Railroad yard idented as airport and pilot starts approach to wrong facility.

Attributes
ACN	253256
Time
Date	199310
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cha
State Reference	TN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2500 msl bound upper : 2500
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : cha artcc : zse
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other
Route In Use	approach : visual enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 17 flight time total : 363 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	253256
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I approached the cha airport from the northwest on an IFR flight plan. Ceiling and visibility were unlimited at my altitude of 5000 ft, but I noticed patches of ground fog and haze as I looked down into the valley where chattanooga and the airport are located. The sun was low and in my eyes when I looked to the left. I accepted the visual approach to runway 20. The approach controller called out the airport at my 1 O'clock position. I saw what I thought was the airport in that general direction and told the approach controller that I had the airport in sight. He turned me over to the tower. I had the localizer frequency for the ILS 20 approach tuned in. As I set up my approach for the 'runway,' I noticed that the localizer never came in. I asked the tower how far off the localizer centerline I was about at the same time I realized my 'runway' was a big, long railroad switching yard. The tower informed me how far off I was. When I turned in the correct direction, I was set up perfectly for runway 15. The tower said that runway 15 was available, and I landed on it without incident. I have flown into cha several times, but never so early with the sun in my eyes. When I saw some patches of ground fog, I should have been especially sure that I saw the right runway before I told the controller that I had the field in sight. It was good that I had the localizer tuned in even though I was making a visual approach. That gave me the first notice of my problem. Rather than waiting another min to see if the needle moved, I should have used my LORAN, which I also had tuned to the airport, to give me a bearing to the field. I was just sure that long stretch of white was the runway, and I wasn't going to let my instruments tell me different. I was never in any danger of a landing accident. I generally don't land if there are box cars on the 'runway.' but if the airport had been busy, I would have really messed up the flow of traffic.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RAILROAD YARD IDENTED AS ARPT AND PLT STARTS APCH TO WRONG FACILITY.

Narrative: I APCHED THE CHA ARPT FROM THE NW ON AN IFR FLT PLAN. CEILING AND VISIBILITY WERE UNLIMITED AT MY ALT OF 5000 FT, BUT I NOTICED PATCHES OF GND FOG AND HAZE AS I LOOKED DOWN INTO THE VALLEY WHERE CHATTANOOGA AND THE ARPT ARE LOCATED. THE SUN WAS LOW AND IN MY EYES WHEN I LOOKED TO THE L. I ACCEPTED THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 20. THE APCH CTLR CALLED OUT THE ARPT AT MY 1 O'CLOCK POS. I SAW WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE ARPT IN THAT GENERAL DIRECTION AND TOLD THE APCH CTLR THAT I HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT. HE TURNED ME OVER TO THE TWR. I HAD THE LOC FREQ FOR THE ILS 20 APCH TUNED IN. AS I SET UP MY APCH FOR THE 'RWY,' I NOTICED THAT THE LOC NEVER CAME IN. I ASKED THE TWR HOW FAR OFF THE LOC CTRLINE I WAS ABOUT AT THE SAME TIME I REALIZED MY 'RWY' WAS A BIG, LONG RAILROAD SWITCHING YARD. THE TWR INFORMED ME HOW FAR OFF I WAS. WHEN I TURNED IN THE CORRECT DIRECTION, I WAS SET UP PERFECTLY FOR RWY 15. THE TWR SAID THAT RWY 15 WAS AVAILABLE, AND I LANDED ON IT WITHOUT INCIDENT. I HAVE FLOWN INTO CHA SEVERAL TIMES, BUT NEVER SO EARLY WITH THE SUN IN MY EYES. WHEN I SAW SOME PATCHES OF GND FOG, I SHOULD HAVE BEEN ESPECIALLY SURE THAT I SAW THE RIGHT RWY BEFORE I TOLD THE CTLR THAT I HAD THE FIELD IN SIGHT. IT WAS GOOD THAT I HAD THE LOC TUNED IN EVEN THOUGH I WAS MAKING A VISUAL APCH. THAT GAVE ME THE FIRST NOTICE OF MY PROB. RATHER THAN WAITING ANOTHER MIN TO SEE IF THE NEEDLE MOVED, I SHOULD HAVE USED MY LORAN, WHICH I ALSO HAD TUNED TO THE ARPT, TO GIVE ME A BEARING TO THE FIELD. I WAS JUST SURE THAT LONG STRETCH OF WHITE WAS THE RWY, AND I WASN'T GOING TO LET MY INSTS TELL ME DIFFERENT. I WAS NEVER IN ANY DANGER OF A LNDG ACCIDENT. I GENERALLY DON'T LAND IF THERE ARE BOX CARS ON THE 'RWY.' BUT IF THE ARPT HAD BEEN BUSY, I WOULD HAVE REALLY MESSED UP THE FLOW OF TFC.

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.