Narrative:

I was flying a maule mt-7, solo, and I had filed a VFR flight plan with operations. I took off at XA55. I planned to do several lndgs for practice, and then go to front range airport (ftg). I took off and after 1 touch-and-go landing, I turned toward ftg. The actual WX, out the window, was clear with extremely good visibility. With the wind out of the south, I planned to land on runway 17, which is on the east side of the airfield. Front range is a non twred airport. I tuned in the CTAF (123.0) and looking out the window I could see what I took as runway 17 ahead of me. I announced on the CTAF that I would be joining downwind at 45 degrees for a landing on runway 17. There was another airplane which announced he was landing on runway 17, and would taxi back for a takeoff. When I called 'downwind, runway 17,' the other airplane said he would hold for me. I told him I would extend, and he could depart. As I passed the threshold, I could not see any other airplane, but noticed there appeared to be vehicles at the south end of the runway. I called the other airplane and asked if there were vehicles on the south end of the runway, and he stated there were not, although there was a vehicle holding short. I proceeded to do a touch-and-go landing. As I executed the go around, I could see that indeed there were vehicles on the runway, and looking back to my right, I could see that I had landed on the easternmost n-s runway at den airport. I immediately proceeded to front range, and while on downwind for landing on runway 26, I received a message on the CTAF asking me to come to the FBO upon landing. I landed. I called and was told it was the denver tower. I idented myself, and the controller asked if I knew that I had landed on a closed runway. I replied that I did not, but had quickly realized I had landed at the wrong airport. There were no X's on the runway, and since I had not planned to go to den, I had not checked den NOTAMS. I was told the FSDO people would interview me. I asked if I could ferry the airplane to another airport and talk to them there. They said that was ok and said the FSDO would contact me later. I took off and landed. Obviously, it was a serious mistake, especially as I fly in the area regularly, which probably made me complacent. Since the WX was clear I did not rely on any radio aids. Ftg does not have a VOR, although there is an NDB 5 mi east. I also stayed only 1500 ft to remain under the class B airspace on the way to ftg. Had the wind been from the east or west, I would have planned on that runway, and likely would have recognized where I was, but since I was only planning touch-and-goes, I chose the south runway, and since den has a south runway on the east of the field, I misidented it as the one at ftg. The 2 runways are about 7 mi apart. Since the distance to ftg is fairly short and I was alone in the airplane, I was fairly busy changing frequencys, writing down the WX, and giving my position on the CTAF. I did communicate with other airplanes on that frequency, but no one said that they did not have me in sight. A slight factor was that I had fairly recently checked out in that type of airplane, and was not as familiar with the radios as others I fly. As soon as I recognized that I was not at the correct airport, I left the area, but did not contact the den tower, and landed very shortly at the correct airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A MAULE MT-7 PLT INADVERTENTLY ENTERS DEN CLASS B, PERFORMS A TOUCH-AND-GO ON CLOSED RWY 17, BELIEVING THAT HE WAS LNDG AT FTG, CO.