Air ambulance makes approach to wrong airport. Controller intervenes.

Attributes
ACN	226846
Time
Date	199211
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : slc airport : u42
State Reference	UT
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5500 msl bound upper : 5500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : slc
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Small Transport
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 140 flight time total : 2970 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	226846
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was being vectored to intercept the localizer to runway 34L at slc. I was IMC in a broken layer but shortly after intercepting the localizer I broke out and had runway 34 directly in front of me. When I called 'the airport in sight' I was cleared for a visual approach. I was switched to tower frequency and tower advised me I was following an air carrier on 2 mi final and I replied that there was no aircraft between me and the runway. Tower came back immediately and told me not to land because I was at the wrong airport! I added power, continued straight ahead and landed at slc without further incident. I was too anxious to transfer from instruments to visual flight that I got caught seeing what I 'wanted' to see and didn't xchk my navaids to verify I was where I thought I was. I believe a contributing factor was the fresh snow that covered the valley making landmarks more difficult to recognize and since the parallel runway and runway 32 at slc were closed for snow removal no flags went up when there was only 1 big fat plowed runway 34 at the airport I was approaching. Additionally, approach controllers should be careful not to switch aircraft to tower frequency too early, especially when there is another airport off the approach end of the runway that has same direction runway(south).

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIR AMBULANCE MAKES APCH TO WRONG ARPT. CTLR INTERVENES.

Narrative: I WAS BEING VECTORED TO INTERCEPT THE LOC TO RWY 34L AT SLC. I WAS IMC IN A BROKEN LAYER BUT SHORTLY AFTER INTERCEPTING THE LOC I BROKE OUT AND HAD RWY 34 DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME. WHEN I CALLED 'THE ARPT IN SIGHT' I WAS CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH. I WAS SWITCHED TO TWR FREQ AND TWR ADVISED ME I WAS FOLLOWING AN ACR ON 2 MI FINAL AND I REPLIED THAT THERE WAS NO ACFT BTWN ME AND THE RWY. TWR CAME BACK IMMEDIATELY AND TOLD ME NOT TO LAND BECAUSE I WAS AT THE WRONG ARPT! I ADDED PWR, CONTINUED STRAIGHT AHEAD AND LANDED AT SLC WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. I WAS TOO ANXIOUS TO TRANSFER FROM INSTS TO VISUAL FLT THAT I GOT CAUGHT SEEING WHAT I 'WANTED' TO SEE AND DIDN'T XCHK MY NAVAIDS TO VERIFY I WAS WHERE I THOUGHT I WAS. I BELIEVE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE FRESH SNOW THAT COVERED THE VALLEY MAKING LANDMARKS MORE DIFFICULT TO RECOGNIZE AND SINCE THE PARALLEL RWY AND RWY 32 AT SLC WERE CLOSED FOR SNOW REMOVAL NO FLAGS WENT UP WHEN THERE WAS ONLY 1 BIG FAT PLOWED RWY 34 AT THE ARPT I WAS APCHING. ADDITIONALLY, APCH CTLRS SHOULD BE CAREFUL NOT TO SWITCH ACFT TO TWR FREQ TOO EARLY, ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE IS ANOTHER ARPT OFF THE APCH END OF THE RWY THAT HAS SAME DIRECTION RWY(S).

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.