Narrative:

Chain of events: I was 5-10 mi away from the E63 airport flying VFR using pilotage, and I announced on 122.8 my intention to enter the pattern. E63 is an uncontrolled airport. I asked if anyone was in the pattern and selected runway 22. A bonanza airplane replied that they were on an 'unpublished' IFR approach at 10 mi out with a speed of 120 KTS. Not being an IFR pilot, I did not understand what type of pattern or approach he was performing. The bonanza pilot asked if I could change my selected runway 22 to runway 4. I acknowledged his request and reported that I would comply. I was constantly scanning outside the airplane. The other plane repeated that they were in front of me, so I didn't make a turn for base and maintained my downwind course. During this time of scanning outside the airplane, I was unaware that I passed E63. When I scanned toward the ground, I saw a runway and assumed it to be E63. Finally, I decided to turn base and then final. I announced that I was on final and the bonanza also announced they were on final for runway 4. We both stated we were at the same altitude. I did not look at my instruments since the runway was in sight, and it was a clear day with greater then 20 mi visibility. A few hasty interchanges occurred with the other plane questioning my position. At this point, I could not see the other airplane, which was a low wing airplane and I was flying a high wing airplane. I feared the plane was descending from above me outside of both of our views. I announced that I was going to abort my landing and overfly the airport. At this time I realized that I had flown south several mi and was actually performing a final for gbn. Upon realizing my error, I radioed the other airplane my position. The other airplane radioed back that I should contact gbn and discuss my situation. I radioed gbn, which is class D airspace, and explained that I made a position mistake and my intention was E63, which was 5 NM north. I gave him my tail number. I then proceeded to performing a touch and go at E63 and then headed back to glendale airport. Single engine piston airplanes operating VFR with a single communication radio typically use the communication frequency of the uncontrolled airport when in the pattern to communication with other airplanes in and around the airport. I am used to operating in complicated airspace with multiple class D airports (glendale and goodyear), a military airport (luke air force base) and a class B airport (phoenix) in close proximity. In this situation, every airport has ATC and airplane to airplane communication is not necessary. The gila bend infraction occurred because I was communicating with another airplane who was performing an exercise that was unfamiliar to me in the same airspace. My prime objective was the safety of the plane and passenger. My head was looking out the window not at the instruments. Corrective actions: 1) when an gbn airspace infraction occurs and receives no direct contact, ATC should monitor E63 communication frequency 122.8 for activity. 2) since I was unfamiliar with the unpublished IFR approach procedure the other plane was performing, I will ask for a layman's description of the other plane's intentions and procedure to understand how that will effect my VFR approach. 3) I assumed that I was at E63 not gbn, and wasn't looking for a tower. But, if the tower used light signals, I probably would have seen the lights and recognized my error earlier in the pattern.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF C172 INBOUND TO E63, DISORIENTED DUE TO TFC CONFLICT WITH BE35 MAKING APCH TO THE SAME ARPT, INSTEAD LINES UP IN ERROR WITH NBOUND RWY AT GBN, A MIL FACILITY. REALIZED ERROR, ADVISED ATCT AT GBN AND DEPARTED AREA AFTER GOING AROUND AND SUBSEQUENTLY SHOOTING A TOUCH AND GO AT E63.

