Narrative:

On dec/sun/98, my private pilot student departed for his 1ST solo cross country from laf-bmg-dec-laf at AE00 am local time. En route from bmg-dec somewhere near huf, my student became lost. I have always stressed to him the importance of utilizing VFR flight following. He had all the right frequencys for requesting VFR flight following, but he made the first mistake of not utilizing VFR flight following en route from bmg-dec. Apparently over huf he picked up a northwesterly heading and stated he thought he was back on course. Evidently he was not. He contacted decatur tower and they cleared him to land on runway 30. He stated that during his final segment of the approach he saw another aircraft utilizing an intersecting runway. His 1ST instinct was to do what he was taught 'a go around' but he was unsure of the other aircraft's intentions and he felt he could hold short of the intersecting runway once on the ground. He landed. He requested a northerly departure then the tower stated that he was not at decatur, dec, but that he was at cmi. Therefore, he landed at the wrong airport. His 2ND mistake was not being 100% sure which runway he was landing which is one of the most important aspects of landing in a terminal area. I have taught him since day 1, if any flags arise in your head or you feel unsure about anything, go ahead and talk with ATC because they are there to help, but he did not. The third factor is the airports of dec and cmi are incredibly similar, each having 3 runways with the same general layout. He had pictures of all the airports he was flying into on his VFR cross country planning sheet. In the future from this day forward, I will stress that before you land on a runway, you make 100% sure you are cleared to land and make 100% sure of the runway number in which you are cleared, if anything is uncertain or you just get that funny feeling in your body that something is not right, talk to ATC because they are there to help.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN INSTRUCTOR PLT'S RPT ABOUT HIS STUDENT'S LNDG AT THE WRONG ARPT WHILE ON HIS FIRST SOLO XCOUNTRY FLT.

Narrative: ON DEC/SUN/98, MY PVT PLT STUDENT DEPARTED FOR HIS 1ST SOLO XCOUNTRY FROM LAF-BMG-DEC-LAF AT AE00 AM LCL TIME. ENRTE FROM BMG-DEC SOMEWHERE NEAR HUF, MY STUDENT BECAME LOST. I HAVE ALWAYS STRESSED TO HIM THE IMPORTANCE OF UTILIZING VFR FLT FOLLOWING. HE HAD ALL THE RIGHT FREQS FOR REQUESTING VFR FLT FOLLOWING, BUT HE MADE THE FIRST MISTAKE OF NOT UTILIZING VFR FLT FOLLOWING ENRTE FROM BMG-DEC. APPARENTLY OVER HUF HE PICKED UP A NORTHWESTERLY HEADING AND STATED HE THOUGHT HE WAS BACK ON COURSE. EVIDENTLY HE WAS NOT. HE CONTACTED DECATUR TWR AND THEY CLRED HIM TO LAND ON RWY 30. HE STATED THAT DURING HIS FINAL SEGMENT OF THE APCH HE SAW ANOTHER ACFT UTILIZING AN INTERSECTING RWY. HIS 1ST INSTINCT WAS TO DO WHAT HE WAS TAUGHT 'A GAR' BUT HE WAS UNSURE OF THE OTHER ACFT'S INTENTIONS AND HE FELT HE COULD HOLD SHORT OF THE INTERSECTING RWY ONCE ON THE GND. HE LANDED. HE REQUESTED A NORTHERLY DEP THEN THE TWR STATED THAT HE WAS NOT AT DECATUR, DEC, BUT THAT HE WAS AT CMI. THEREFORE, HE LANDED AT THE WRONG ARPT. HIS 2ND MISTAKE WAS NOT BEING 100% SURE WHICH RWY HE WAS LNDG WHICH IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF LNDG IN A TERMINAL AREA. I HAVE TAUGHT HIM SINCE DAY 1, IF ANY FLAGS ARISE IN YOUR HEAD OR YOU FEEL UNSURE ABOUT ANYTHING, GO AHEAD AND TALK WITH ATC BECAUSE THEY ARE THERE TO HELP, BUT HE DID NOT. THE THIRD FACTOR IS THE ARPTS OF DEC AND CMI ARE INCREDIBLY SIMILAR, EACH HAVING 3 RWYS WITH THE SAME GENERAL LAYOUT. HE HAD PICTURES OF ALL THE ARPTS HE WAS FLYING INTO ON HIS VFR XCOUNTRY PLANNING SHEET. IN THE FUTURE FROM THIS DAY FORWARD, I WILL STRESS THAT BEFORE YOU LAND ON A RWY, YOU MAKE 100% SURE YOU ARE CLRED TO LAND AND MAKE 100% SURE OF THE RWY NUMBER IN WHICH YOU ARE CLRED, IF ANYTHING IS UNCERTAIN OR YOU JUST GET THAT FUNNY FEELING IN YOUR BODY THAT SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT, TALK TO ATC BECAUSE THEY ARE THERE TO HELP.

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.