Narrative:

For 3 months prior to and until the incident, I had been doing intense studying and flying to obtain my flight instrument certificate. On the evening of the incident, I was returning from my chkride and was cleared by mtn tower (121.3) for a straight in to runway 14 at mtn. Obviously I was really high from having passed the chkride and evidently more fatigued than I realized and my mind was probably not totally on flying the airplane, because I looked down, saw what I thought was runway 14 at mtn and landed on runway 15 at bwi. I was so intent on making a perfect approach, it wasn't until I landed that I realized what I had done and the severity of my action. My chkride was scheduled for xapm, and we didn't go until xbpm, and I suppose the stress and strain was intensified during my hour wait. What can I say? The error was mine and I have no excuse other than fatigue. Nothing like this has ever happened to me and I am absolutely mortified and apologetic. I have learned a very valuable lesson, and that is not to over estimate your physical and mental fitness for flight. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter stated she had just passed instrument check, let the check rider off and was returning to home base, in a state of high euphoria, from the northwest and cannot yet fathom how she made the mistake, unless seeing washington and surrounding suburbs on the right she thought it was baltimore. Complicating factor was that her entry and landing at bwi resulted in an air carrier jet having to go around. FAA has investigated the incident and is now up to legal in regl office whether to file violation and penalty.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA-SMA UNAUTH PENETRATION OF ARSA AND UNAUTH LNDG AT WRONG ARPT RESULTED IN ACR HAVING TO GO AROUND.

Narrative: FOR 3 MONTHS PRIOR TO AND UNTIL THE INCIDENT, I HAD BEEN DOING INTENSE STUDYING AND FLYING TO OBTAIN MY FLT INSTR CERTIFICATE. ON THE EVENING OF THE INCIDENT, I WAS RETURNING FROM MY CHKRIDE AND WAS CLRED BY MTN TWR (121.3) FOR A STRAIGHT IN TO RWY 14 AT MTN. OBVIOUSLY I WAS REALLY HIGH FROM HAVING PASSED THE CHKRIDE AND EVIDENTLY MORE FATIGUED THAN I REALIZED AND MY MIND WAS PROBABLY NOT TOTALLY ON FLYING THE AIRPLANE, BECAUSE I LOOKED DOWN, SAW WHAT I THOUGHT WAS RWY 14 AT MTN AND LANDED ON RWY 15 AT BWI. I WAS SO INTENT ON MAKING A PERFECT APCH, IT WASN'T UNTIL I LANDED THAT I REALIZED WHAT I HAD DONE AND THE SEVERITY OF MY ACTION. MY CHKRIDE WAS SCHEDULED FOR XAPM, AND WE DIDN'T GO UNTIL XBPM, AND I SUPPOSE THE STRESS AND STRAIN WAS INTENSIFIED DURING MY HOUR WAIT. WHAT CAN I SAY? THE ERROR WAS MINE AND I HAVE NO EXCUSE OTHER THAN FATIGUE. NOTHING LIKE THIS HAS EVER HAPPENED TO ME AND I AM ABSOLUTELY MORTIFIED AND APOLOGETIC. I HAVE LEARNED A VERY VALUABLE LESSON, AND THAT IS NOT TO OVER ESTIMATE YOUR PHYSICAL AND MENTAL FITNESS FOR FLT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATED SHE HAD JUST PASSED INSTR CHK, LET THE CHK RIDER OFF AND WAS RETURNING TO HOME BASE, IN A STATE OF HIGH EUPHORIA, FROM THE NW AND CANNOT YET FATHOM HOW SHE MADE THE MISTAKE, UNLESS SEEING WASHINGTON AND SURROUNDING SUBURBS ON THE RIGHT SHE THOUGHT IT WAS BALTIMORE. COMPLICATING FACTOR WAS THAT HER ENTRY AND LNDG AT BWI RESULTED IN AN ACR JET HAVING TO GO AROUND. FAA HAS INVESTIGATED THE INCIDENT AND IS NOW UP TO LEGAL IN REGL OFFICE WHETHER TO FILE VIOLATION AND PENALTY.

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.