Narrative:

The flight was uneventful. We used VFR flight following; got handed off 3 times during the route. Nearing the end of the flight; socal asked if we had the field in sight. We did (we thought we did) and they handed us to ont tower; who also asked if we had the field in sight and then changed us to CTAF at which I believe was 3-4 mi; though that probably would be too close -- maybe it was a few more mi out. At this point we had already made up our minds that this airport was indeed our destination. The visual looked about right -- angle of the runway with regards to approach heading; etc. On short final; a C152 was spotted and evasive action was taken in the form of a 180 degree turn to the north and back east. After about most of a 2 min turn; we saw the aircraft exiting the runway in the distance. (Appeared to be; as it was dark; landing lights and position lights were noted moving on the ground.) we make another base entry to this runway; make another radio call on 123.0 stating our position as left downwind; 3 mi base. Then another radio call announcing our position on final to runway 24; ccb. What I didn't look at was the heading and 2 line GPS readout that probably would not have agreed and would have made me question the situation. Next; we land; and turn off the runway to the south and are looking for the 'huge tetrahedron.' we pass a windsock and over the radio is coming bits and pieces about 'an idiot cessna that just landed on; and is taxiing on; the south side; not talking to anyone.' some more chatter comes in and out on the radio to when I said to the other person; who thought that the chatter was about the C152 that had landed ahead of us and; as we thought; 'cut us off' -- after all; we were broadcasting our intentions on the CTAF (for ccb). Some further discussion on the radio and both of us noticed the control tower in the distance right about the same time and somehow we made contact with them. They came on 123.0 and told us to contact ground control on 122.2; which we did. It was pretty evident at this point that we had landed at the wrong airport. Interestingly; I had noted during the flight that the last time I was in this area; I had been to bracket; they have 2 runways; and a control tower that looks like a dalek (sci-fi; dr who; robot character). I did not see that tower. Or the second runway while on either of the 2 final approachs. The moon had not yet risen; the lighting was ambient from the ground. Only towards the end of all the radio chatter did we realize what happened. Contributing factors: I'm kind of surprised that ATC didn't say something; but looking at the chart; and our approximately position; it's plausible that we were in fact headed toward ccb; maybe not. The 2 line text only displays GPS said '3 mi' to ccb; the other person said 'that GPS is wrong' (that went right over my head) -- after all; we had a 1-RWY; aligned within reason; airport right in front of us. Yes; there are multiple airports in the vicinity. Yes; we were aware of this. But it all boils down to who was in the airplane. The controllers are not flying; we are. Next time I fly; I will not take 'I've already done the preflight' and 'this is where we are going' for an answer. After a short dialog with the ground control; we departed poc and proceeded to ccb where we completed our objective; picked up the passenger and returned to ZZZ. What did I learn here: never again take directions from the right seat only; always confirm your thoughts. I took it for granted that he said 'that is the airport' and landed there. After all; he flies daily; but he did tell me he had never been to ccb and yet I have been. How that was possible; to land on runway 26L; left mind you; 2 runways -- 1 unlit though; with an operating control tower with red lights on its roof; when we were supposed to be landing on runway 24 of a single runway airport; I can't tell you how neither of us noticed these seemingly obvious differences -- except; we didn't. Dead reckoning alone; on a fairly bright night -- obviously did not work. Yes; we idented ont; yes flight following and ont tower never said anything out of the norm. So; we went ahead. Is it ultimately their job? No. They are not flying the plane. Interrogate your instincts a little more. Don't blow 'em off 'cause you think 'they're (the other person) right and you're not.' complacency can kill.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TWO QUALIFIED PILOTS LAND A C172 WITH GPS AT AN INCORRECT ARPT NEAR THEIR DEST.

