Pilot cleared for visual commences downwind for wrong airport.

Attributes
ACN	299301
Time
Date	199503
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : dal airport : ads
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dal tower : ads artcc : zau
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cardinal 177/177RG
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 2000 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	299301
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Have you ever almost landed at the wrong field? I have 2000 hours of flying experience, mostly in military type heavy jet aircraft and it can happen. Was flying to ads while on an ATC vector of 220 degrees to ads, 2 traffic calls were given, one of which was on final to ads. Also called no joy and was issued a turn to 190 degrees and told to follow traffic on a 2 mi straight-in to ads. When asked if I had the field, I said yes but not the traffic, to which I received the reply traffic no factor, cleared for the visual to runway 33 at ads. I switched tower and called a modified downwind base and received no reply. I called a second time and was told 'it appears you are set up for love field. Turn right immediately to heading 360 degrees.' when out of the turn, ads was plainly visible. I did not see parallel runways until the 360 degree heading was given due to haze and sunset. Ads and dal both have buildings/hangars on eastern boundary, a taxiway, and then a north/south runway -- the difference being only one runway at ads. I never descended below my assigned altitude and there was no conflict that I am aware of. The biggest thing I could have done to prevent this from occurring was to take an instrument approach. I feel that in this case my experience actually hurt me because earlier I was asked if I wanted an approach and said no, thinking that I didn't want to delay all of the jets. Next time, haze and sunset and unfamiliar field equals an approach. The jets will just have to wait their turn. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter was flying a cardinal 180 hp cessna 177 by himself. He seemed to believed that because he was on an IFR flight plan he did not have to worry about intruding into the class B airspace. He does not believes he went into the class B airspace while going for the downwind at love field. He does state that next time he will not be so quick to except a visual. The reporter has over 2000 hours some of which are in a dc-9 and boeing 707.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT CLRED FOR VISUAL COMMENCES DOWNWIND FOR WRONG ARPT.

Narrative: HAVE YOU EVER ALMOST LANDED AT THE WRONG FIELD? I HAVE 2000 HRS OF FLYING EXPERIENCE, MOSTLY IN MIL TYPE HVY JET ACFT AND IT CAN HAPPEN. WAS FLYING TO ADS WHILE ON AN ATC VECTOR OF 220 DEGS TO ADS, 2 TFC CALLS WERE GIVEN, ONE OF WHICH WAS ON FINAL TO ADS. ALSO CALLED NO JOY AND WAS ISSUED A TURN TO 190 DEGS AND TOLD TO FOLLOW TFC ON A 2 MI STRAIGHT-IN TO ADS. WHEN ASKED IF I HAD THE FIELD, I SAID YES BUT NOT THE TFC, TO WHICH I RECEIVED THE REPLY TFC NO FACTOR, CLRED FOR THE VISUAL TO RWY 33 AT ADS. I SWITCHED TWR AND CALLED A MODIFIED DOWNWIND BASE AND RECEIVED NO REPLY. I CALLED A SECOND TIME AND WAS TOLD 'IT APPEARS YOU ARE SET UP FOR LOVE FIELD. TURN R IMMEDIATELY TO HDG 360 DEGS.' WHEN OUT OF THE TURN, ADS WAS PLAINLY VISIBLE. I DID NOT SEE PARALLEL RWYS UNTIL THE 360 DEG HDG WAS GIVEN DUE TO HAZE AND SUNSET. ADS AND DAL BOTH HAVE BUILDINGS/HANGARS ON EASTERN BOUNDARY, A TXWY, AND THEN A N/S RWY -- THE DIFFERENCE BEING ONLY ONE RWY AT ADS. I NEVER DSNDED BELOW MY ASSIGNED ALT AND THERE WAS NO CONFLICT THAT I AM AWARE OF. THE BIGGEST THING I COULD HAVE DONE TO PREVENT THIS FROM OCCURRING WAS TO TAKE AN INST APCH. I FEEL THAT IN THIS CASE MY EXPERIENCE ACTUALLY HURT ME BECAUSE EARLIER I WAS ASKED IF I WANTED AN APCH AND SAID NO, THINKING THAT I DIDN'T WANT TO DELAY ALL OF THE JETS. NEXT TIME, HAZE AND SUNSET AND UNFAMILIAR FIELD EQUALS AN APCH. THE JETS WILL JUST HAVE TO WAIT THEIR TURN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS FLYING A CARDINAL 180 HP CESSNA 177 BY HIMSELF. HE SEEMED TO BELIEVED THAT BECAUSE HE WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN HE DID NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT INTRUDING INTO THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. HE DOES NOT BELIEVES HE WENT INTO THE CLASS B AIRSPACE WHILE GOING FOR THE DOWNWIND AT LOVE FIELD. HE DOES STATE THAT NEXT TIME HE WILL NOT BE SO QUICK TO EXCEPT A VISUAL. THE RPTR HAS OVER 2000 HRS SOME OF WHICH ARE IN A DC-9 AND BOEING 707.

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.