IFR destination wst. Saw an airport, canceled IFR and landed at gon by mistake.

Attributes
ACN	232120
Time
Date	199301
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : gon airport : wst
State Reference	CT
Altitude	msl bound lower : 0 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zbw tower : gon
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 65 flight time total : 960 flight time type : 50
ASRS Report	232120
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On descent into the wst approximately 20 NM out, the center queried me as to whether or not I had the westerly airport in sight. I responded that I did in fact have an airport in sight at my 12 O'clock position, and the controller confirmed I was speaking of the westerly airport (reference my position) and cleared me for a visual approach. I then, thinking I was looking at the westerly airport, switched to pilotage navigation, and proceeded directly to it. In reality, I was looking at the groton, ct, airport, 10 NM west of westerly. Approaching the field, the runway pattern at these 2 airports is almost identical. (Gon runways 15/33 and 5/23, wst runways 14/32 and 7/25.) from my point of view, everything was progressing normally. So I continued inbound towards the groton airport, descending. The controller never indicated anything was amiss with my flight path. About 5 NM out from the airport, I request frequency change/cancel IFR. The controller instructed me to squawk 1200, frequency change approved, which I did and changed to the westerly unicom frequency, 123.0. With everything looking like the westerly airport, I flew a left standard traffic pattern and landed on runway 33, thinking it was westerly 32 at first, then noticing 33, but dismissed it since I know of several runways which are 1 number off. After exiting the runway, I determined that I had, in fact, landed at the groton airport and contacted the tower. After I told tower that center had implied to me the airport was westerly, tower cleared me to taxi to and depart runway 33, which I did and flew eastbound 10 NM to westerly.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: IFR DEST WST. SAW AN ARPT, CANCELED IFR AND LANDED AT GON BY MISTAKE.

Narrative: ON DSCNT INTO THE WST APPROX 20 NM OUT, THE CTR QUERIED ME AS TO WHETHER OR NOT I HAD THE WESTERLY ARPT IN SIGHT. I RESPONDED THAT I DID IN FACT HAVE AN ARPT IN SIGHT AT MY 12 O'CLOCK POS, AND THE CTLR CONFIRMED I WAS SPEAKING OF THE WESTERLY ARPT (REF MY POS) AND CLRED ME FOR A VISUAL APCH. I THEN, THINKING I WAS LOOKING AT THE WESTERLY ARPT, SWITCHED TO PILOTAGE NAV, AND PROCEEDED DIRECTLY TO IT. IN REALITY, I WAS LOOKING AT THE GROTON, CT, ARPT, 10 NM W OF WESTERLY. APCHING THE FIELD, THE RWY PATTERN AT THESE 2 ARPTS IS ALMOST IDENTICAL. (GON RWYS 15/33 AND 5/23, WST RWYS 14/32 AND 7/25.) FROM MY POINT OF VIEW, EVERYTHING WAS PROGRESSING NORMALLY. SO I CONTINUED INBOUND TOWARDS THE GROTON ARPT, DSNDING. THE CTLR NEVER INDICATED ANYTHING WAS AMISS WITH MY FLT PATH. ABOUT 5 NM OUT FROM THE ARPT, I REQUEST FREQ CHANGE/CANCEL IFR. THE CTLR INSTRUCTED ME TO SQUAWK 1200, FREQ CHANGE APPROVED, WHICH I DID AND CHANGED TO THE WESTERLY UNICOM FREQ, 123.0. WITH EVERYTHING LOOKING LIKE THE WESTERLY ARPT, I FLEW A L STANDARD TFC PATTERN AND LANDED ON RWY 33, THINKING IT WAS WESTERLY 32 AT FIRST, THEN NOTICING 33, BUT DISMISSED IT SINCE I KNOW OF SEVERAL RWYS WHICH ARE 1 NUMBER OFF. AFTER EXITING THE RWY, I DETERMINED THAT I HAD, IN FACT, LANDED AT THE GROTON ARPT AND CONTACTED THE TWR. AFTER I TOLD TWR THAT CTR HAD IMPLIED TO ME THE ARPT WAS WESTERLY, TWR CLRED ME TO TAXI TO AND DEPART RWY 33, WHICH I DID AND FLEW EBOUND 10 NM TO WESTERLY.

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.