Narrative:

My instructor reviewed and approved my flight plan and made the proper signoff. Departure from warren county airport was normal. Unlimited ceiling but with significant haze. Switched from 123.00 gfl unicom to 121.30 sch county tower for initial contact, position, and intention requesting advisory inbound for landing. Advised to report 4 mi out for r- hand approach for runway 28 sch. Heard an advisory to both an inbound cessna (from east, my left) and a piper arrow from the west. Visibility at this point was hazy and almost directly into low sun. Gave position report of near round lake, a visual chkpoint. Round lake off left wing. Scanned the east for inbound cessna and I did see a cessna approaching from the east. Sch TA made sense. Checked compass and directional gyroscope read 210 degrees. Sch tower then asked me to report 2 mi right base for runway 28. At 2 mi out with airport in sight, I advised sch that I was starting descent and entry into the downwind for r-hand approach to runway 28. It was not until I was within 2 mi of airport that I had realized that it was not sch, but alb county airport. The visibility was now clear enough to see that the approaching runway was not runway 22 of sch but runway 19 of alb. I took immediate evasive action in making a hard 180 degree descending turn to the left and reversed course. Sch tower asked if I was going into alb by mistake. I replied with course change. They advised contacting alb tower and gave me a frequency 122.05 or 122.50 I could not catch the last 2 digits. I tried them both. No reply. I tried 118.05 alb approach/departure. No answer. Sch asked if I wished to again try for runway 28. I declined. I could not see risking another potential problem. Returned to gfl. Debriefed by instructor. What I believe caused this incident were several factors working together. Sch county and alb county airports are very close. In approaching from the north, both airports have similar layouts. Example runways 22 and 19. Surrounding cities and the sun/haze made them difficult to see until close range. Landmarks in this area are close and congested. I was not that familiar with them having seen both airports only once before. A missed approach from the north into sch puts one into the alb arsa without radar contact. Only VFR 1200 is required outside the arsa despite sch location on its outer ring. In this situation, the radio calls, the landmarks, the TA's and sightings, and the visual depiction of the suspected airport in the visibility at the time all looked correct. In lieu of what could have happened, I feel that I took the correct evasive action as soon as the error was realized. I feel that if radar contact was required for approach into sch from any direction in lieu of its proximity to alb this would not have happened.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH PENETRATION OF CLASS C AIRSPACE.

Narrative: MY INSTRUCTOR REVIEWED AND APPROVED MY FLT PLAN AND MADE THE PROPER SIGNOFF. DEP FROM WARREN COUNTY ARPT WAS NORMAL. UNLIMITED CEILING BUT WITH SIGNIFICANT HAZE. SWITCHED FROM 123.00 GFL UNICOM TO 121.30 SCH COUNTY TWR FOR INITIAL CONTACT, POS, AND INTENTION REQUESTING ADVISORY INBOUND FOR LNDG. ADVISED TO RPT 4 MI OUT FOR R- HAND APCH FOR RWY 28 SCH. HEARD AN ADVISORY TO BOTH AN INBOUND CESSNA (FROM E, MY L) AND A PIPER ARROW FROM THE W. VISIBILITY AT THIS POINT WAS HAZY AND ALMOST DIRECTLY INTO LOW SUN. GAVE POS RPT OF NEAR ROUND LAKE, A VISUAL CHKPOINT. ROUND LAKE OFF L WING. SCANNED THE E FOR INBOUND CESSNA AND I DID SEE A CESSNA APCHING FROM THE E. SCH TA MADE SENSE. CHKED COMPASS AND DIRECTIONAL GYROSCOPE READ 210 DEGS. SCH TWR THEN ASKED ME TO RPT 2 MI R BASE FOR RWY 28. AT 2 MI OUT WITH ARPT IN SIGHT, I ADVISED SCH THAT I WAS STARTING DSCNT AND ENTRY INTO THE DOWNWIND FOR R-HAND APCH TO RWY 28. IT WAS NOT UNTIL I WAS WITHIN 2 MI OF ARPT THAT I HAD REALIZED THAT IT WAS NOT SCH, BUT ALB COUNTY ARPT. THE VISIBILITY WAS NOW CLR ENOUGH TO SEE THAT THE APCHING RWY WAS NOT RWY 22 OF SCH BUT RWY 19 OF ALB. I TOOK IMMEDIATE EVASIVE ACTION IN MAKING A HARD 180 DEG DSNDING TURN TO THE L AND REVERSED COURSE. SCH TWR ASKED IF I WAS GOING INTO ALB BY MISTAKE. I REPLIED WITH COURSE CHANGE. THEY ADVISED CONTACTING ALB TWR AND GAVE ME A FREQ 122.05 OR 122.50 I COULD NOT CATCH THE LAST 2 DIGITS. I TRIED THEM BOTH. NO REPLY. I TRIED 118.05 ALB APCH/DEP. NO ANSWER. SCH ASKED IF I WISHED TO AGAIN TRY FOR RWY 28. I DECLINED. I COULD NOT SEE RISKING ANOTHER POTENTIAL PROB. RETURNED TO GFL. DEBRIEFED BY INSTRUCTOR. WHAT I BELIEVE CAUSED THIS INCIDENT WERE SEVERAL FACTORS WORKING TOGETHER. SCH COUNTY AND ALB COUNTY ARPTS ARE VERY CLOSE. IN APCHING FROM THE N, BOTH ARPTS HAVE SIMILAR LAYOUTS. EXAMPLE RWYS 22 AND 19. SURROUNDING CITIES AND THE SUN/HAZE MADE THEM DIFFICULT TO SEE UNTIL CLOSE RANGE. LANDMARKS IN THIS AREA ARE CLOSE AND CONGESTED. I WAS NOT THAT FAMILIAR WITH THEM HAVING SEEN BOTH ARPTS ONLY ONCE BEFORE. A MISSED APCH FROM THE N INTO SCH PUTS ONE INTO THE ALB ARSA WITHOUT RADAR CONTACT. ONLY VFR 1200 IS REQUIRED OUTSIDE THE ARSA DESPITE SCH LOCATION ON ITS OUTER RING. IN THIS SIT, THE RADIO CALLS, THE LANDMARKS, THE TA'S AND SIGHTINGS, AND THE VISUAL DEPICTION OF THE SUSPECTED ARPT IN THE VISIBILITY AT THE TIME ALL LOOKED CORRECT. IN LIEU OF WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED, I FEEL THAT I TOOK THE CORRECT EVASIVE ACTION AS SOON AS THE ERROR WAS REALIZED. I FEEL THAT IF RADAR CONTACT WAS REQUIRED FOR APCH INTO SCH FROM ANY DIRECTION IN LIEU OF ITS PROX TO ALB THIS WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED.

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.