A highly experienced pilot used a GPS navigation set to land at the wrong airport.

Attributes
ACN	245821
Time
Date	199306
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mob
State Reference	AL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1500 msl bound upper : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : mob
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 35 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 55
ASRS Report	245821
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local oversight : supervisor
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	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:

After a 2 hour VFR flight from arlington, tn (lhc) to lott international, pascagoula, ms (M50) using GPS and VOR navigation, I inadvertently entered the mobile air traffic area and landed without tower clearance, thinking I was at lott international. I made 3 calls on lott unicom frequency, entered traffic behind an small aircraft, and landed without any radio response. Since both mobile regional and lott international were new to me, I was unaware of my error until I saw the name 'mobile' on the FBO hangar. After talking to the tower supervisor, I was cleared to lott international and proceeded via radar vectors. On this GPS receiver, waypoints are selected by a large knob, and information pages are selected by a small knob concentric with it. I believe that what I did was inadvertently turn the large knob back to the previous waypoint while scrolling through the information pages for lott international, and flew to sji instead. When the airport appeared, I assumed it was lott international, and proceeded to land. Each waypoint in the north american database contains several pages of information. Not all of them give the identifier.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HIGHLY EXPERIENCED PLT USED A GPS NAV SET TO LAND AT THE WRONG ARPT.

Narrative: AFTER A 2 HR VFR FLT FROM ARLINGTON, TN (LHC) TO LOTT INTL, PASCAGOULA, MS (M50) USING GPS AND VOR NAV, I INADVERTENTLY ENTERED THE MOBILE ATA AND LANDED WITHOUT TWR CLRNC, THINKING I WAS AT LOTT INTL. I MADE 3 CALLS ON LOTT UNICOM FREQ, ENTERED TFC BEHIND AN SMA, AND LANDED WITHOUT ANY RADIO RESPONSE. SINCE BOTH MOBILE REGIONAL AND LOTT INTL WERE NEW TO ME, I WAS UNAWARE OF MY ERROR UNTIL I SAW THE NAME 'MOBILE' ON THE FBO HANGAR. AFTER TALKING TO THE TWR SUPVR, I WAS CLRED TO LOTT INTL AND PROCEEDED VIA RADAR VECTORS. ON THIS GPS RECEIVER, WAYPOINTS ARE SELECTED BY A LARGE KNOB, AND INFO PAGES ARE SELECTED BY A SMALL KNOB CONCENTRIC WITH IT. I BELIEVE THAT WHAT I DID WAS INADVERTENTLY TURN THE LARGE KNOB BACK TO THE PREVIOUS WAYPOINT WHILE SCROLLING THROUGH THE INFO PAGES FOR LOTT INTL, AND FLEW TO SJI INSTEAD. WHEN THE ARPT APPEARED, I ASSUMED IT WAS LOTT INTL, AND PROCEEDED TO LAND. EACH WAYPOINT IN THE NORTH AMERICAN DATABASE CONTAINS SEVERAL PAGES OF INFO. NOT ALL OF THEM GIVE THE IDENTIFIER.

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.