Small aircraft pilot left localizer approach early and landed at the wrong airport.

Attributes
ACN	318370
Time
Date	199510
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 49j
State Reference	SC
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 45 flight time total : 2000 flight time type : 900
ASRS Report	318370
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Vectored to localizer runway 21 hilton head (49J). Intercepted localizer and descended. Broke out of cloud base at 1400 ft and canceled IFR. Changed to 123.0 to announce inbound to runway 21, on unicom. Advised downwind, and left base (visibility 8-10 mi). Spotted airport landing strip slightly to my right. Continued to announce downwind. Unicom advised runway 3 favored. Made my left base and committed to land, and realized too late that I was not at 49J, hilton head. Rather than abort I landed, and taxied and took off for 49J. I flew a 6 mi downwind and left base to runway 3, and landed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT LEFT LOC APCH EARLY AND LANDED AT THE WRONG ARPT.

Narrative: VECTORED TO LOC RWY 21 HILTON HEAD (49J). INTERCEPTED LOC AND DSNDED. BROKE OUT OF CLOUD BASE AT 1400 FT AND CANCELED IFR. CHANGED TO 123.0 TO ANNOUNCE INBOUND TO RWY 21, ON UNICOM. ADVISED DOWNWIND, AND L BASE (VISIBILITY 8-10 MI). SPOTTED ARPT LNDG STRIP SLIGHTLY TO MY R. CONTINUED TO ANNOUNCE DOWNWIND. UNICOM ADVISED RWY 3 FAVORED. MADE MY L BASE AND COMMITTED TO LAND, AND REALIZED TOO LATE THAT I WAS NOT AT 49J, HILTON HEAD. RATHER THAN ABORT I LANDED, AND TAXIED AND TOOK OFF FOR 49J. I FLEW A 6 MI DOWNWIND AND L BASE TO RWY 3, AND LANDED.

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.