Narrative:

Uneventful IFR flight in VMC from C49 to 1n9. Having descended from 7000 ft to 4000 ft at the direction of allentown approach control I notified approach I had the airport in view and would cancel IFR 'at this time.' approach responded, as best I recall, that I was 'cleared for the visual, radar services terminated, squawk 1200.' I changed to 1200, switched to the CTAF of 122.7 for 1n9, announced 'twin cessna on wide left base for runway 7 at queen city,' further announced base to final, and proceeded to land on runway 6 at abe. I was greeted by police and told I was at abe. Unfamiliar with area, insufficient preparation for arrival. After seeing airport I ceased to rely on my GPS and sectional chart. Canceled IFR too soon, perhaps approach control could have warned me about the proximity and runway layout similarity of the 2 airports. The last 30-40 mins of the 4-HR flight had become fairly choppy and I was in need of a 'pit stop.' once I saw abe and 'recognized' the runway layout I got 'target fixation.' it never entered my head that I had the wrong airport, furthermore because I was making a visual approach and had earlier been given several targets by approach control my head was outside the cockpit and I didn't notice that I had a heading on final of 060 degrees rather than 070 degrees I would have had at 1n9. Neither did I notice the large '6' on the approach end of the runway. Events such as this are the product of a series of errors. I was insufficiently prepared, I have flown into many large airports and it is my practice to file IFR and to depend on ARTCC to help me find the airport. I think I have gotten a little too dependent. I am the PIC and I should not have let this happen. That being said, I think the proximity of the 2 airports and the virtually identical layout contribute to the likelihood of this occurring, I think it is the geographical equivalent of 'design induced error.' even though 1 airport is large and the other small, the perception of size is significantly affected by altitude. Abe didn't look particularly large to me. I doubt that I am the first pilot to make this mistake at this location. I would not be surprised to learn that commercial airliners or commuters have made 'visual' approachs to 1n9. I think approach control should have some sort of procedure whereby they assure themselves (and the pilot) that the proper airport has been idented before they 'clear for the visual' or terminate radar service. If approach had been able to call me on 122.7, the CTAF for 1n9, this could have been avoided. I want to be clear. I regard this as primarily my error. Perhaps the 'system' allowed, or even assisted me to make this error and if so maybe procedures should be reviewed to help avoid a recurrence. I hope this is not perceived as blaming the ARTCC personnel. I have always found them to be courteous and professional.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WRONG ARPT LNDG. A TWIN CESSNA PLT LANDS AT ABE, PA, WHEN HE THINKS IT IS QUEEN CITY ARPT, 1N9.

Narrative: UNEVENTFUL IFR FLT IN VMC FROM C49 TO 1N9. HAVING DSNDED FROM 7000 FT TO 4000 FT AT THE DIRECTION OF ALLENTOWN APCH CTL I NOTIFIED APCH I HAD THE ARPT IN VIEW AND WOULD CANCEL IFR 'AT THIS TIME.' APCH RESPONDED, AS BEST I RECALL, THAT I WAS 'CLRED FOR THE VISUAL, RADAR SVCS TERMINATED, SQUAWK 1200.' I CHANGED TO 1200, SWITCHED TO THE CTAF OF 122.7 FOR 1N9, ANNOUNCED 'TWIN CESSNA ON WIDE L BASE FOR RWY 7 AT QUEEN CITY,' FURTHER ANNOUNCED BASE TO FINAL, AND PROCEEDED TO LAND ON RWY 6 AT ABE. I WAS GREETED BY POLICE AND TOLD I WAS AT ABE. UNFAMILIAR WITH AREA, INSUFFICIENT PREPARATION FOR ARR. AFTER SEEING ARPT I CEASED TO RELY ON MY GPS AND SECTIONAL CHART. CANCELED IFR TOO SOON, PERHAPS APCH CTL COULD HAVE WARNED ME ABOUT THE PROX AND RWY LAYOUT SIMILARITY OF THE 2 ARPTS. THE LAST 30-40 MINS OF THE 4-HR FLT HAD BECOME FAIRLY CHOPPY AND I WAS IN NEED OF A 'PIT STOP.' ONCE I SAW ABE AND 'RECOGNIZED' THE RWY LAYOUT I GOT 'TARGET FIXATION.' IT NEVER ENTERED MY HEAD THAT I HAD THE WRONG ARPT, FURTHERMORE BECAUSE I WAS MAKING A VISUAL APCH AND HAD EARLIER BEEN GIVEN SEVERAL TARGETS BY APCH CTL MY HEAD WAS OUTSIDE THE COCKPIT AND I DIDN'T NOTICE THAT I HAD A HEADING ON FINAL OF 060 DEGS RATHER THAN 070 DEGS I WOULD HAVE HAD AT 1N9. NEITHER DID I NOTICE THE LARGE '6' ON THE APCH END OF THE RWY. EVENTS SUCH AS THIS ARE THE PRODUCT OF A SERIES OF ERRORS. I WAS INSUFFICIENTLY PREPARED, I HAVE FLOWN INTO MANY LARGE ARPTS AND IT IS MY PRACTICE TO FILE IFR AND TO DEPEND ON ARTCC TO HELP ME FIND THE ARPT. I THINK I HAVE GOTTEN A LITTLE TOO DEPENDENT. I AM THE PIC AND I SHOULD NOT HAVE LET THIS HAPPEN. THAT BEING SAID, I THINK THE PROX OF THE 2 ARPTS AND THE VIRTUALLY IDENTICAL LAYOUT CONTRIBUTE TO THE LIKELIHOOD OF THIS OCCURRING, I THINK IT IS THE GEOGRAPHICAL EQUIVALENT OF 'DESIGN INDUCED ERROR.' EVEN THOUGH 1 ARPT IS LARGE AND THE OTHER SMALL, THE PERCEPTION OF SIZE IS SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECTED BY ALT. ABE DIDN'T LOOK PARTICULARLY LARGE TO ME. I DOUBT THAT I AM THE FIRST PLT TO MAKE THIS MISTAKE AT THIS LOCATION. I WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO LEARN THAT COMMERCIAL AIRLINERS OR COMMUTERS HAVE MADE 'VISUAL' APCHS TO 1N9. I THINK APCH CTL SHOULD HAVE SOME SORT OF PROC WHEREBY THEY ASSURE THEMSELVES (AND THE PLT) THAT THE PROPER ARPT HAS BEEN IDENTED BEFORE THEY 'CLR FOR THE VISUAL' OR TERMINATE RADAR SVC. IF APCH HAD BEEN ABLE TO CALL ME ON 122.7, THE CTAF FOR 1N9, THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. I WANT TO BE CLR. I REGARD THIS AS PRIMARILY MY ERROR. PERHAPS THE 'SYS' ALLOWED, OR EVEN ASSISTED ME TO MAKE THIS ERROR AND IF SO MAYBE PROCS SHOULD BE REVIEWED TO HELP AVOID A RECURRENCE. I HOPE THIS IS NOT PERCEIVED AS BLAMING THE ARTCC PERSONNEL. I HAVE ALWAYS FOUND THEM TO BE COURTEOUS AND PROFESSIONAL.

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.