Narrative:

Pottstown limerick airport intended land field. Pottstown municipal field mistaken for, and landed at. ATC descended us and pointed out field at 12:00 10 mi. Ulf/DME concurred at 9.7 DME. Copilot pointed out field at 11:30. I spotted the field, which has similar runways and ground layout. Concerned for local VFR/pattern traffic we both concentrated on see and avoid and pattern entry, including uncontrolled radio reports to and from traffic. Small small aircraft traffic reported downwind and traffic reported on departure from runway 29. We spotted both only this was purely coincidence. Other traffic reported to enter downwind which we thought to be behind us. This traffic was never spotted because it really wasn't there. From this point on my concentration was on a short field landing. The landing was uneventful. After parking aircraft we were told by FBO persons of our mistake. After waiting for passengers to make phone calls and the planning to the correct destination, we proceeded VFR to pottstown limerick, this flight was uneventful. I feel that this mistake could have been prevented by more careful attention to navaids but the similarities between airports and their close proximity, coupled with their alignment with our course all contributed. This is the only such occurrence of this kind in 15 yrs of continuous flying.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CORP ACFT LANDS AT WRONG ARPT, WHICH IS 10 MILES AWAY FROM INTENDED DESTINATION.

Narrative: POTTSTOWN LIMERICK ARPT INTENDED LAND FIELD. POTTSTOWN MUNI FIELD MISTAKEN FOR, AND LANDED AT. ATC DSNDED US AND POINTED OUT FIELD AT 12:00 10 MI. ULF/DME CONCURRED AT 9.7 DME. COPLT POINTED OUT FIELD AT 11:30. I SPOTTED THE FIELD, WHICH HAS SIMILAR RWYS AND GND LAYOUT. CONCERNED FOR LCL VFR/PATTERN TFC WE BOTH CONCENTRATED ON SEE AND AVOID AND PATTERN ENTRY, INCLUDING UNCTLED RADIO RPTS TO AND FROM TFC. SMALL SMA TFC RPTED DOWNWIND AND TFC RPTED ON DEP FROM RWY 29. WE SPOTTED BOTH ONLY THIS WAS PURELY COINCIDENCE. OTHER TFC RPTED TO ENTER DOWNWIND WHICH WE THOUGHT TO BE BEHIND US. THIS TFC WAS NEVER SPOTTED BECAUSE IT REALLY WASN'T THERE. FROM THIS POINT ON MY CONCENTRATION WAS ON A SHORT FIELD LNDG. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. AFTER PARKING ACFT WE WERE TOLD BY FBO PERSONS OF OUR MISTAKE. AFTER WAITING FOR PAXS TO MAKE PHONE CALLS AND THE PLANNING TO THE CORRECT DEST, WE PROCEEDED VFR TO POTTSTOWN LIMERICK, THIS FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. I FEEL THAT THIS MISTAKE COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED BY MORE CAREFUL ATTN TO NAVAIDS BUT THE SIMILARITIES BTWN ARPTS AND THEIR CLOSE PROX, COUPLED WITH THEIR ALIGNMENT WITH OUR COURSE ALL CONTRIBUTED. THIS IS THE ONLY SUCH OCCURRENCE OF THIS KIND IN 15 YRS OF CONTINUOUS FLYING.

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.