Pilot makes approach to wrong airport. Penetrates air traffic area.

Attributes
ACN	155152
Time
Date	199008
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ttn
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	agl bound lower : 1300 agl bound upper : 1300
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : ttn
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 435 flight time type : 20
ASRS Report	155152
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

After leaving philadelphia approach at the ard/VOR contacted tower and started tracking to pne. Became distraction, and when a passenger sighted the field started to descend to pattern altitude for landing. While in contact with pne tower. After some verification realized that the wrong airport was sighted. Made correction but had already descended in the airports space less than 3000' 5 mi. Pilot error. Should verify location visly and by instrument in an unfamiliar environment. Was lcr of traffic at all times. Transition problem from advisory to tower.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT MAKES APCH TO WRONG ARPT. PENETRATES ATA.

Narrative: AFTER LEAVING PHILADELPHIA APCH AT THE ARD/VOR CONTACTED TWR AND STARTED TRACKING TO PNE. BECAME DISTR, AND WHEN A PAX SIGHTED THE FIELD STARTED TO DSND TO PATTERN ALT FOR LNDG. WHILE IN CONTACT WITH PNE TWR. AFTER SOME VERIFICATION REALIZED THAT THE WRONG ARPT WAS SIGHTED. MADE CORRECTION BUT HAD ALREADY DSNDED IN THE ARPTS SPACE LESS THAN 3000' 5 MI. PLT ERROR. SHOULD VERIFY LOCATION VISLY AND BY INSTRUMENT IN AN UNFAMILIAR ENVIRONMENT. WAS LCR OF TFC AT ALL TIMES. TRANSITION PROB FROM ADVISORY TO TWR.

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