Small aircraft pilot with pilot passenger lands at AFB instead of airport for which he was cleared.

Attributes
ACN	330831
Time
Date	199603
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : bix
State Reference	MS
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : gpt
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 2 flight time total : 405 flight time type : 30
ASRS Report	330831
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger
Qualification	pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 2 flight time total : 400 flight time type : 25
ASRS Report	330828
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : clearance non adherence : far other anomaly other
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:

Departed pie following the coastline of florida west into alabama and mississippi, destination (gpt) gulfport, ms, using flight following for advisories. When arrived in gulfport area approximately 7 mi east of gpt, sighted airport thought to be gpt but really was keesler AFB. At time of sighting approach handed us off to gpt tower. Contacted gpt tower, tower said look for power plant. We looked but could not locate power plant, called tower back and said we were unfamiliar with area and were over a bridge presently. Tower said never mind about the power plant 'cleared to land runway 18.' we repeated this back with the runway on our left side we turned final thinking we were at the correct airport and landed. Once we landed we knew we had made a mistake. Keesler AFB did not have any numbers on the runway threshold. This situation could possibly been prevented by aircraft having distance measuring equipment, or GPS or more attention to the chart of airports near our destination of gpt. ATC could possibly have helped by more concern from approach when handed off to tower. He (approach controller) could have said gulfport field 6-7 mi 12 O'clock or from tower ATC, not just saying never mind to our discussion of being unfamiliar with the area and could not find the power plant. Possibly he could have said power plant 12 O'clock 5 mi.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT WITH PLT PAX LANDS AT AFB INSTEAD OF ARPT FOR WHICH HE WAS CLRED.

Narrative: DEPARTED PIE FOLLOWING THE COASTLINE OF FLORIDA W INTO ALABAMA AND MISSISSIPPI, DEST (GPT) GULFPORT, MS, USING FLT FOLLOWING FOR ADVISORIES. WHEN ARRIVED IN GULFPORT AREA APPROX 7 MI E OF GPT, SIGHTED ARPT THOUGHT TO BE GPT BUT REALLY WAS KEESLER AFB. AT TIME OF SIGHTING APCH HANDED US OFF TO GPT TWR. CONTACTED GPT TWR, TWR SAID LOOK FOR PWR PLANT. WE LOOKED BUT COULD NOT LOCATE PWR PLANT, CALLED TWR BACK AND SAID WE WERE UNFAMILIAR WITH AREA AND WERE OVER A BRIDGE PRESENTLY. TWR SAID NEVER MIND ABOUT THE PWR PLANT 'CLRED TO LAND RWY 18.' WE REPEATED THIS BACK WITH THE RWY ON OUR L SIDE WE TURNED FINAL THINKING WE WERE AT THE CORRECT ARPT AND LANDED. ONCE WE LANDED WE KNEW WE HAD MADE A MISTAKE. KEESLER AFB DID NOT HAVE ANY NUMBERS ON THE RWY THRESHOLD. THIS SIT COULD POSSIBLY BEEN PREVENTED BY ACFT HAVING DISTANCE MEASURING EQUIP, OR GPS OR MORE ATTN TO THE CHART OF ARPTS NEAR OUR DEST OF GPT. ATC COULD POSSIBLY HAVE HELPED BY MORE CONCERN FROM APCH WHEN HANDED OFF TO TWR. HE (APCH CTLR) COULD HAVE SAID GULFPORT FIELD 6-7 MI 12 O'CLOCK OR FROM TWR ATC, NOT JUST SAYING NEVER MIND TO OUR DISCUSSION OF BEING UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA AND COULD NOT FIND THE PWR PLANT. POSSIBLY HE COULD HAVE SAID PWR PLANT 12 O'CLOCK 5 MI.

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.