Narrative: THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. WE USED VFR FLT FOLLOWING; GOT HANDED OFF 3 TIMES DURING THE RTE. NEARING THE END OF THE FLT; SOCAL ASKED IF WE HAD THE FIELD IN SIGHT. WE DID (WE THOUGHT WE DID) AND THEY HANDED US TO ONT TWR; WHO ALSO ASKED IF WE HAD THE FIELD IN SIGHT AND THEN CHANGED US TO CTAF AT WHICH I BELIEVE WAS 3-4 MI; THOUGH THAT PROBABLY WOULD BE TOO CLOSE -- MAYBE IT WAS A FEW MORE MI OUT. AT THIS POINT WE HAD ALREADY MADE UP OUR MINDS THAT THIS ARPT WAS INDEED OUR DEST. THE VISUAL LOOKED ABOUT RIGHT -- ANGLE OF THE RWY WITH REGARDS TO APCH HDG; ETC. ON SHORT FINAL; A C152 WAS SPOTTED AND EVASIVE ACTION WAS TAKEN IN THE FORM OF A 180 DEG TURN TO THE N AND BACK E. AFTER ABOUT MOST OF A 2 MIN TURN; WE SAW THE ACFT EXITING THE RWY IN THE DISTANCE. (APPEARED TO BE; AS IT WAS DARK; LNDG LIGHTS AND POS LIGHTS WERE NOTED MOVING ON THE GND.) WE MAKE ANOTHER BASE ENTRY TO THIS RWY; MAKE ANOTHER RADIO CALL ON 123.0 STATING OUR POS AS L DOWNWIND; 3 MI BASE. THEN ANOTHER RADIO CALL ANNOUNCING OUR POS ON FINAL TO RWY 24; CCB. WHAT I DIDN'T LOOK AT WAS THE HDG AND 2 LINE GPS READOUT THAT PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE AGREED AND WOULD HAVE MADE ME QUESTION THE SITUATION. NEXT; WE LAND; AND TURN OFF THE RWY TO THE S AND ARE LOOKING FOR THE 'HUGE TETRAHEDRON.' WE PASS A WINDSOCK AND OVER THE RADIO IS COMING BITS AND PIECES ABOUT 'AN IDIOT CESSNA THAT JUST LANDED ON; AND IS TAXIING ON; THE S SIDE; NOT TALKING TO ANYONE.' SOME MORE CHATTER COMES IN AND OUT ON THE RADIO TO WHEN I SAID TO THE OTHER PERSON; WHO THOUGHT THAT THE CHATTER WAS ABOUT THE C152 THAT HAD LANDED AHEAD OF US AND; AS WE THOUGHT; 'CUT US OFF' -- AFTER ALL; WE WERE BROADCASTING OUR INTENTIONS ON THE CTAF (FOR CCB). SOME FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE RADIO AND BOTH OF US NOTICED THE CTL TWR IN THE DISTANCE RIGHT ABOUT THE SAME TIME AND SOMEHOW WE MADE CONTACT WITH THEM. THEY CAME ON 123.0 AND TOLD US TO CONTACT GND CTL ON 122.2; WHICH WE DID. IT WAS PRETTY EVIDENT AT THIS POINT THAT WE HAD LANDED AT THE WRONG ARPT. INTERESTINGLY; I HAD NOTED DURING THE FLT THAT THE LAST TIME I WAS IN THIS AREA; I HAD BEEN TO BRACKET; THEY HAVE 2 RWYS; AND A CTL TWR THAT LOOKS LIKE A DALEK (SCI-FI; DR WHO; ROBOT CHARACTER). I DID NOT SEE THAT TWR. OR THE SECOND RWY WHILE ON EITHER OF THE 2 FINAL APCHS. THE MOON HAD NOT YET RISEN; THE LIGHTING WAS AMBIENT FROM THE GND. ONLY TOWARDS THE END OF ALL THE RADIO CHATTER DID WE REALIZE WHAT HAPPENED. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: I'M KIND OF SURPRISED THAT ATC DIDN'T SAY SOMETHING; BUT LOOKING AT THE CHART; AND OUR APPROX POS; IT'S PLAUSIBLE THAT WE WERE IN FACT HEADED TOWARD CCB; MAYBE NOT. THE 2 LINE TEXT ONLY DISPLAYS GPS SAID '3 MI' TO CCB; THE OTHER PERSON SAID 'THAT GPS IS WRONG' (THAT WENT RIGHT OVER MY HEAD) -- AFTER ALL; WE HAD A 1-RWY; ALIGNED WITHIN REASON; ARPT RIGHT IN FRONT OF US. YES; THERE ARE MULTIPLE ARPTS IN THE VICINITY. YES; WE WERE AWARE OF THIS. BUT IT ALL BOILS DOWN TO WHO WAS IN THE AIRPLANE. THE CTLRS ARE NOT FLYING; WE ARE. NEXT TIME I FLY; I WILL NOT TAKE 'I'VE ALREADY DONE THE PREFLT' AND 'THIS IS WHERE WE ARE GOING' FOR AN ANSWER. AFTER A SHORT DIALOG WITH THE GND CTL; WE DEPARTED POC AND PROCEEDED TO CCB WHERE WE COMPLETED OUR OBJECTIVE; PICKED UP THE PAX AND RETURNED TO ZZZ. WHAT DID I LEARN HERE: NEVER AGAIN TAKE DIRECTIONS FROM THE R SEAT ONLY; ALWAYS CONFIRM YOUR THOUGHTS. I TOOK IT FOR GRANTED THAT HE SAID 'THAT IS THE ARPT' AND LANDED THERE. AFTER ALL; HE FLIES DAILY; BUT HE DID TELL ME HE HAD NEVER BEEN TO CCB AND YET I HAVE BEEN. HOW THAT WAS POSSIBLE; TO LAND ON RWY 26L; LEFT MIND YOU; 2 RWYS -- 1 UNLIT THOUGH; WITH AN OPERATING CTL TWR WITH RED LIGHTS ON ITS ROOF; WHEN WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE LNDG ON RWY 24 OF A SINGLE RWY ARPT; I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW NEITHER OF US NOTICED THESE SEEMINGLY OBVIOUS DIFFERENCES -- EXCEPT; WE DIDN'T. DEAD RECKONING ALONE; ON A FAIRLY BRIGHT NIGHT -- OBVIOUSLY DID NOT WORK. YES; WE IDENTED ONT; YES FLT FOLLOWING AND ONT TWR NEVER SAID ANYTHING OUT OF THE NORM. SO; WE WENT AHEAD. IS IT ULTIMATELY THEIR JOB? NO. THEY ARE NOT FLYING THE PLANE. INTERROGATE YOUR INSTINCTS A LITTLE MORE. DON'T BLOW 'EM OFF 'CAUSE YOU THINK 'THEY'RE (THE OTHER PERSON) RIGHT AND YOU'RE NOT.' COMPLACENCY CAN KILL.

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.