Narrative:

On X jan 1988, a VFR flight was planned originating at mc kenzie, tn and was to conclude at smyrna, tn. A WX briefing was obtained on the morning of X jan, which indicated winds at 3000' at 280 degrees with reported visibility at nashville of 12 mi. In plotting the course, I had proposed to fly dir until I arrived at the boundary of the nashville arsa, at which time I had planned to fly slightly south and come into smyrna from the south. This would direct me clear of any interference with the arsa. Additionally, I had planned to arrive at smyrna at approximately xx hours to avoid any commuter business traffic which may occur in the early hours of morning. I departed carroll county airport, mc kenzie, tn. After flying a short distance, I established that I had a ground speed of 115 mph creating arrival within an hour. All along the course I showed myself approximately 3 mi south of my planned course, which I felt comfortable with due to it allowing me an additional buffer preventing direct contact with the arsa. I also had planned the exact point in which I would begin contact with smyrna tower or unicom, whichever was in service. All was going as planned, so it seemed, up to where I made visual contact of what I thought to be smyrna airport. Upon arriving at my point to initiate contact with smyrna, I began attempting contact with no results. Efforts were continuously made on both tower and unicom frequency. My altitude at this time was approximately 1700' MSL, a safe altitude should I penetrate the outer skirts of the arsa. I continued my pre-planned approach from the south. As I was inbound from the south, I distinctly remember scanning to the nnw in an effort to identify the nashville airport. However, due to the somewhat hazy visibility, I determined that I would be unable to identify it clearly. I began my terrain referencing and attempting to establish ground references to verify that I was at smyrna. I noticed the body of water to the east, the water tower adjacent to the runway and the row of large bldgs lying on the east side of the runway. According to the flight guide runway diagram which I was referring to, all seemed in order. However, I was uncomfortable with my inability to make radio contact. At one point, which was my first mistake, it occurred to me that I should hold short and establish radio contact with someone. However, I was over-ridden with assurance of being on course due to no major activity (air traffic) at the airport and the terrain features mentioned earlier. Arriving closer to the arsa, still reporting my position and attempting to gain radio contact, I began an effort to read the runway numbers. It was then I began realizing that something was definitely wrong. I alerted my passenger to watch closely for traffic. Upon assessing my position, an immediate turn and des toward the east was made to insure sep from any traffic. I proceeded ese until I was out of the arsa. I located the smyrna airport and landed. Considering human performance factors, my first error was not making radio contact with nashville arsa upon having doubt as to my exact location. Secondly, a navigation error was made not knowing exactly where I was while operating around an intense area such as the arsa. I am ashamed, embarrassed and responsible for my actions. I am, however, thankful no serious conflict occurred. With only words to express this at the present time, I have learned a serious lesson. It will not happen again! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: no VOR aboard small 2-PLACE plane. Pilotage only to navigate. Nashville airport and smyrna airport runways are laid out very similarly, the river and bldgs are also similar. 2 airlines have made the reverse mistake, nearly landing at smyrna instead of nashville.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT ENROUTE ARPT UNDER EDGE OF ARSA PENETRATED ARSA AIRSPACE.

