Narrative:

The pilot of the small aircraft X aircraft filed on an IFR flight plan from (hot) hot springs, ar, direct to (lul) laurel hesler- noble airport located at laurel, ms, called on ZHU level 5000 ft requesting lower altitude and approach clearance to laurel airport. I gave the aircraft '2300 ft and maintain 2300 ft until established on approach, cleared for approach to the laurel hesler- noble airport.' the aircraft within a few seconds became non- radar, which is normal for this area. A few mins later I received a handoff from memphis center on another aircraft light transport Y. This aircraft was about 20 mi northeast of the (pib) hattiesburg- laurel regional airport and about 5 mi northeast of the (lul) laurel hesler-noble airport. I was planning on taking this aircraft over lul because of small aircraft X on approach and descending it on the other side of lul to set up for an approach into (pib). Within a couple of mins I noticed the beacon code of small aircraft X aircraft just north of the OM for (pib) and asked the pilot to verify he was landing laurel hesler-noble airport. The pilot said 'yes' then I asked what approach he was making. He said the ILS 18. Well this told me he wanted to land at (pib) hattiesburg-laurel regional airport because (lul) has no ILS approach. Small aircraft X was reclred to (pib) for an approach and told of his mistake. The other aircraft (light transport Y) was put into holding at (pib). This could have been a possible accident/incident if small aircraft X's beacon code was not observed just north of the OM of (pib). This area around the (lul) and (pib) airports is limited for radar coverage below 6000 ft. This is one of the many situations that has happened in this area due to the confusion of the airports names, since the name of the (pib) airport was changed from pinebelt to hattiesburg-laurel hesler noble airport which many pilots and controllers refer to as just laurel airport, there is the (pib) hattiesburg-laurel regional airport which is referred to as pinebelt which was its former name to keep some of the confusion down, and the (hbg) hattiesburg bobby left. Chain airport which is referred to as hattiesburg. All 3 of these airports have approachs off the lby VORTAC which also contributes to the confusion, and on any given day about 20-30 IFR operations are flown into and out of these airports in mostly non radar conditions depending on the WX.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT USES WRONG LNDG ARPT NAME AND IS CLRED BY CTLR. ERROR NOT DISCOVERED UNTIL CTLR PICKS UP A BEACON TARGET AND RECLRS ACFT TO RIGHT ARPT.

Narrative: THE PLT OF THE SMA X ACFT FILED ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM (HOT) HOT SPRINGS, AR, DIRECT TO (LUL) LAUREL HESLER- NOBLE ARPT LOCATED AT LAUREL, MS, CALLED ON ZHU LEVEL 5000 FT REQUESTING LOWER ALT AND APCH CLRNC TO LAUREL ARPT. I GAVE THE ACFT '2300 FT AND MAINTAIN 2300 FT UNTIL ESTABLISHED ON APCH, CLRED FOR APCH TO THE LAUREL HESLER- NOBLE ARPT.' THE ACFT WITHIN A FEW SECONDS BECAME NON- RADAR, WHICH IS NORMAL FOR THIS AREA. A FEW MINS LATER I RECEIVED A HDOF FROM MEMPHIS CENTER ON ANOTHER ACFT LTT Y. THIS ACFT WAS ABOUT 20 MI NE OF THE (PIB) HATTIESBURG- LAUREL REGIONAL ARPT AND ABOUT 5 MI NE OF THE (LUL) LAUREL HESLER-NOBLE ARPT. I WAS PLANNING ON TAKING THIS ACFT OVER LUL BECAUSE OF SMA X ON APCH AND DSNDING IT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF LUL TO SET UP FOR AN APCH INTO (PIB). WITHIN A COUPLE OF MINS I NOTICED THE BEACON CODE OF SMA X ACFT JUST N OF THE OM FOR (PIB) AND ASKED THE PLT TO VERIFY HE WAS LNDG LAUREL HESLER-NOBLE ARPT. THE PLT SAID 'YES' THEN I ASKED WHAT APCH HE WAS MAKING. HE SAID THE ILS 18. WELL THIS TOLD ME HE WANTED TO LAND AT (PIB) HATTIESBURG-LAUREL REGIONAL ARPT BECAUSE (LUL) HAS NO ILS APCH. SMA X WAS RECLRED TO (PIB) FOR AN APCH AND TOLD OF HIS MISTAKE. THE OTHER ACFT (LTT Y) WAS PUT INTO HOLDING AT (PIB). THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A POSSIBLE ACCIDENT/INCIDENT IF SMA X'S BEACON CODE WAS NOT OBSERVED JUST N OF THE OM OF (PIB). THIS AREA AROUND THE (LUL) AND (PIB) ARPTS IS LIMITED FOR RADAR COVERAGE BELOW 6000 FT. THIS IS ONE OF THE MANY SITUATIONS THAT HAS HAPPENED IN THIS AREA DUE TO THE CONFUSION OF THE ARPTS NAMES, SINCE THE NAME OF THE (PIB) ARPT WAS CHANGED FROM PINEBELT TO HATTIESBURG-LAUREL HESLER NOBLE ARPT WHICH MANY PLTS AND CTLRS REFER TO AS JUST LAUREL ARPT, THERE IS THE (PIB) HATTIESBURG-LAUREL REGIONAL ARPT WHICH IS REFERRED TO AS PINEBELT WHICH WAS ITS FORMER NAME TO KEEP SOME OF THE CONFUSION DOWN, AND THE (HBG) HATTIESBURG BOBBY L. CHAIN ARPT WHICH IS REFERRED TO AS HATTIESBURG. ALL 3 OF THESE ARPTS HAVE APCHS OFF THE LBY VORTAC WHICH ALSO CONTRIBUTES TO THE CONFUSION, AND ON ANY GIVEN DAY ABOUT 20-30 IFR OPS ARE FLOWN INTO AND OUT OF THESE ARPTS IN MOSTLY NON RADAR CONDITIONS DEPENDING ON THE WX.

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.