Landing at wrong airport.

Attributes
ACN	319510
Time
Date	199510
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : stl airport : sus
State Reference	MO
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other landing other
Route In Use	approach : visual enroute other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 1350
ASRS Report	319510
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While traveling around and below class B airspace in strong winds and fairly strong turbulence, allowed sighting of a not really unique landmark to lead to locating the wrong airport and landing at a class D airspace airport instead of the intended uncontrolled airport about 12 mi away. Strong winds and turbulence had an effect but the primary cause was failure to use the available navigation tools which would have shown the error. A simple lack of pilot performance. I let the presence of sophisticated navigation equipment lead me to use less than adequate VFR techniques but on sighting a river bend and island I assumed I was at a point other than the actual location and didn't even verify against the GPS or LORAN. The GPS and LORAN can contribute mightily to accurate, safe, and legal operation of the aircraft but do not relieve the pilot of the job of navigation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LNDG AT WRONG ARPT.

Narrative: WHILE TRAVELING AROUND AND BELOW CLASS B AIRSPACE IN STRONG WINDS AND FAIRLY STRONG TURB, ALLOWED SIGHTING OF A NOT REALLY UNIQUE LANDMARK TO LEAD TO LOCATING THE WRONG ARPT AND LNDG AT A CLASS D AIRSPACE ARPT INSTEAD OF THE INTENDED UNCTLED ARPT ABOUT 12 MI AWAY. STRONG WINDS AND TURB HAD AN EFFECT BUT THE PRIMARY CAUSE WAS FAILURE TO USE THE AVAILABLE NAV TOOLS WHICH WOULD HAVE SHOWN THE ERROR. A SIMPLE LACK OF PLT PERFORMANCE. I LET THE PRESENCE OF SOPHISTICATED NAV EQUIP LEAD ME TO USE LESS THAN ADEQUATE VFR TECHNIQUES BUT ON SIGHTING A RIVER BEND AND ISLAND I ASSUMED I WAS AT A POINT OTHER THAN THE ACTUAL LOCATION AND DIDN'T EVEN VERIFY AGAINST THE GPS OR LORAN. THE GPS AND LORAN CAN CONTRIBUTE MIGHTILY TO ACCURATE, SAFE, AND LEGAL OP OF THE ACFT BUT DO NOT RELIEVE THE PLT OF THE JOB OF NAV.

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.