Narrative: ON X JAN 1988, A VFR FLT WAS PLANNED ORIGINATING AT MC KENZIE, TN AND WAS TO CONCLUDE AT SMYRNA, TN. A WX BRIEFING WAS OBTAINED ON THE MORNING OF X JAN, WHICH INDICATED WINDS AT 3000' AT 280 DEGS WITH RPTED VIS AT NASHVILLE OF 12 MI. IN PLOTTING THE COURSE, I HAD PROPOSED TO FLY DIR UNTIL I ARRIVED AT THE BOUNDARY OF THE NASHVILLE ARSA, AT WHICH TIME I HAD PLANNED TO FLY SLIGHTLY S AND COME INTO SMYRNA FROM THE S. THIS WOULD DIRECT ME CLR OF ANY INTERFERENCE WITH THE ARSA. ADDITIONALLY, I HAD PLANNED TO ARRIVE AT SMYRNA AT APPROX XX HRS TO AVOID ANY COMMUTER BUSINESS TFC WHICH MAY OCCUR IN THE EARLY HRS OF MORNING. I DEPARTED CARROLL COUNTY ARPT, MC KENZIE, TN. AFTER FLYING A SHORT DISTANCE, I ESTABLISHED THAT I HAD A GND SPD OF 115 MPH CREATING ARR WITHIN AN HR. ALL ALONG THE COURSE I SHOWED MYSELF APPROX 3 MI S OF MY PLANNED COURSE, WHICH I FELT COMFORTABLE WITH DUE TO IT ALLOWING ME AN ADDITIONAL BUFFER PREVENTING DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE ARSA. I ALSO HAD PLANNED THE EXACT POINT IN WHICH I WOULD BEGIN CONTACT WITH SMYRNA TWR OR UNICOM, WHICHEVER WAS IN SVC. ALL WAS GOING AS PLANNED, SO IT SEEMED, UP TO WHERE I MADE VISUAL CONTACT OF WHAT I THOUGHT TO BE SMYRNA ARPT. UPON ARRIVING AT MY POINT TO INITIATE CONTACT WITH SMYRNA, I BEGAN ATTEMPTING CONTACT WITH NO RESULTS. EFFORTS WERE CONTINUOUSLY MADE ON BOTH TWR AND UNICOM FREQ. MY ALT AT THIS TIME WAS APPROX 1700' MSL, A SAFE ALT SHOULD I PENETRATE THE OUTER SKIRTS OF THE ARSA. I CONTINUED MY PRE-PLANNED APCH FROM THE S. AS I WAS INBND FROM THE S, I DISTINCTLY REMEMBER SCANNING TO THE NNW IN AN EFFORT TO IDENTIFY THE NASHVILLE ARPT. HOWEVER, DUE TO THE SOMEWHAT HAZY VIS, I DETERMINED THAT I WOULD BE UNABLE TO IDENTIFY IT CLEARLY. I BEGAN MY TERRAIN REFERENCING AND ATTEMPTING TO ESTABLISH GND REFERENCES TO VERIFY THAT I WAS AT SMYRNA. I NOTICED THE BODY OF WATER TO THE E, THE WATER TWR ADJACENT TO THE RWY AND THE ROW OF LARGE BLDGS LYING ON THE E SIDE OF THE RWY. ACCORDING TO THE FLT GUIDE RWY DIAGRAM WHICH I WAS REFERRING TO, ALL SEEMED IN ORDER. HOWEVER, I WAS UNCOMFORTABLE WITH MY INABILITY TO MAKE RADIO CONTACT. AT ONE POINT, WHICH WAS MY FIRST MISTAKE, IT OCCURRED TO ME THAT I SHOULD HOLD SHORT AND ESTABLISH RADIO CONTACT WITH SOMEONE. HOWEVER, I WAS OVER-RIDDEN WITH ASSURANCE OF BEING ON COURSE DUE TO NO MAJOR ACTIVITY (AIR TFC) AT THE ARPT AND THE TERRAIN FEATURES MENTIONED EARLIER. ARRIVING CLOSER TO THE ARSA, STILL REPORTING MY POS AND ATTEMPTING TO GAIN RADIO CONTACT, I BEGAN AN EFFORT TO READ THE RWY NUMBERS. IT WAS THEN I BEGAN REALIZING THAT SOMETHING WAS DEFINITELY WRONG. I ALERTED MY PAX TO WATCH CLOSELY FOR TFC. UPON ASSESSING MY POS, AN IMMEDIATE TURN AND DES TOWARD THE E WAS MADE TO INSURE SEP FROM ANY TFC. I PROCEEDED ESE UNTIL I WAS OUT OF THE ARSA. I LOCATED THE SMYRNA ARPT AND LANDED. CONSIDERING HUMAN PERFORMANCE FACTORS, MY FIRST ERROR WAS NOT MAKING RADIO CONTACT WITH NASHVILLE ARSA UPON HAVING DOUBT AS TO MY EXACT LOCATION. SECONDLY, A NAV ERROR WAS MADE NOT KNOWING EXACTLY WHERE I WAS WHILE OPERATING AROUND AN INTENSE AREA SUCH AS THE ARSA. I AM ASHAMED, EMBARRASSED AND RESPONSIBLE FOR MY ACTIONS. I AM, HOWEVER, THANKFUL NO SERIOUS CONFLICT OCCURRED. WITH ONLY WORDS TO EXPRESS THIS AT THE PRESENT TIME, I HAVE LEARNED A SERIOUS LESSON. IT WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: NO VOR ABOARD SMALL 2-PLACE PLANE. PILOTAGE ONLY TO NAVIGATE. NASHVILLE ARPT AND SMYRNA ARPT RWYS ARE LAID OUT VERY SIMILARLY, THE RIVER AND BLDGS ARE ALSO SIMILAR. 2 AIRLINES HAVE MADE THE REVERSE MISTAKE, NEARLY LNDG AT SMYRNA INSTEAD OF NASHVILLE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.