Narrative:

On a ferry flight in a helicopter (robinson R44) from ca to in. Needed to make a fuel stop in el paso; tx. 20 mi out (northwest) contacted elp approach control. Advised location and altitude (7500 ft MSL) approach responded and gave us a squawk code. Continued towards the airport. At approximately 8 mi out contacted approach control again to advise our position. (Up to this time approach never contacted us.) approach told us to switch to tower frequency. At this time I was using a garmin 420 GPS and el paso sectional for navigation. Called tower to advise them of my location and intentions of landing. Tower ask what we needed. Told them we needed fuel. They ask where on the airport we wanted to go. I told them we were unfamiliar with the field. Tower said there was an FBO on one end of field and another at the base of the tower. I told them I would go to the one at the base of the tower. Tower ask if I could see the tower and if so head towards it. At this time I was using outside references. (I was also thinking about why approach never gave us any type of vectors.) now we were about 4 mi north of the field. I told tower I had the tower in sight and we were cleared to land. As I started my descent tower advised of traffic. I looked for traffic but did not see any. I continued my approach to the base of the tower. Upon landing I could hear elp tower trying to contact us. At first I could not reach them and soon realized it was because we had landed at biggs air force base. I contacted biggs tower. After discussing the situation with them we were cleared for takeoff to elp.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: R44 PLT INADVERTENTLY LANDS AT BIF VICE ELP DURING APCH FOR LNDG.

Narrative: ON A FERRY FLT IN A HELI (ROBINSON R44) FROM CA TO IN. NEEDED TO MAKE A FUEL STOP IN EL PASO; TX. 20 MI OUT (NW) CONTACTED ELP APCH CTL. ADVISED LOCATION AND ALT (7500 FT MSL) APCH RESPONDED AND GAVE US A SQUAWK CODE. CONTINUED TOWARDS THE ARPT. AT APPROX 8 MI OUT CONTACTED APCH CTL AGAIN TO ADVISE OUR POS. (UP TO THIS TIME APCH NEVER CONTACTED US.) APCH TOLD US TO SWITCH TO TWR FREQ. AT THIS TIME I WAS USING A GARMIN 420 GPS AND EL PASO SECTIONAL FOR NAV. CALLED TWR TO ADVISE THEM OF MY LOCATION AND INTENTIONS OF LNDG. TWR ASK WHAT WE NEEDED. TOLD THEM WE NEEDED FUEL. THEY ASK WHERE ON THE ARPT WE WANTED TO GO. I TOLD THEM WE WERE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE FIELD. TWR SAID THERE WAS AN FBO ON ONE END OF FIELD AND ANOTHER AT THE BASE OF THE TWR. I TOLD THEM I WOULD GO TO THE ONE AT THE BASE OF THE TWR. TWR ASK IF I COULD SEE THE TWR AND IF SO HEAD TOWARDS IT. AT THIS TIME I WAS USING OUTSIDE REFS. (I WAS ALSO THINKING ABOUT WHY APCH NEVER GAVE US ANY TYPE OF VECTORS.) NOW WE WERE ABOUT 4 MI N OF THE FIELD. I TOLD TWR I HAD THE TWR IN SIGHT AND WE WERE CLRED TO LAND. AS I STARTED MY DSCNT TWR ADVISED OF TFC. I LOOKED FOR TFC BUT DID NOT SEE ANY. I CONTINUED MY APCH TO THE BASE OF THE TWR. UPON LNDG I COULD HEAR ELP TWR TRYING TO CONTACT US. AT FIRST I COULD NOT REACH THEM AND SOON REALIZED IT WAS BECAUSE WE HAD LANDED AT BIGGS AIR FORCE BASE. I CONTACTED BIGGS TWR. AFTER DISCUSSING THE SITUATION WITH THEM WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF TO ELP.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.