Spi of small aircraft on training flight aligned with wrong runway at wrong airport.

Attributes
ACN	173172
Time
Date	199103
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : myv
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 200 agl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : smf tower : bab
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : go around
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : student
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 33 flight time total : 33 flight time type : 33
ASRS Report	173172
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I took off from napa. Passing watts-woodland airport, I contacted sacramento approach and asked for traffic advisories. After squawking and radar contact, approach told me to descend to 5000' and maintain. 5 mins later, approach told me turn left heading 360 degree and descend to 3000'. After a while approach asked me if I had an airport in sight. I looked forward and I saw an airport. So I answered affirmative. After that approach said radar services terminated and frequency change approved. I was then 7 mi southwest of marysville. Tuned into the myv FSS frequency and requested marysville airport advisories. I self announced on CTAF 1129.3 when 5 mi away. As a student pilot, I wanted to practice my uncontrolled airport standard pattern entry procedures. So, I flew above the airport at about 1800' trying to locate the segmented circle, but I found nothing. In the meantime I saw something very strange on the airport. There are many large black jet airplanes sitting on the end which are very different from normal airplanes I had ever seen before. At first, I doubted that it was myv and I tried to recall last time I was here. I remembered there were some big fire airplanes in chico. Maybe it was the same conditions here. Then I heard FSS calling me on the radio and asked my position. I felt there must be something wrong but I didn't know what it was. Continuing entry and looking outside, reported downwind and final. Right before short final about 200' AGL, FSS called me again and declared that there was no traffic in myv pattern. I would have landed on the wrong airport. I realized this was not myv. Immediately advanced full throttle, turned to heading 270 degree and tuned to sac approach again. This time approach guided me very carefully to myv. After landing, I went to FSS and received a phone call from beale AFB. He asked me why I tried to land on their airport and took some information from me. Actually I didn't make any military airplane go around or create a potential collision, as far as I know.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SPI OF SMA ON TRAINING FLT ALIGNED WITH WRONG RWY AT WRONG ARPT.

Narrative: I TOOK OFF FROM NAPA. PASSING WATTS-WOODLAND ARPT, I CONTACTED SACRAMENTO APCH AND ASKED FOR TFC ADVISORIES. AFTER SQUAWKING AND RADAR CONTACT, APCH TOLD ME TO DSND TO 5000' AND MAINTAIN. 5 MINS LATER, APCH TOLD ME TURN L HDG 360 DEG AND DSND TO 3000'. AFTER A WHILE APCH ASKED ME IF I HAD AN ARPT IN SIGHT. I LOOKED FORWARD AND I SAW AN ARPT. SO I ANSWERED AFFIRMATIVE. AFTER THAT APCH SAID RADAR SVCS TERMINATED AND FREQ CHANGE APPROVED. I WAS THEN 7 MI SW OF MARYSVILLE. TUNED INTO THE MYV FSS FREQ AND REQUESTED MARYSVILLE ARPT ADVISORIES. I SELF ANNOUNCED ON CTAF 1129.3 WHEN 5 MI AWAY. AS A STUDENT PLT, I WANTED TO PRACTICE MY UNCTLED ARPT STANDARD PATTERN ENTRY PROCS. SO, I FLEW ABOVE THE ARPT AT ABOUT 1800' TRYING TO LOCATE THE SEGMENTED CIRCLE, BUT I FOUND NOTHING. IN THE MEANTIME I SAW SOMETHING VERY STRANGE ON THE ARPT. THERE ARE MANY LARGE BLACK JET AIRPLANES SITTING ON THE END WHICH ARE VERY DIFFERENT FROM NORMAL AIRPLANES I HAD EVER SEEN BEFORE. AT FIRST, I DOUBTED THAT IT WAS MYV AND I TRIED TO RECALL LAST TIME I WAS HERE. I REMEMBERED THERE WERE SOME BIG FIRE AIRPLANES IN CHICO. MAYBE IT WAS THE SAME CONDITIONS HERE. THEN I HEARD FSS CALLING ME ON THE RADIO AND ASKED MY POS. I FELT THERE MUST BE SOMETHING WRONG BUT I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS. CONTINUING ENTRY AND LOOKING OUTSIDE, RPTED DOWNWIND AND FINAL. R BEFORE SHORT FINAL ABOUT 200' AGL, FSS CALLED ME AGAIN AND DECLARED THAT THERE WAS NO TFC IN MYV PATTERN. I WOULD HAVE LANDED ON THE WRONG ARPT. I REALIZED THIS WAS NOT MYV. IMMEDIATELY ADVANCED FULL THROTTLE, TURNED TO HDG 270 DEG AND TUNED TO SAC APCH AGAIN. THIS TIME APCH GUIDED ME VERY CAREFULLY TO MYV. AFTER LNDG, I WENT TO FSS AND RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM BEALE AFB. HE ASKED ME WHY I TRIED TO LAND ON THEIR ARPT AND TOOK SOME INFO FROM ME. ACTUALLY I DIDN'T MAKE ANY MIL AIRPLANE GO AROUND OR CREATE A POTENTIAL COLLISION, AS FAR AS I KNOW.

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.