Narrative:

I departed ZZZ1; made a right turn out (east) to destination ZZZ about 15 mi distance. I used the 'automatic dial' feature on my garmin to select the ZZZ1 tower frequency. I evidently didn't push the xfer switch hard enough to properly xfer the frequency to ZZZ. Turbulence may have been a factor. I checked the ZZZ ATIS on #2 radio and they were landing north on runway xx. I then called ZZZ and stated 'tower aircraft X; 8 west with ATIS information; landing.' the tower responded with 'enter midfield downwind; landing runway xy' (I didn't catch the runway xy statement). I reported midfield downwind and the tower responded with 'you're following a C182; report him in sight.' I looked and found a cessna just turning 'base.' I stated; I have the cessna in sight; tower said 'follow him.' I flew a normal pattern and followed the cessna. I didn't have any inclination that I wasn't talking with the ZZZ tower until I couldn't get a response for 'clearance to land' so I went around following the cessna and then flew to the northwest out of the pattern. I figured I had a radio failure or some such thing. It was only after trying to communicate again that they asked me to 'identify.' I did so and realized that I was on ZZZ1 tower as ZZZ doesn't have radar in the tower. I checked the frequency in the 'active' position and realized I was still on ZZZ1 tower. A push again of the button xferred me to ZZZ frequency. I landed without incident and called the tower by phone. I stated to ATC in the tower that in 50 yrs of flying; I had never done such a stupid thing. They were concerned that I had entered the 'class D' without clearance. ATC stated that I had made a real mess that they were still trying to recover from with so many on a sunny afternoon. I think if ZZZ1 tower had either told me they were ZZZ1 and not ZZZ or that I had the wrong ATIS; I would have immediately discovered my error. The geography around the ZZZ1 airport is such that the tower may not see aircraft at the position I would have been in one base/final. It was coincidence that a cessna was right downwind just as I saw out my window at ZZZ. I should have caught the runway xy instead of runway xx transmission. Turbulence was a factor in my not pushing the 'xfer' button hard enough for frequency xfer. I had witnessed a tower radio failure at ZZZ one day last fall and wondered if it had happened again. My error was that I pushed the xfer button and didn't check to see what the response was on the radio. The other contributing factor is that this was the normal communication; traffic pattern entry; language used so I didn't suspect anything wrong.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A GLASAIR PILOT FAILED TO SWITCH COM 1 FREQ AND APCHED A RWY AT AN ARPT OTHER THAN HIS DEST. PILOT WENT AROUND AFTER NO ATC LNDG CLRNC.

Narrative: I DEPARTED ZZZ1; MADE A R TURN OUT (E) TO DEST ZZZ ABOUT 15 MI DISTANCE. I USED THE 'AUTO DIAL' FEATURE ON MY GARMIN TO SELECT THE ZZZ1 TWR FREQ. I EVIDENTLY DIDN'T PUSH THE XFER SWITCH HARD ENOUGH TO PROPERLY XFER THE FREQ TO ZZZ. TURB MAY HAVE BEEN A FACTOR. I CHKED THE ZZZ ATIS ON #2 RADIO AND THEY WERE LNDG N ON RWY XX. I THEN CALLED ZZZ AND STATED 'TWR ACFT X; 8 W WITH ATIS INFO; LNDG.' THE TWR RESPONDED WITH 'ENTER MIDFIELD DOWNWIND; LNDG RWY XY' (I DIDN'T CATCH THE RWY XY STATEMENT). I RPTED MIDFIELD DOWNWIND AND THE TWR RESPONDED WITH 'YOU'RE FOLLOWING A C182; RPT HIM IN SIGHT.' I LOOKED AND FOUND A CESSNA JUST TURNING 'BASE.' I STATED; I HAVE THE CESSNA IN SIGHT; TWR SAID 'FOLLOW HIM.' I FLEW A NORMAL PATTERN AND FOLLOWED THE CESSNA. I DIDN'T HAVE ANY INCLINATION THAT I WASN'T TALKING WITH THE ZZZ TWR UNTIL I COULDN'T GET A RESPONSE FOR 'CLRNC TO LAND' SO I WENT AROUND FOLLOWING THE CESSNA AND THEN FLEW TO THE NW OUT OF THE PATTERN. I FIGURED I HAD A RADIO FAILURE OR SOME SUCH THING. IT WAS ONLY AFTER TRYING TO COMMUNICATE AGAIN THAT THEY ASKED ME TO 'IDENT.' I DID SO AND REALIZED THAT I WAS ON ZZZ1 TWR AS ZZZ DOESN'T HAVE RADAR IN THE TWR. I CHKED THE FREQ IN THE 'ACTIVE' POS AND REALIZED I WAS STILL ON ZZZ1 TWR. A PUSH AGAIN OF THE BUTTON XFERRED ME TO ZZZ FREQ. I LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT AND CALLED THE TWR BY PHONE. I STATED TO ATC IN THE TWR THAT IN 50 YRS OF FLYING; I HAD NEVER DONE SUCH A STUPID THING. THEY WERE CONCERNED THAT I HAD ENTERED THE 'CLASS D' WITHOUT CLRNC. ATC STATED THAT I HAD MADE A REAL MESS THAT THEY WERE STILL TRYING TO RECOVER FROM WITH SO MANY ON A SUNNY AFTERNOON. I THINK IF ZZZ1 TWR HAD EITHER TOLD ME THEY WERE ZZZ1 AND NOT ZZZ OR THAT I HAD THE WRONG ATIS; I WOULD HAVE IMMEDIATELY DISCOVERED MY ERROR. THE GEOGRAPHY AROUND THE ZZZ1 ARPT IS SUCH THAT THE TWR MAY NOT SEE ACFT AT THE POS I WOULD HAVE BEEN IN ONE BASE/FINAL. IT WAS COINCIDENCE THAT A CESSNA WAS R DOWNWIND JUST AS I SAW OUT MY WINDOW AT ZZZ. I SHOULD HAVE CAUGHT THE RWY XY INSTEAD OF RWY XX XMISSION. TURB WAS A FACTOR IN MY NOT PUSHING THE 'XFER' BUTTON HARD ENOUGH FOR FREQ XFER. I HAD WITNESSED A TWR RADIO FAILURE AT ZZZ ONE DAY LAST FALL AND WONDERED IF IT HAD HAPPENED AGAIN. MY ERROR WAS THAT I PUSHED THE XFER BUTTON AND DIDN'T CHK TO SEE WHAT THE RESPONSE WAS ON THE RADIO. THE OTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IS THAT THIS WAS THE NORMAL COM; TFC PATTERN ENTRY; LANGUAGE USED SO I DIDN'T SUSPECT ANYTHING WRONG.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.