Pilot of an atx twin started a visual approach to land at the wrong airport.

Attributes
ACN	314339
Time
Date	199508
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : njk airport : ipl
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1200 msl bound upper : 1200
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : njk tower : fat
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Cessna 310/T310C
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	other other : other pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 3700 flight time type : 10
ASRS Report	314339
Person 2
Affiliation	government : military
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : military controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

I was flying cargo to imperial airport for my company, I had never been there before. It was hazy, and I had a schedule to meet. I was en route victor 66-458 nearing el centro NAS, so I called the tower and requested permission to transit their class D airspace to simplify my approach to imperial. El centro NAS has 2 runways, 8/26, and 12/30. Imperial has runway 8/26, and runway 14/32. Both airports, runways 12/30 and 14/32 were closed for maintenance/had vehicles on and near runway. I overflew el centro thinking it was imperial, and began to enter downwind. Just as I realized the mistake, the tower asked of my intentions. I then proceeded without incident to imperial. First, neither airport is marked very well to identify itself. Second, both airports have similar runway numbers, and it was coincidental that both appeared to have an inactive runway of the same approximately direction. Finally, due to the neighboring VOR position, it seemed easy to confuse the similar radials of the 2 airports. If I had been en route IFR, or had not been in a hurry, this would not have happened. Also, if I would have remained at a higher altitude inbound, I would have had a better overall picture of my position.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN ATX TWIN STARTED A VISUAL APCH TO LAND AT THE WRONG ARPT.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING CARGO TO IMPERIAL ARPT FOR MY COMPANY, I HAD NEVER BEEN THERE BEFORE. IT WAS HAZY, AND I HAD A SCHEDULE TO MEET. I WAS ENRTE VICTOR 66-458 NEARING EL CENTRO NAS, SO I CALLED THE TWR AND REQUESTED PERMISSION TO TRANSIT THEIR CLASS D AIRSPACE TO SIMPLIFY MY APCH TO IMPERIAL. EL CENTRO NAS HAS 2 RWYS, 8/26, AND 12/30. IMPERIAL HAS RWY 8/26, AND RWY 14/32. BOTH ARPTS, RWYS 12/30 AND 14/32 WERE CLOSED FOR MAINT/HAD VEHICLES ON AND NEAR RWY. I OVERFLEW EL CENTRO THINKING IT WAS IMPERIAL, AND BEGAN TO ENTER DOWNWIND. JUST AS I REALIZED THE MISTAKE, THE TWR ASKED OF MY INTENTIONS. I THEN PROCEEDED WITHOUT INCIDENT TO IMPERIAL. FIRST, NEITHER ARPT IS MARKED VERY WELL TO IDENT ITSELF. SECOND, BOTH ARPTS HAVE SIMILAR RWY NUMBERS, AND IT WAS COINCIDENTAL THAT BOTH APPEARED TO HAVE AN INACTIVE RWY OF THE SAME APPROX DIRECTION. FINALLY, DUE TO THE NEIGHBORING VOR POS, IT SEEMED EASY TO CONFUSE THE SIMILAR RADIALS OF THE 2 ARPTS. IF I HAD BEEN ENRTE IFR, OR HAD NOT BEEN IN A HURRY, THIS WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. ALSO, IF I WOULD HAVE REMAINED AT A HIGHER ALT INBOUND, I WOULD HAVE HAD A BETTER OVERALL PICTURE OF MY POS.

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.