Narrative: CHAIN OF EVENTS: I WAS 5-10 MI AWAY FROM THE E63 ARPT FLYING VFR USING PILOTAGE, AND I ANNOUNCED ON 122.8 MY INTENTION TO ENTER THE PATTERN. E63 IS AN UNCTLED ARPT. I ASKED IF ANYONE WAS IN THE PATTERN AND SELECTED RWY 22. A BONANZA AIRPLANE REPLIED THAT THEY WERE ON AN 'UNPUBLISHED' IFR APCH AT 10 MI OUT WITH A SPD OF 120 KTS. NOT BEING AN IFR PLT, I DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT TYPE OF PATTERN OR APCH HE WAS PERFORMING. THE BONANZA PLT ASKED IF I COULD CHANGE MY SELECTED RWY 22 TO RWY 4. I ACKNOWLEDGED HIS REQUEST AND RPTED THAT I WOULD COMPLY. I WAS CONSTANTLY SCANNING OUTSIDE THE AIRPLANE. THE OTHER PLANE REPEATED THAT THEY WERE IN FRONT OF ME, SO I DIDN'T MAKE A TURN FOR BASE AND MAINTAINED MY DOWNWIND COURSE. DURING THIS TIME OF SCANNING OUTSIDE THE AIRPLANE, I WAS UNAWARE THAT I PASSED E63. WHEN I SCANNED TOWARD THE GND, I SAW A RWY AND ASSUMED IT TO BE E63. FINALLY, I DECIDED TO TURN BASE AND THEN FINAL. I ANNOUNCED THAT I WAS ON FINAL AND THE BONANZA ALSO ANNOUNCED THEY WERE ON FINAL FOR RWY 4. WE BOTH STATED WE WERE AT THE SAME ALT. I DID NOT LOOK AT MY INSTS SINCE THE RWY WAS IN SIGHT, AND IT WAS A CLR DAY WITH GREATER THEN 20 MI VISIBILITY. A FEW HASTY INTERCHANGES OCCURRED WITH THE OTHER PLANE QUESTIONING MY POS. AT THIS POINT, I COULD NOT SEE THE OTHER AIRPLANE, WHICH WAS A LOW WING AIRPLANE AND I WAS FLYING A HIGH WING AIRPLANE. I FEARED THE PLANE WAS DSNDING FROM ABOVE ME OUTSIDE OF BOTH OF OUR VIEWS. I ANNOUNCED THAT I WAS GOING TO ABORT MY LNDG AND OVERFLY THE ARPT. AT THIS TIME I REALIZED THAT I HAD FLOWN S SEVERAL MI AND WAS ACTUALLY PERFORMING A FINAL FOR GBN. UPON REALIZING MY ERROR, I RADIOED THE OTHER AIRPLANE MY POS. THE OTHER AIRPLANE RADIOED BACK THAT I SHOULD CONTACT GBN AND DISCUSS MY SIT. I RADIOED GBN, WHICH IS CLASS D AIRSPACE, AND EXPLAINED THAT I MADE A POS MISTAKE AND MY INTENTION WAS E63, WHICH WAS 5 NM N. I GAVE HIM MY TAIL NUMBER. I THEN PROCEEDED TO PERFORMING A TOUCH AND GO AT E63 AND THEN HEADED BACK TO GLENDALE ARPT. SINGLE ENG PISTON AIRPLANES OPERATING VFR WITH A SINGLE COM RADIO TYPICALLY USE THE COM FREQ OF THE UNCTLED ARPT WHEN IN THE PATTERN TO COM WITH OTHER AIRPLANES IN AND AROUND THE ARPT. I AM USED TO OPERATING IN COMPLICATED AIRSPACE WITH MULTIPLE CLASS D ARPTS (GLENDALE AND GOODYEAR), A MIL ARPT (LUKE AIR FORCE BASE) AND A CLASS B ARPT (PHOENIX) IN CLOSE PROX. IN THIS SIT, EVERY ARPT HAS ATC AND AIRPLANE TO AIRPLANE COM IS NOT NECESSARY. THE GILA BEND INFRACTION OCCURRED BECAUSE I WAS COMMUNICATING WITH ANOTHER AIRPLANE WHO WAS PERFORMING AN EXERCISE THAT WAS UNFAMILIAR TO ME IN THE SAME AIRSPACE. MY PRIME OBJECTIVE WAS THE SAFETY OF THE PLANE AND PAX. MY HEAD WAS LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW NOT AT THE INSTS. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: 1) WHEN AN GBN AIRSPACE INFRACTION OCCURS AND RECEIVES NO DIRECT CONTACT, ATC SHOULD MONITOR E63 COM FREQ 122.8 FOR ACTIVITY. 2) SINCE I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE UNPUBLISHED IFR APCH PROC THE OTHER PLANE WAS PERFORMING, I WILL ASK FOR A LAYMAN'S DESCRIPTION OF THE OTHER PLANE'S INTENTIONS AND PROC TO UNDERSTAND HOW THAT WILL EFFECT MY VFR APCH. 3) I ASSUMED THAT I WAS AT E63 NOT GBN, AND WASN'T LOOKING FOR A TWR. BUT, IF THE TWR USED LIGHT SIGNALS, I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE SEEN THE LIGHTS AND RECOGNIZED MY ERROR EARLIER IN THE PATTERN.

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.