Narrative:

We were returning to our home base airport of vero beach. The controller cleared us as requested, IFR, to descend from our 4500 ft to 4000 ft and advised us to fly heading 090. We would be #3 for vero beach. We were cleared to descend to 3000 ft, remaining on an easterly heading. At this point the WX conditions were more scattered. Cloud tops 3000, bases 2500-2300 ft. We reported visual contact with the fpr or vrb airport (?) and decided to cancel IFR as this vector would likely place our single engine small aircraft somewhat far from the coastline. Center controller advised the cancellation was received, radar service terminated, squawk 1200, and change to vrb tower on 126.3. We complied and were told by vero beach to enter a left base for 29L. We complied with a left base entry and then a turn to final, but the airport runway we turned final for was 32 at fpr. We were on final at fpr talking to vrb! Our position when we left ZMA was actually somewhat south of fpr and with no DME on board, and vrb VOR tuned, and the similarity and proximity of the fields, a mistake was made. One suggestion: ZMA may have advised with our frequency change fpr tower. Another mistake: I left vrb tower frequency rather abruptly and they were calling unanswered for a min. They informed me upon my return to frequency.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA ENTERED THE TFC PATTERN OF THE FPR ARPT WHILE TALKING TO VRB TWR. THERE WAS A BROKEN OVCST OVERHEAD.

Narrative: WE WERE RETURNING TO OUR HOME BASE ARPT OF VERO BEACH. THE CTLR CLRED US AS REQUESTED, IFR, TO DSND FROM OUR 4500 FT TO 4000 FT AND ADVISED US TO FLY HDG 090. WE WOULD BE #3 FOR VERO BEACH. WE WERE CLRED TO DSND TO 3000 FT, REMAINING ON AN EASTERLY HDG. AT THIS POINT THE WX CONDITIONS WERE MORE SCATTERED. CLOUD TOPS 3000, BASES 2500-2300 FT. WE RPTED VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE FPR OR VRB ARPT (?) AND DECIDED TO CANCEL IFR AS THIS VECTOR WOULD LIKELY PLACE OUR SINGLE ENG SMA SOMEWHAT FAR FROM THE COASTLINE. CTR CTLR ADVISED THE CANCELLATION WAS RECEIVED, RADAR SVC TERMINATED, SQUAWK 1200, AND CHANGE TO VRB TWR ON 126.3. WE COMPLIED AND WERE TOLD BY VERO BEACH TO ENTER A L BASE FOR 29L. WE COMPLIED WITH A L BASE ENTRY AND THEN A TURN TO FINAL, BUT THE ARPT RWY WE TURNED FINAL FOR WAS 32 AT FPR. WE WERE ON FINAL AT FPR TALKING TO VRB! OUR POS WHEN WE LEFT ZMA WAS ACTUALLY SOMEWHAT S OF FPR AND WITH NO DME ON BOARD, AND VRB VOR TUNED, AND THE SIMILARITY AND PROX OF THE FIELDS, A MISTAKE WAS MADE. ONE SUGGESTION: ZMA MAY HAVE ADVISED WITH OUR FREQ CHANGE FPR TWR. ANOTHER MISTAKE: I LEFT VRB TWR FREQ RATHER ABRUPTLY AND THEY WERE CALLING UNANSWERED FOR A MIN. THEY INFORMED ME UPON MY RETURN TO FREQ.

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.