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING A MAULE MT-7, SOLO, AND I HAD FILED A VFR FLT PLAN WITH OPS. I TOOK OFF AT XA55. I PLANNED TO DO SEVERAL LNDGS FOR PRACTICE, AND THEN GO TO FRONT RANGE ARPT (FTG). I TOOK OFF AND AFTER 1 TOUCH-AND-GO LNDG, I TURNED TOWARD FTG. THE ACTUAL WX, OUT THE WINDOW, WAS CLR WITH EXTREMELY GOOD VISIBILITY. WITH THE WIND OUT OF THE S, I PLANNED TO LAND ON RWY 17, WHICH IS ON THE E SIDE OF THE AIRFIELD. FRONT RANGE IS A NON TWRED ARPT. I TUNED IN THE CTAF (123.0) AND LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW I COULD SEE WHAT I TOOK AS RWY 17 AHEAD OF ME. I ANNOUNCED ON THE CTAF THAT I WOULD BE JOINING DOWNWIND AT 45 DEGS FOR A LNDG ON RWY 17. THERE WAS ANOTHER AIRPLANE WHICH ANNOUNCED HE WAS LNDG ON RWY 17, AND WOULD TAXI BACK FOR A TKOF. WHEN I CALLED 'DOWNWIND, RWY 17,' THE OTHER AIRPLANE SAID HE WOULD HOLD FOR ME. I TOLD HIM I WOULD EXTEND, AND HE COULD DEPART. AS I PASSED THE THRESHOLD, I COULD NOT SEE ANY OTHER AIRPLANE, BUT NOTICED THERE APPEARED TO BE VEHICLES AT THE S END OF THE RWY. I CALLED THE OTHER AIRPLANE AND ASKED IF THERE WERE VEHICLES ON THE S END OF THE RWY, AND HE STATED THERE WERE NOT, ALTHOUGH THERE WAS A VEHICLE HOLDING SHORT. I PROCEEDED TO DO A TOUCH-AND-GO LNDG. AS I EXECUTED THE GAR, I COULD SEE THAT INDEED THERE WERE VEHICLES ON THE RWY, AND LOOKING BACK TO MY R, I COULD SEE THAT I HAD LANDED ON THE EASTERNMOST N-S RWY AT DEN ARPT. I IMMEDIATELY PROCEEDED TO FRONT RANGE, AND WHILE ON DOWNWIND FOR LNDG ON RWY 26, I RECEIVED A MESSAGE ON THE CTAF ASKING ME TO COME TO THE FBO UPON LNDG. I LANDED. I CALLED AND WAS TOLD IT WAS THE DENVER TWR. I IDENTED MYSELF, AND THE CTLR ASKED IF I KNEW THAT I HAD LANDED ON A CLOSED RWY. I REPLIED THAT I DID NOT, BUT HAD QUICKLY REALIZED I HAD LANDED AT THE WRONG ARPT. THERE WERE NO X'S ON THE RWY, AND SINCE I HAD NOT PLANNED TO GO TO DEN, I HAD NOT CHKED DEN NOTAMS. I WAS TOLD THE FSDO PEOPLE WOULD INTERVIEW ME. I ASKED IF I COULD FERRY THE AIRPLANE TO ANOTHER ARPT AND TALK TO THEM THERE. THEY SAID THAT WAS OK AND SAID THE FSDO WOULD CONTACT ME LATER. I TOOK OFF AND LANDED. OBVIOUSLY, IT WAS A SERIOUS MISTAKE, ESPECIALLY AS I FLY IN THE AREA REGULARLY, WHICH PROBABLY MADE ME COMPLACENT. SINCE THE WX WAS CLR I DID NOT RELY ON ANY RADIO AIDS. FTG DOES NOT HAVE A VOR, ALTHOUGH THERE IS AN NDB 5 MI E. I ALSO STAYED ONLY 1500 FT TO REMAIN UNDER THE CLASS B AIRSPACE ON THE WAY TO FTG. HAD THE WIND BEEN FROM THE E OR W, I WOULD HAVE PLANNED ON THAT RWY, AND LIKELY WOULD HAVE RECOGNIZED WHERE I WAS, BUT SINCE I WAS ONLY PLANNING TOUCH-AND-GOES, I CHOSE THE S RWY, AND SINCE DEN HAS A S RWY ON THE E OF THE FIELD, I MISIDENTED IT AS THE ONE AT FTG. THE 2 RWYS ARE ABOUT 7 MI APART. SINCE THE DISTANCE TO FTG IS FAIRLY SHORT AND I WAS ALONE IN THE AIRPLANE, I WAS FAIRLY BUSY CHANGING FREQS, WRITING DOWN THE WX, AND GIVING MY POS ON THE CTAF. I DID COMMUNICATE WITH OTHER AIRPLANES ON THAT FREQ, BUT NO ONE SAID THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE ME IN SIGHT. A SLIGHT FACTOR WAS THAT I HAD FAIRLY RECENTLY CHKED OUT IN THAT TYPE OF AIRPLANE, AND WAS NOT AS FAMILIAR WITH THE RADIOS AS OTHERS I FLY. AS SOON AS I RECOGNIZED THAT I WAS NOT AT THE CORRECT ARPT, I LEFT THE AREA, BUT DID NOT CONTACT THE DEN TWR, AND LANDED VERY SHORTLY AT THE CORRECT ARPT.

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.