 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Small aircraft pilot night flying, lands at wrong airport without clearance while communication with right airport.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 235174 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199302 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : gon |
| State Reference | CT |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : gon tower : sjc |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear |
| Flight Phase | climbout : takeoff landing other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 10 flight time total : 195 flight time type : 60 |
| ASRS Report | 235174 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : local |
| Qualification | controller : non radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | incursion : landing without clearance incursion : runway non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
On night VFR pleasure flight in southeastern connecticut, decided on spur of the moment to get some cross country time by going to westerly, rhode island (wst). Thought I had passed groton and was approaching wst. Aircraft on westerly unicom announced departure and one took off from airport I thought was wst. (Big mistake -- it was gon, bad timing). Entered standard pattern, landed, taxied back to departure end of runway and departed. After departure, turned west to head for home. Shortly thereafter, it clicked that I had landed on runway 33 (westerly was advising runway 32) and did not see groton ahead. Immediately contacted gon tower and sure enough, had just landed there while making announcements on wst unicom frequency. Airports are approximately 11 NM apart on coast, both east of rivers/inlets, and have very similar runway layouts: gon is 15/33 and 5/23, westerly 14/32 and 7/25. Fortunately, it was a sunday night, there was no traffic. I should have verified passing groton (groton VOR) before looking for wst. No more impromptu night xcountries.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: SMA PLT NIGHT FLYING, LANDS AT WRONG ARPT WITHOUT CLRNC WHILE COM WITH RIGHT ARPT.
Narrative: ON NIGHT VFR PLEASURE FLT IN SOUTHEASTERN CONNECTICUT, DECIDED ON SPUR OF THE MOMENT TO GET SOME XCOUNTRY TIME BY GOING TO WESTERLY, RHODE ISLAND (WST). THOUGHT I HAD PASSED GROTON AND WAS APCHING WST. ACFT ON WESTERLY UNICOM ANNOUNCED DEP AND ONE TOOK OFF FROM ARPT I THOUGHT WAS WST. (BIG MISTAKE -- IT WAS GON, BAD TIMING). ENTERED STANDARD PATTERN, LANDED, TAXIED BACK TO DEP END OF RWY AND DEPARTED. AFTER DEP, TURNED W TO HEAD FOR HOME. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, IT CLICKED THAT I HAD LANDED ON RWY 33 (WESTERLY WAS ADVISING RWY 32) AND DID NOT SEE GROTON AHEAD. IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED GON TWR AND SURE ENOUGH, HAD JUST LANDED THERE WHILE MAKING ANNOUNCEMENTS ON WST UNICOM FREQ. ARPTS ARE APPROX 11 NM APART ON COAST, BOTH E OF RIVERS/INLETS, AND HAVE VERY SIMILAR RWY LAYOUTS: GON IS 15/33 AND 5/23, WESTERLY 14/32 AND 7/25. FORTUNATELY, IT WAS A SUNDAY NIGHT, THERE WAS NO TFC. I SHOULD HAVE VERIFIED PASSING GROTON (GROTON VOR) BEFORE LOOKING FOR WST. NO MORE IMPROMPTU NIGHT XCOUNTRIES.
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.