Small aircraft pilot makes approach to wrong airport.

Attributes
ACN	172896
Time
Date	199103
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : swf
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1000 msl bound upper : 1100
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : pou tower : swf
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 116
ASRS Report	172896
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Intended landing airport was pou. Flight originated from mmu. I contacted ny approach control and I informed controller I was en route to pou. I gave my present position which was numerous mi northeast of cdw). Controller had my radar contact. A few mi ahead I was handed off to another approach controller. I was given a few vectors toward pou, and the controller told me to report pou in sight. Controller gave me position of pou in relation to our aircraft. I continued and I later reported the airport in sight (which I believed was pou). The controller told me to contact pou tower! I called pou tower and told controller I was south, inbound for landing. Controller told me, 'not in sight yet, report 2 mi right base for the active runway.' I later reported a right base and controller responded, 'not in sight, cleared to land runway (I can't remember the runway I was cleared to land on).' I responded, 'cleared to land.' seconds later the pou tower controller said, 'not in sight; are you sure you're at the right airport?' I saw an aircraft on final and I had told my friend who was in copilot's seat to tell tower, 'we have traffic on final,' so he did so, and tower reported, 'we have no aircraft on final. Are you sure you're at the right airport?' then, at this point, we were at about 1100' above stewart airport (I realized the huge 11818' runway and terminal bldgs). I realized we had mistaken the 2 airports. I applied full power and executed a climb. While in climb, I told pou tower I was over stewart and had mistaken the 2 airports. Pou tower told me to get on course and report established on final at pou. So, nevertheless, I saw the airport and was cleared to land at pou. So we landed at pou, and I apologized to pou tower. When on ground, I asked control tower for stewart tower's phone #, but it was unlisted. I told pou tower I wanted to clear up what had just happened. The controller responded, 'don't worry! I'll take care of it.' he also said, 'it's happened before--don't worry.' so I said, 'thank you!'

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT MAKES APCH TO WRONG ARPT.

Narrative: INTENDED LNDG ARPT WAS POU. FLT ORIGINATED FROM MMU. I CONTACTED NY APCH CTL AND I INFORMED CTLR I WAS ENRTE TO POU. I GAVE MY PRESENT POS WHICH WAS NUMEROUS MI NE OF CDW). CTLR HAD MY RADAR CONTACT. A FEW MI AHEAD I WAS HANDED OFF TO ANOTHER APCH CTLR. I WAS GIVEN A FEW VECTORS TOWARD POU, AND THE CTLR TOLD ME TO RPT POU IN SIGHT. CTLR GAVE ME POS OF POU IN RELATION TO OUR ACFT. I CONTINUED AND I LATER RPTED THE ARPT IN SIGHT (WHICH I BELIEVED WAS POU). THE CTLR TOLD ME TO CONTACT POU TWR! I CALLED POU TWR AND TOLD CTLR I WAS S, INBND FOR LNDG. CTLR TOLD ME, 'NOT IN SIGHT YET, RPT 2 MI RIGHT BASE FOR THE ACTIVE RWY.' I LATER RPTED A RIGHT BASE AND CTLR RESPONDED, 'NOT IN SIGHT, CLRED TO LAND RWY (I CAN'T REMEMBER THE RWY I WAS CLRED TO LAND ON).' I RESPONDED, 'CLRED TO LAND.' SECS LATER THE POU TWR CTLR SAID, 'NOT IN SIGHT; ARE YOU SURE YOU'RE AT THE RIGHT ARPT?' I SAW AN ACFT ON FINAL AND I HAD TOLD MY FRIEND WHO WAS IN COPLT'S SEAT TO TELL TWR, 'WE HAVE TFC ON FINAL,' SO HE DID SO, AND TWR RPTED, 'WE HAVE NO ACFT ON FINAL. ARE YOU SURE YOU'RE AT THE RIGHT ARPT?' THEN, AT THIS POINT, WE WERE AT ABOUT 1100' ABOVE STEWART ARPT (I REALIZED THE HUGE 11818' RWY AND TERMINAL BLDGS). I REALIZED WE HAD MISTAKEN THE 2 ARPTS. I APPLIED FULL PWR AND EXECUTED A CLB. WHILE IN CLB, I TOLD POU TWR I WAS OVER STEWART AND HAD MISTAKEN THE 2 ARPTS. POU TWR TOLD ME TO GET ON COURSE AND RPT ESTABLISHED ON FINAL AT POU. SO, NEVERTHELESS, I SAW THE ARPT AND WAS CLRED TO LAND AT POU. SO WE LANDED AT POU, AND I APOLOGIZED TO POU TWR. WHEN ON GND, I ASKED CTL TWR FOR STEWART TWR'S PHONE #, BUT IT WAS UNLISTED. I TOLD POU TWR I WANTED TO CLR UP WHAT HAD JUST HAPPENED. THE CTLR RESPONDED, 'DON'T WORRY! I'LL TAKE CARE OF IT.' HE ALSO SAID, 'IT'S HAPPENED BEFORE--DON'T WORRY.' SO I SAID, 'THANK YOU!'

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.