Narrative:

We were to fly to queen city; PA; 1n9. He was PIC; set the flight plan; was familiar with the area; knew the frequencys from memory; contacted ATC to advise of plan. ATC advised airport 12 O'clock position 6 mi; he advised airport in sight; which I also saw and was consistent with notice from ATC. I watched for traffic; he flew the pattern and landed. We departed a few mins later; called ATC for departure clearance and were advised we landed at abe; a class C airport 5 mi away from 1n9. It was visual conditions and we had no conflicts with any traffic. This occurred because he was in an unfamiliar plane and I was in an unfamiliar area. He was relying on me to manage the avionics and I was relying on him to know where he was. I was looking outside the plane for traffic and did not confirm our location with the GPS in the plane. He apparently recognized the field but did not realize it was the wrong one. I took his recognition for granted not knowing there was another airport immediately adjacent to our destination. This could have been avoided by talking through the flight in advance and by reconfirming our location with the GPS equipment on board. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the pilot reporter believes that when the approach controller pointed out the airport at 12 O'clock position 6 mi; they were over 1n9 and the controller was actually pointing out abe. Supplemental information from acn 714820: at approximately XA15 while working local control at abe; abe approach control pointed out a VFR aircraft; 10 NM southwest of abe airport; descending eastbound for 1n9 airport (an uncontrolled airport located 5 NM southwest of abe airport). I observed that the extended downwind of this aircraft to 1n9 began to look more like a left base entry for runway 31 at abe. I informed the radar controller of this situation; who then told me that the aircraft had already been switched to unicom frequency. I widen out and turned my pattern traffic; in the chance that the columbia pilot may soon realize his airport identify error; and then turn away from abe airport. Abe and 1n9 have similar intersecting runway configns; with abe having runways 31/24; and 1n9 having runways 33/25. Considering the possibility that he may be having some radio problem and now intending to land at abe; I gave him a green light to land. He rolled out without incident; and turned left at the first taxiway (B3) to the GA ramp. At approximately XA35 (15 mins later); I observed a single engine aircraft enter onto runway 31 from the GA ramp via taxiway B3; and begin a back-taxi to the approach end runway 31. When asked; ground control told me that he did not issue a taxi clearance to anyone. Several attempts to contact the aircraft were unanswered. As the columbia was turning around at the approach end of runway 31 and uncertain as to when and where this columbia 3 will go; I canceled the runway 24 landing clearance for a CRJ2 who was now on a 2.5 NM final; and issued a climbing turn away from abe airport. I then observed the columbia depart runway 31 and turn swbound. I informed the radar controller about the situation; and his radar position. Shortly afterwards; the columbia contacted abe approach; requesting TA's from 1n9 to ZZZ. The radar controller then advised him of his errors. He was given a telephone number; and was instructed to call abe approach's supervisor as soon as he landed.