Pilot enters air traffic area, realizes mistake and exits to land at intended airport.

Attributes
ACN	159457
Time
Date	199010
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : gus
State Reference	IN
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : gus tower : bwi
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 540 flight time type : 540
ASRS Report	159457
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

This was my first time in this area and I mistook grissom AFB for kokomo. I entered their traffic area and while there I realized I was at the wrong airport. I left and landed at kokomo. Grissom control tower left a message there for me to call them, which I did. Evidently they were listening to kokomo unicom and had my north#. How else would they know where I was going to land? Why didn't they contact me on kokomo's unicom when I first entered their traffic area? This was poor navigation on my part, but I think it was lack of communication on their part, also. I called terre haute FSS and filed a report with mr. X.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT ENTERS ATA, REALIZES MISTAKE AND EXITS TO LAND AT INTENDED ARPT.

Narrative: THIS WAS MY FIRST TIME IN THIS AREA AND I MISTOOK GRISSOM AFB FOR KOKOMO. I ENTERED THEIR TFC AREA AND WHILE THERE I REALIZED I WAS AT THE WRONG ARPT. I LEFT AND LANDED AT KOKOMO. GRISSOM CTL TWR LEFT A MESSAGE THERE FOR ME TO CALL THEM, WHICH I DID. EVIDENTLY THEY WERE LISTENING TO KOKOMO UNICOM AND HAD MY N#. HOW ELSE WOULD THEY KNOW WHERE I WAS GOING TO LAND? WHY DIDN'T THEY CONTACT ME ON KOKOMO'S UNICOM WHEN I FIRST ENTERED THEIR TFC AREA? THIS WAS POOR NAV ON MY PART, BUT I THINK IT WAS LACK OF COM ON THEIR PART, ALSO. I CALLED TERRE HAUTE FSS AND FILED A RPT WITH MR. X.

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.