Narrative:

I was CFI/PIC on a student training flight from lgb to L32 oceanside municipal, ca. There were 2 students on board. One was flying from the left seat and the other was in the back seat following the flight on his los angeles sectional chart. We had filed a flight plan and were using flight following from socal. At ocn VOR, socal told us our position from L32 and told us to squawk VFR. I told the student flying that heading of approximately 090 degrees would take us to oceanside municipal. I then turned to the student in the back seat to point out our position on the chart. At that moment, I spotted an airport 90 degrees to my left. For some reason those 2 different 90 degrees became 1 in my mind and I directed my student to head for it. The MCAS has a similar appearance to L32 and even though we flew the proper pattern for L32 and were announcing our position on every leg, I was very surprised and embarrassed to be met by the military upon landing. I was so focused on my student's pattern, because it was his first in this model, that I just plain failed to spot my error until after landing. Upon reflection, I would devote full attention to navigation when approaching an unfamiliar environment. But basically, I think my brain stalled because nothing I did or didn't do was really that out of the ordinary. It had been a very good flight until then.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LANDED AT THE WRONG ARPT. INSTRUCTOR PLT MISTAKES A MIL ARPT WITHIN RESTR AIRSPACE FOR HIS CIVILIAN UNCTLED DEST ARPT AND LANDS. HE AND HIS STUDENT PLTS WERE MET BY MIL PERSONNEL.

Narrative: I WAS CFI/PIC ON A STUDENT TRAINING FLT FROM LGB TO L32 OCEANSIDE MUNICIPAL, CA. THERE WERE 2 STUDENTS ON BOARD. ONE WAS FLYING FROM THE L SEAT AND THE OTHER WAS IN THE BACK SEAT FOLLOWING THE FLT ON HIS LOS ANGELES SECTIONAL CHART. WE HAD FILED A FLT PLAN AND WERE USING FLT FOLLOWING FROM SOCAL. AT OCN VOR, SOCAL TOLD US OUR POS FROM L32 AND TOLD US TO SQUAWK VFR. I TOLD THE STUDENT FLYING THAT HDG OF APPROX 090 DEGS WOULD TAKE US TO OCEANSIDE MUNICIPAL. I THEN TURNED TO THE STUDENT IN THE BACK SEAT TO POINT OUT OUR POS ON THE CHART. AT THAT MOMENT, I SPOTTED AN ARPT 90 DEGS TO MY L. FOR SOME REASON THOSE 2 DIFFERENT 90 DEGS BECAME 1 IN MY MIND AND I DIRECTED MY STUDENT TO HEAD FOR IT. THE MCAS HAS A SIMILAR APPEARANCE TO L32 AND EVEN THOUGH WE FLEW THE PROPER PATTERN FOR L32 AND WERE ANNOUNCING OUR POS ON EVERY LEG, I WAS VERY SURPRISED AND EMBARRASSED TO BE MET BY THE MIL UPON LNDG. I WAS SO FOCUSED ON MY STUDENT'S PATTERN, BECAUSE IT WAS HIS FIRST IN THIS MODEL, THAT I JUST PLAIN FAILED TO SPOT MY ERROR UNTIL AFTER LNDG. UPON REFLECTION, I WOULD DEVOTE FULL ATTN TO NAV WHEN APCHING AN UNFAMILIAR ENVIRONMENT. BUT BASICALLY, I THINK MY BRAIN STALLED BECAUSE NOTHING I DID OR DIDN'T DO WAS REALLY THAT OUT OF THE ORDINARY. IT HAD BEEN A VERY GOOD FLT UNTIL THEN.

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.