOCATION. 4) LAYOUT OF ARPTS ARE EXACTLY THE SAME.

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.