A pilot entered stl class B airspace without a clearance.

Attributes
ACN	455180
Time
Date	199911
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : stl.airport
State Reference	MO
Altitude	msl single value : 1700
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
ASRS Report	455180
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	observation : passenger
Events
Anomaly	airspace violation : entry non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

VFR conditions. Idented lambert rather than spirit of saint louis, approached wrong airport. We were approaching lambert. Spirit control determined we were approaching lambert and gave us a transponder number and directed us to spirit with vectors. My aircraft has a brand X GPS. The brand X GPS set for a direct flight to spirit airport. The intent was to arrive at st charles VOR, which would position me west of lambert class B airspace. Without realizing it, the GPS was putting me back on the original track. When the GPS brought me in sight of lambert, it looked like spirit with the 2 parallel runways running the same direction. When I announced my position I was shocked when spirit tower informed me that I was approaching lambert rather than spirit. The controller immediately vectored me to spirit. Having had this unfortunate experience, what would I do to avoid this from ever happening in the future? I would not use a NAVAID that could take me through a restr area, and whenever available, use controllers, file IFR (or flight following when not current).

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PLT ENTERED STL CLASS B AIRSPACE WITHOUT A CLRNC.

Narrative: VFR CONDITIONS. IDENTED LAMBERT RATHER THAN SPIRIT OF SAINT LOUIS, APCHED WRONG ARPT. WE WERE APCHING LAMBERT. SPIRIT CTL DETERMINED WE WERE APCHING LAMBERT AND GAVE US A XPONDER NUMBER AND DIRECTED US TO SPIRIT WITH VECTORS. MY ACFT HAS A BRAND X GPS. THE BRAND X GPS SET FOR A DIRECT FLT TO SPIRIT ARPT. THE INTENT WAS TO ARRIVE AT ST CHARLES VOR, WHICH WOULD POS ME W OF LAMBERT CLASS B AIRSPACE. WITHOUT REALIZING IT, THE GPS WAS PUTTING ME BACK ON THE ORIGINAL TRACK. WHEN THE GPS BROUGHT ME IN SIGHT OF LAMBERT, IT LOOKED LIKE SPIRIT WITH THE 2 PARALLEL RWYS RUNNING THE SAME DIRECTION. WHEN I ANNOUNCED MY POS I WAS SHOCKED WHEN SPIRIT TWR INFORMED ME THAT I WAS APCHING LAMBERT RATHER THAN SPIRIT. THE CTLR IMMEDIATELY VECTORED ME TO SPIRIT. HAVING HAD THIS UNFORTUNATE EXPERIENCE, WHAT WOULD I DO TO AVOID THIS FROM EVER HAPPENING IN THE FUTURE? I WOULD NOT USE A NAVAID THAT COULD TAKE ME THROUGH A RESTR AREA, AND WHENEVER AVAILABLE, USE CTLRS, FILE IFR (OR FLT FOLLOWING WHEN NOT CURRENT).

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.