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COLUMBIA 3 PLT MISTAKES ABE FOR 1N9 AND LANDS WITHOUT CLRNC; THEN DEPARTS WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: WE WERE TO FLY TO QUEEN CITY; PA; 1N9. HE WAS PIC; SET THE FLT PLAN; WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA; KNEW THE FREQS FROM MEMORY; CONTACTED ATC TO ADVISE OF PLAN. ATC ADVISED ARPT 12 O'CLOCK POS 6 MI; HE ADVISED ARPT IN SIGHT; WHICH I ALSO SAW AND WAS CONSISTENT WITH NOTICE FROM ATC. I WATCHED FOR TFC; HE FLEW THE PATTERN AND LANDED. WE DEPARTED A FEW MINS LATER; CALLED ATC FOR DEP CLRNC AND WERE ADVISED WE LANDED AT ABE; A CLASS C ARPT 5 MI AWAY FROM 1N9. IT WAS VISUAL CONDITIONS AND WE HAD NO CONFLICTS WITH ANY TFC. THIS OCCURRED BECAUSE HE WAS IN AN UNFAMILIAR PLANE AND I WAS IN AN UNFAMILIAR AREA. HE WAS RELYING ON ME TO MANAGE THE AVIONICS AND I WAS RELYING ON HIM TO KNOW WHERE HE WAS. I WAS LOOKING OUTSIDE THE PLANE FOR TFC AND DID NOT CONFIRM OUR LOCATION WITH THE GPS IN THE PLANE. HE APPARENTLY RECOGNIZED THE FIELD BUT DID NOT REALIZE IT WAS THE WRONG ONE. I TOOK HIS RECOGNITION FOR GRANTED NOT KNOWING THERE WAS ANOTHER ARPT IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO OUR DEST. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BY TALKING THROUGH THE FLT IN ADVANCE AND BY RECONFIRMING OUR LOCATION WITH THE GPS EQUIP ON BOARD. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE PLT RPTR BELIEVES THAT WHEN THE APCH CTLR POINTED OUT THE ARPT AT 12 O'CLOCK POS 6 MI; THEY WERE OVER 1N9 AND THE CTLR WAS ACTUALLY POINTING OUT ABE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 714820: AT APPROX XA15 WHILE WORKING LCL CTL AT ABE; ABE APCH CTL POINTED OUT A VFR ACFT; 10 NM SW OF ABE ARPT; DSNDING EBOUND FOR 1N9 ARPT (AN UNCTLED ARPT LOCATED 5 NM SW OF ABE ARPT). I OBSERVED THAT THE EXTENDED DOWNWIND OF THIS ACFT TO 1N9 BEGAN TO LOOK MORE LIKE A L BASE ENTRY FOR RWY 31 AT ABE. I INFORMED THE RADAR CTLR OF THIS SITUATION; WHO THEN TOLD ME THAT THE ACFT HAD ALREADY BEEN SWITCHED TO UNICOM FREQ. I WIDEN OUT AND TURNED MY PATTERN TFC; IN THE CHANCE THAT THE COLUMBIA PLT MAY SOON REALIZE HIS ARPT IDENT ERROR; AND THEN TURN AWAY FROM ABE ARPT. ABE AND 1N9 HAVE SIMILAR INTERSECTING RWY CONFIGNS; WITH ABE HAVING RWYS 31/24; AND 1N9 HAVING RWYS 33/25. CONSIDERING THE POSSIBILITY THAT HE MAY BE HAVING SOME RADIO PROB AND NOW INTENDING TO LAND AT ABE; I GAVE HIM A GREEN LIGHT TO LAND. HE ROLLED OUT WITHOUT INCIDENT; AND TURNED L AT THE FIRST TXWY (B3) TO THE GA RAMP. AT APPROX XA35 (15 MINS LATER); I OBSERVED A SINGLE ENG ACFT ENTER ONTO RWY 31 FROM THE GA RAMP VIA TXWY B3; AND BEGIN A BACK-TAXI TO THE APCH END RWY 31. WHEN ASKED; GND CTL TOLD ME THAT HE DID NOT ISSUE A TAXI CLRNC TO ANYONE. SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT THE ACFT WERE UNANSWERED. AS THE COLUMBIA WAS TURNING AROUND AT THE APCH END OF RWY 31 AND UNCERTAIN AS TO WHEN AND WHERE THIS COLUMBIA 3 WILL GO; I CANCELED THE RWY 24 LNDG CLRNC FOR A CRJ2 WHO WAS NOW ON A 2.5 NM FINAL; AND ISSUED A CLBING TURN AWAY FROM ABE ARPT. I THEN OBSERVED THE COLUMBIA DEPART RWY 31 AND TURN SWBOUND. I INFORMED THE RADAR CTLR ABOUT THE SITUATION; AND HIS RADAR POS. SHORTLY AFTERWARDS; THE COLUMBIA CONTACTED ABE APCH; REQUESTING TA'S FROM 1N9 TO ZZZ. THE RADAR CTLR THEN ADVISED HIM OF HIS ERRORS. HE WAS GIVEN A TELEPHONE NUMBER; AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO CALL ABE APCH'S SUPVR AS SOON AS HE LANDED.

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.