Narrative:

I am a 36 hour student pilot who is scheduled to start cross country training. The mission of the solo flight was to practice flight maneuvers. Because of recurrent IFR conditions during december in this area, I had received instruction in these maneuvers, but had not been able to practice them. The practice airports were baz (many flts with instructor and 2 flts solo) and T89 (2 flts with instructor only). Showed calm winds and clear skies. While directly south of sat at 3500 ft, I was routed toward T89. I could see clouds in that area. I requested rerouting to baz, as my instructor had suggested for such a case. ATC routed me to the northeast of the city. Along this leg, I noted randolph AFB to the north, and recall thinking that my instructor had told me repeatedly how important it is to fly well away (to the north), from randolph and its auxiliary field because of intensive jet training. ATC instructed me to resume navigation. I turned toward an interstate highway. As I approached the highway, I saw an airfield with runway layout that didn't look quite right, but did have a runway 13/31. It looked like my usual practice area, except I didn't see the usual lakes and small refinery. I discounted these discrepancies and informed ATC that I had the airport in sight. Upon release, I proceeded to practice turns that shifted my location somewhat. I then decided to practice lndgs. I proceeded to the nearby airport and prepared to enter the pattern for runway 13. I could hear at least 3 airplanes in the traffic pattern at baz on the CTAF, but did not see any of them. While I was about to enter the downwind leg, I heard another airplane announce it was on downwind, so I turned outside the pattern and reentered, but could not see any airplanes in the pattern. On final, the runway and the txwys did not appear familiar. Upon landing, I finally realized I was at an unfamiliar airport. While flying to the east of sat, one first encounters seq. Baz is about 2 mi to the northwest of that field. There are 2 easy ways I could have avoided this problem: 1) I could have followed my course on the sectional map that I had tucked neatly between the console and the windshield. 2) I could have checked my location on the sat VOR. My instructor has emphasized that it is important to pay attention to landmarks on the ground. Had I remembered his instructions, I would have seen immediately that the first airfield would be seq, not baz. How to avoid landing on military airbases for student pilots: 1) remember that all airports in the same geographic area may have the same runway numbers. 2) if you took a route to your intended airport that is different from your usual route, follow your course on the sectional map. 3) as you approach the airport, a) if it doesn't look 'right' see #2 above. B) if you are hearing active traffic on CTAF for your intended airport, but aren't seeing any planes, you may be in a different place! C) on final, look at the runway. If it is a lot longer than you are expecting, it may be made for jets, so don't land there. 4) after landing, if a truck drives up to your plane and several polite, but fit young people get out to greet you, plan on spending some time explaining yourself to the auths. You have landed on a military base.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA PLT FINDS OUT, LATE, THAT HE HAS MADE AN UNAUTH APCH AND LNDG AT A MIL ARPT.

