Narrative:

The day started with typical southern california stratus; resulting in high IFR traffic during the morning hours and probably delayed VFR flts until the afternoon clearing. I was repositioning to myf. Although I have flown in the la basin for 30 yrs; in high density; I elected to file IFR to myf to deal with the class B airspace and sequencing into myf. Checking in on the approach sector was delayed 3-4 mins due to frequency congestion. The controller was talking non-stop. I believe I am in the upper 10% of pilots -- I fly professionally. However; this controller was clearly overworked and doing a reasonable job of it. To 'help out;' I offered that I had the airport and would accept a visual. In fact; I made a rookie error of misidenting the airport -- I was looking at see instead of myf. The controller cleared me for a visual. He did not point out the airport. When I attempted to check in with myf tower; I again encountered overly congested frequencys -- the tower and pilots were stepping on each other. It took about 90 seconds to check in. I reported downwind high. (I was at see; not myf.) the tower controller did not acknowledge until the 3RD or 4TH call. At that time; he gave me vectors. I complied for about 1 mi; then called again; refusing the vector which was into a mountain. At that time I was about 700-1000 ft above terrain and housing; but terrain was rising. Finally; the controller must have realized that I was not the aircraft he thought he was vectoring and asked me to squawk XXXX. (I was still on my IFR code.) he then determined that I was at the wrong airport and gave me climb and new vectors for an uneventful landing. Had this been a night approach; the spurious vectors could have been into terrain. In thinking about fault; the bulk of the blame lies with me: I lost situational awareness. In thinking about the approach; I was suckered into believing that see was my airport. I had idented miramar and san; but had lost track of how far east I had come. I had the ILS and GPS overlay set up in the garmins. (And I teach garmin usage. I am probably in the upper 5% of pilots in using these tools.) I simply tuned out other situational cues -- I 'had the airport.' fortunately; I did retain traffic situational awareness. I was monitoring my active tcad system and visually watching traffic at see. The approach controller could have broken the error chain by pointing out the airport. 'Airport 3 O'clock and 10 mi; cleared for the visual' would have set off alarms when the airport I saw was 9 O'clock position and 3 mi. The frequency congestion is a real problem; both at socal and at the tower. I firmly believe that both of these should have been broken into smaller sectors. Myf always is busy on the radio. They operate 2 runways. They should have 2 frequencys -- left and right runways. The tower controller misused radar. I was given a vector without him identing me. The vector was into high terrain. At night; this could have been fatal.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TWIN CESSNA PILOT REPORTS MISIDENTIFYING SEE WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LAND VISUALLY AT MYF AND PROBLEMS WITH FREQUENCY CONGESTION ON BOTH APPROACH AND MYF TOWER.

Narrative: THE DAY STARTED WITH TYPICAL SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA STRATUS; RESULTING IN HIGH IFR TFC DURING THE MORNING HRS AND PROBABLY DELAYED VFR FLTS UNTIL THE AFTERNOON CLRING. I WAS REPOSITIONING TO MYF. ALTHOUGH I HAVE FLOWN IN THE LA BASIN FOR 30 YRS; IN HIGH DENSITY; I ELECTED TO FILE IFR TO MYF TO DEAL WITH THE CLASS B AIRSPACE AND SEQUENCING INTO MYF. CHKING IN ON THE APCH SECTOR WAS DELAYED 3-4 MINS DUE TO FREQ CONGESTION. THE CTLR WAS TALKING NON-STOP. I BELIEVE I AM IN THE UPPER 10% OF PLTS -- I FLY PROFESSIONALLY. HOWEVER; THIS CTLR WAS CLEARLY OVERWORKED AND DOING A REASONABLE JOB OF IT. TO 'HELP OUT;' I OFFERED THAT I HAD THE ARPT AND WOULD ACCEPT A VISUAL. IN FACT; I MADE A ROOKIE ERROR OF MISIDENTING THE ARPT -- I WAS LOOKING AT SEE INSTEAD OF MYF. THE CTLR CLRED ME FOR A VISUAL. HE DID NOT POINT OUT THE ARPT. WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO CHK IN WITH MYF TWR; I AGAIN ENCOUNTERED OVERLY CONGESTED FREQS -- THE TWR AND PLTS WERE STEPPING ON EACH OTHER. IT TOOK ABOUT 90 SECONDS TO CHK IN. I RPTED DOWNWIND HIGH. (I WAS AT SEE; NOT MYF.) THE TWR CTLR DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE UNTIL THE 3RD OR 4TH CALL. AT THAT TIME; HE GAVE ME VECTORS. I COMPLIED FOR ABOUT 1 MI; THEN CALLED AGAIN; REFUSING THE VECTOR WHICH WAS INTO A MOUNTAIN. AT THAT TIME I WAS ABOUT 700-1000 FT ABOVE TERRAIN AND HOUSING; BUT TERRAIN WAS RISING. FINALLY; THE CTLR MUST HAVE REALIZED THAT I WAS NOT THE ACFT HE THOUGHT HE WAS VECTORING AND ASKED ME TO SQUAWK XXXX. (I WAS STILL ON MY IFR CODE.) HE THEN DETERMINED THAT I WAS AT THE WRONG ARPT AND GAVE ME CLB AND NEW VECTORS FOR AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. HAD THIS BEEN A NIGHT APCH; THE SPURIOUS VECTORS COULD HAVE BEEN INTO TERRAIN. IN THINKING ABOUT FAULT; THE BULK OF THE BLAME LIES WITH ME: I LOST SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. IN THINKING ABOUT THE APCH; I WAS SUCKERED INTO BELIEVING THAT SEE WAS MY ARPT. I HAD IDENTED MIRAMAR AND SAN; BUT HAD LOST TRACK OF HOW FAR E I HAD COME. I HAD THE ILS AND GPS OVERLAY SET UP IN THE GARMINS. (AND I TEACH GARMIN USAGE. I AM PROBABLY IN THE UPPER 5% OF PLTS IN USING THESE TOOLS.) I SIMPLY TUNED OUT OTHER SITUATIONAL CUES -- I 'HAD THE ARPT.' FORTUNATELY; I DID RETAIN TFC SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. I WAS MONITORING MY ACTIVE TCAD SYS AND VISUALLY WATCHING TFC AT SEE. THE APCH CTLR COULD HAVE BROKEN THE ERROR CHAIN BY POINTING OUT THE ARPT. 'ARPT 3 O'CLOCK AND 10 MI; CLRED FOR THE VISUAL' WOULD HAVE SET OFF ALARMS WHEN THE ARPT I SAW WAS 9 O'CLOCK POS AND 3 MI. THE FREQ CONGESTION IS A REAL PROB; BOTH AT SOCAL AND AT THE TWR. I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT BOTH OF THESE SHOULD HAVE BEEN BROKEN INTO SMALLER SECTORS. MYF ALWAYS IS BUSY ON THE RADIO. THEY OPERATE 2 RWYS. THEY SHOULD HAVE 2 FREQS -- L AND R RWYS. THE TWR CTLR MISUSED RADAR. I WAS GIVEN A VECTOR WITHOUT HIM IDENTING ME. THE VECTOR WAS INTO HIGH TERRAIN. AT NIGHT; THIS COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL.

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.