Narrative:

On jul/xx/96, I was PIC of flight from tvi-F54 arlington, tx. The final controller was vectoring us to the F54 airport and asked if we had the NOTAM about landing on the taxiway due to the runway being closed. This was my first knowledge of this NOTAM. I had checked the NOTAMS before takeoff and no NOTAMS showed up for arlington. The controller said the taxiway was 75 ft wide and as long as the runway which was 5000 ft. He said they would tell me more about it on the unicom frequency and to report the airport in sight. There were lots of small planes in the area and we were very busy looking for traffic. I saw the F54 airport but was not sure it was the right airport. Then we saw another airport and thought it was F54. We flew a l- hand traffic pattern giving all our position reports and looking hard for other traffic and landed on the taxiway. The taxiway is as long as the runway which is 4000 ft but it is very close to the ramp. This was not the right airport but was grand prairie, tx, airport which is about 3 mi from F54 and has a control tower. Unicom told us to switch to the tower frequency and we realized we were at the wrong airport. The tower gave us a phone number to call after we got to F54 and cleared us for takeoff to F54. We then flew to F54 and landed on the taxiway. I called the tower and explained the mix-up. He said that we 'got their attention' and that they would not take any further action other than recording it on their tower log. I assured him it would never happen again. The runway at F54 is 34/16 and at grand prairie it is 35/17. However, this is no excuse. Looking back to ways this might not have happened is to take a closer look at the kns 660 on final, be more aware of other airports in the same area, if the airport has an approach have it tuned in.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LAND AT WRONG ARPT. THE DEST ARPT WAS 3 1/2 MI AWAY. ADDING TO THE CONFUSION WAS THAT THE DEST ARPT RWY WAS CLOSED AND ACFT WERE LNDG ON A TXWY PLUS RWY DIRECTIONS WERE SIMILAR.

Narrative: ON JUL/XX/96, I WAS PIC OF FLT FROM TVI-F54 ARLINGTON, TX. THE FINAL CTLR WAS VECTORING US TO THE F54 ARPT AND ASKED IF WE HAD THE NOTAM ABOUT LNDG ON THE TXWY DUE TO THE RWY BEING CLOSED. THIS WAS MY FIRST KNOWLEDGE OF THIS NOTAM. I HAD CHKED THE NOTAMS BEFORE TKOF AND NO NOTAMS SHOWED UP FOR ARLINGTON. THE CTLR SAID THE TXWY WAS 75 FT WIDE AND AS LONG AS THE RWY WHICH WAS 5000 FT. HE SAID THEY WOULD TELL ME MORE ABOUT IT ON THE UNICOM FREQ AND TO RPT THE ARPT IN SIGHT. THERE WERE LOTS OF SMALL PLANES IN THE AREA AND WE WERE VERY BUSY LOOKING FOR TFC. I SAW THE F54 ARPT BUT WAS NOT SURE IT WAS THE RIGHT ARPT. THEN WE SAW ANOTHER ARPT AND THOUGHT IT WAS F54. WE FLEW A L- HAND TFC PATTERN GIVING ALL OUR POS RPTS AND LOOKING HARD FOR OTHER TFC AND LANDED ON THE TXWY. THE TXWY IS AS LONG AS THE RWY WHICH IS 4000 FT BUT IT IS VERY CLOSE TO THE RAMP. THIS WAS NOT THE RIGHT ARPT BUT WAS GRAND PRAIRIE, TX, ARPT WHICH IS ABOUT 3 MI FROM F54 AND HAS A CTL TWR. UNICOM TOLD US TO SWITCH TO THE TWR FREQ AND WE REALIZED WE WERE AT THE WRONG ARPT. THE TWR GAVE US A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL AFTER WE GOT TO F54 AND CLRED US FOR TKOF TO F54. WE THEN FLEW TO F54 AND LANDED ON THE TXWY. I CALLED THE TWR AND EXPLAINED THE MIX-UP. HE SAID THAT WE 'GOT THEIR ATTN' AND THAT THEY WOULD NOT TAKE ANY FURTHER ACTION OTHER THAN RECORDING IT ON THEIR TWR LOG. I ASSURED HIM IT WOULD NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN. THE RWY AT F54 IS 34/16 AND AT GRAND PRAIRIE IT IS 35/17. HOWEVER, THIS IS NO EXCUSE. LOOKING BACK TO WAYS THIS MIGHT NOT HAVE HAPPENED IS TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE KNS 660 ON FINAL, BE MORE AWARE OF OTHER ARPTS IN THE SAME AREA, IF THE ARPT HAS AN APCH HAVE IT TUNED IN.

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.