Narrative: I AM A 36 HR STUDENT PLT WHO IS SCHEDULED TO START XCOUNTRY TRAINING. THE MISSION OF THE SOLO FLT WAS TO PRACTICE FLT MANEUVERS. BECAUSE OF RECURRENT IFR CONDITIONS DURING DECEMBER IN THIS AREA, I HAD RECEIVED INSTRUCTION IN THESE MANEUVERS, BUT HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO PRACTICE THEM. THE PRACTICE ARPTS WERE BAZ (MANY FLTS WITH INSTRUCTOR AND 2 FLTS SOLO) AND T89 (2 FLTS WITH INSTRUCTOR ONLY). SHOWED CALM WINDS AND CLR SKIES. WHILE DIRECTLY S OF SAT AT 3500 FT, I WAS ROUTED TOWARD T89. I COULD SEE CLOUDS IN THAT AREA. I REQUESTED REROUTING TO BAZ, AS MY INSTRUCTOR HAD SUGGESTED FOR SUCH A CASE. ATC ROUTED ME TO THE NE OF THE CITY. ALONG THIS LEG, I NOTED RANDOLPH AFB TO THE N, AND RECALL THINKING THAT MY INSTRUCTOR HAD TOLD ME REPEATEDLY HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO FLY WELL AWAY (TO THE N), FROM RANDOLPH AND ITS AUX FIELD BECAUSE OF INTENSIVE JET TRAINING. ATC INSTRUCTED ME TO RESUME NAV. I TURNED TOWARD AN INTERSTATE HWY. AS I APCHED THE HWY, I SAW AN AIRFIELD WITH RWY LAYOUT THAT DIDN'T LOOK QUITE RIGHT, BUT DID HAVE A RWY 13/31. IT LOOKED LIKE MY USUAL PRACTICE AREA, EXCEPT I DIDN'T SEE THE USUAL LAKES AND SMALL REFINERY. I DISCOUNTED THESE DISCREPANCIES AND INFORMED ATC THAT I HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT. UPON RELEASE, I PROCEEDED TO PRACTICE TURNS THAT SHIFTED MY LOCATION SOMEWHAT. I THEN DECIDED TO PRACTICE LNDGS. I PROCEEDED TO THE NEARBY ARPT AND PREPARED TO ENTER THE PATTERN FOR RWY 13. I COULD HEAR AT LEAST 3 AIRPLANES IN THE TFC PATTERN AT BAZ ON THE CTAF, BUT DID NOT SEE ANY OF THEM. WHILE I WAS ABOUT TO ENTER THE DOWNWIND LEG, I HEARD ANOTHER AIRPLANE ANNOUNCE IT WAS ON DOWNWIND, SO I TURNED OUTSIDE THE PATTERN AND REENTERED, BUT COULD NOT SEE ANY AIRPLANES IN THE PATTERN. ON FINAL, THE RWY AND THE TXWYS DID NOT APPEAR FAMILIAR. UPON LNDG, I FINALLY REALIZED I WAS AT AN UNFAMILIAR ARPT. WHILE FLYING TO THE E OF SAT, ONE FIRST ENCOUNTERS SEQ. BAZ IS ABOUT 2 MI TO THE NW OF THAT FIELD. THERE ARE 2 EASY WAYS I COULD HAVE AVOIDED THIS PROB: 1) I COULD HAVE FOLLOWED MY COURSE ON THE SECTIONAL MAP THAT I HAD TUCKED NEATLY BTWN THE CONSOLE AND THE WINDSHIELD. 2) I COULD HAVE CHKED MY LOCATION ON THE SAT VOR. MY INSTRUCTOR HAS EMPHASIZED THAT IT IS IMPORTANT TO PAY ATTN TO LANDMARKS ON THE GND. HAD I REMEMBERED HIS INSTRUCTIONS, I WOULD HAVE SEEN IMMEDIATELY THAT THE FIRST AIRFIELD WOULD BE SEQ, NOT BAZ. HOW TO AVOID LNDG ON MIL AIRBASES FOR STUDENT PLTS: 1) REMEMBER THAT ALL ARPTS IN THE SAME GEOGRAPHIC AREA MAY HAVE THE SAME RWY NUMBERS. 2) IF YOU TOOK A RTE TO YOUR INTENDED ARPT THAT IS DIFFERENT FROM YOUR USUAL RTE, FOLLOW YOUR COURSE ON THE SECTIONAL MAP. 3) AS YOU APCH THE ARPT, A) IF IT DOESN'T LOOK 'RIGHT' SEE #2 ABOVE. B) IF YOU ARE HEARING ACTIVE TFC ON CTAF FOR YOUR INTENDED ARPT, BUT AREN'T SEEING ANY PLANES, YOU MAY BE IN A DIFFERENT PLACE! C) ON FINAL, LOOK AT THE RWY. IF IT IS A LOT LONGER THAN YOU ARE EXPECTING, IT MAY BE MADE FOR JETS, SO DON'T LAND THERE. 4) AFTER LNDG, IF A TRUCK DRIVES UP TO YOUR PLANE AND SEVERAL POLITE, BUT FIT YOUNG PEOPLE GET OUT TO GREET YOU, PLAN ON SPENDING SOME TIME EXPLAINING YOURSELF TO THE AUTHS. YOU HAVE LANDED ON A MIL BASE.

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.