An small aircraft landed at bab. His destination was O51.

Attributes
ACN	253033
Time
Date	199310
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : o51 airport : bab
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : bab
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 500 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	253033
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : far other anomaly other 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:

I was on a flight from smo to O51 lincoln. My flight planning called for a flight VOR to VOR with DME. My plan called for flying to sacramento VOR and then picking up the 360 degree radial out. I overflew O51, but it looked unlike the chart description as the chart indicated only a single runway and the field had non-parallel runways with a runway width interconnection. I had visual on a runway approximately 5 mi further with a single runway appearing to also be on a heading 33. I flew to that runway and saw only a single runway marked 33. I called out all movements into the pattern on the published unicom 123.00 and landed. I did notice several large green cargo planes at one end of the field, but wrote it off as a reserve base. I later learned all other aircraft were hangared for security reasons. Mistaking a local county airport (O51) for beale air force base seems difficult the following day, but was an easy mistake when it occurred.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA LANDED AT BAB. HIS DEST WAS O51.

Narrative: I WAS ON A FLT FROM SMO TO O51 LINCOLN. MY FLT PLANNING CALLED FOR A FLT VOR TO VOR WITH DME. MY PLAN CALLED FOR FLYING TO SACRAMENTO VOR AND THEN PICKING UP THE 360 DEG RADIAL OUT. I OVERFLEW O51, BUT IT LOOKED UNLIKE THE CHART DESCRIPTION AS THE CHART INDICATED ONLY A SINGLE RWY AND THE FIELD HAD NON-PARALLEL RWYS WITH A RWY WIDTH INTERCONNECTION. I HAD VISUAL ON A RWY APPROX 5 MI FURTHER WITH A SINGLE RWY APPEARING TO ALSO BE ON A HDG 33. I FLEW TO THAT RWY AND SAW ONLY A SINGLE RWY MARKED 33. I CALLED OUT ALL MOVEMENTS INTO THE PATTERN ON THE PUBLISHED UNICOM 123.00 AND LANDED. I DID NOTICE SEVERAL LARGE GREEN CARGO PLANES AT ONE END OF THE FIELD, BUT WROTE IT OFF AS A RESERVE BASE. I LATER LEARNED ALL OTHER ACFT WERE HANGARED FOR SECURITY REASONS. MISTAKING A LCL COUNTY ARPT (O51) FOR BEALE AIR FORCE BASE SEEMS DIFFICULT THE FOLLOWING DAY, BUT WAS AN EASY MISTAKE WHEN IT OCCURRED.

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.