Narrative:

I filed a VFR flight plan for departure from sff. The route took V2 to 1s0 (pierce county). We began our descent from 10500 ft MSL due to the short distance to descend under class B airspace and to make the approach for 1s0. During the descent there were a number of traffic separation alerts given by ATC. At approximately 3000 ft MSL, ZSE asked if I had the airport in sight at 12 O'clock position. I reported affirmative and changed my transponder to 1200 ft and tuned in pierce county traffic. Asked local traffic what runway was active and direction of traffic. At this point, I was too close to the airport (the one I was looking at) to enter the left downwind for runway 16. I was expecting left downwind for runway 34 due to the winds. I transmitted my intentions to overfly the airport at midfield, and to enter left traffic for runway 16. I noticed some military aircraft. I was only 1700 ft AGL, and very busy keeping my eye on area traffic (later to realize it was not in this airport's pattern). I remember the thought that the information was convenient to give during the downwind (later to realize it was coincidental -- the AWOS announced at intervals the information on the field). As I made my way to final, I realized that the airstrip was too long. I knew at this point I had made a mistake. I knew I had breached security. I felt that the best thing to do was to make the landing and explain my situation. I pulled off of the active runway, looked for the tower frequency for instructions, and did not find the AFB listed. By this time an entourage of vehicles were upon the scene and we exited the plane. With the VOR OTS and no DME to give me a fix to identify the turnoff for the correct runway point, I did not realize how close the 2 airports were -- in fact I never saw 1s0. The 2 airports are less than 3 mins of flight time apart. My conversations with the 1s0 traffic overshadowed the greater picture of looking more specifically at the ground. I should have noticed only military and no small aircraft along the runway. I have 22 hours under the hood in the last 75 days in training towards an IFR rating. I have a hard time justifying or accounting for my error in locating the correct airfield. The military was understanding, protective, and justified in their response to our breach of their security.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C205 PLT ACCIDENTALLY LANDED AT A MIL AFB.

Narrative: I FILED A VFR FLT PLAN FOR DEP FROM SFF. THE RTE TOOK V2 TO 1S0 (PIERCE COUNTY). WE BEGAN OUR DSCNT FROM 10500 FT MSL DUE TO THE SHORT DISTANCE TO DSND UNDER CLASS B AIRSPACE AND TO MAKE THE APCH FOR 1S0. DURING THE DSCNT THERE WERE A NUMBER OF TFC SEPARATION ALERTS GIVEN BY ATC. AT APPROX 3000 FT MSL, ZSE ASKED IF I HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT AT 12 O'CLOCK POS. I RPTED AFFIRMATIVE AND CHANGED MY XPONDER TO 1200 FT AND TUNED IN PIERCE COUNTY TFC. ASKED LCL TFC WHAT RWY WAS ACTIVE AND DIRECTION OF TFC. AT THIS POINT, I WAS TOO CLOSE TO THE ARPT (THE ONE I WAS LOOKING AT) TO ENTER THE L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 16. I WAS EXPECTING L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 34 DUE TO THE WINDS. I XMITTED MY INTENTIONS TO OVERFLY THE ARPT AT MIDFIELD, AND TO ENTER L TFC FOR RWY 16. I NOTICED SOME MIL ACFT. I WAS ONLY 1700 FT AGL, AND VERY BUSY KEEPING MY EYE ON AREA TFC (LATER TO REALIZE IT WAS NOT IN THIS ARPT'S PATTERN). I REMEMBER THE THOUGHT THAT THE INFO WAS CONVENIENT TO GIVE DURING THE DOWNWIND (LATER TO REALIZE IT WAS COINCIDENTAL -- THE AWOS ANNOUNCED AT INTERVALS THE INFO ON THE FIELD). AS I MADE MY WAY TO FINAL, I REALIZED THAT THE AIRSTRIP WAS TOO LONG. I KNEW AT THIS POINT I HAD MADE A MISTAKE. I KNEW I HAD BREACHED SECURITY. I FELT THAT THE BEST THING TO DO WAS TO MAKE THE LNDG AND EXPLAIN MY SIT. I PULLED OFF OF THE ACTIVE RWY, LOOKED FOR THE TWR FREQ FOR INSTRUCTIONS, AND DID NOT FIND THE AFB LISTED. BY THIS TIME AN ENTOURAGE OF VEHICLES WERE UPON THE SCENE AND WE EXITED THE PLANE. WITH THE VOR OTS AND NO DME TO GIVE ME A FIX TO IDENT THE TURNOFF FOR THE CORRECT RWY POINT, I DID NOT REALIZE HOW CLOSE THE 2 ARPTS WERE -- IN FACT I NEVER SAW 1S0. THE 2 ARPTS ARE LESS THAN 3 MINS OF FLT TIME APART. MY CONVERSATIONS WITH THE 1S0 TFC OVERSHADOWED THE GREATER PICTURE OF LOOKING MORE SPECIFICALLY AT THE GND. I SHOULD HAVE NOTICED ONLY MIL AND NO SMALL ACFT ALONG THE RWY. I HAVE 22 HRS UNDER THE HOOD IN THE LAST 75 DAYS IN TRAINING TOWARDS AN IFR RATING. I HAVE A HARD TIME JUSTIFYING OR ACCOUNTING FOR MY ERROR IN LOCATING THE CORRECT AIRFIELD. THE MIL WAS UNDERSTANDING, PROTECTIVE, AND JUSTIFIED IN THEIR RESPONSE TO OUR BREACH OF THEIR SECURITY.

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.