Narrative:

IFR flight from kskf to krvs. On top of an overcast (clear above) with the tops at 5000 ft MSL, bases 1300 ft AGL. Due to physiological emergency (undeniable urge to urinate) diverted to kadm. This is a class D, non radar environment. Requested ILS to kadm and center cleared as requested. Center asked if I wanted to go direct to OM, and I asked if vectors were available. Center said vectors were not possible, so I said I would depart the VOR to the OM and proceed outbound, on the localizer for the procedure turn as published. Center cleared me for the approach. By this time the physiological problem was getting critical. I did not receive the localizer during the approach and advised center that I was missed approach and returning to the VOR. Center asked what my intentions were. At this point, things started to become a little confusing. Consider that the T-28 does not have an autoplt or any sort of wing leveler or any other type of flight control assist. It is somewhat unstable and requires constant attention to basic instrument flying. I was using government plates, which are published in a bound book and require thumbing through each plate (not nearly as convenient as commercial binders). The physiological issue was getting very painful. I found a VOR/DME approach, but the aircraft was not DME equipped. I also found the VOR approach to ardmore, but did not realize it was to ardmore executive (an uncontrolled airport about 4 mi east of municipal). In asking for the approach I think I must have asked for the VOR/DME when I was looking at the VOR plate. Center cleared me for the approach and told me to contact tower after the VOR. I flew the VOR approach, contacted tower after the VOR and tower told me to report circling south for runway 31. I broke out of the clouds at about 1600 ft AGL and the airport was right where I expected it to be. I called the tower and told them I was south and entering downwind. Tower said, 'not in sight.' it became immediately obvious to me that I was not looking at ardmore municipal as it was a single north/south runway . I told the tower there was some confusion, that I wouldn't be landing at municipal, to cancel my IFR and I would give him a call when I got on the ground. I entered downwind for runway 35 at ardmore executive and landed without incident. As soon as I got out of the aircraft, I relieved myself and went inside to call the tower. Of course, he thought I was landing at municipal out of the VOR/DME approach. This was not a safety issue, because the control zone was mine until I cancelled IFR. I never left the control zone throughout the sequence, achieved VFR conditions and cancelled IFR, landing VFR. This was a symphony of events that began with a physiological problem that fogged my ability to adequately address the situation. Combining this with the inherent instability of the aircraft and the cumbersome approach plate book caused me to not recognize that I had selected an approach to a different airport than the airport I had intended to land at. Under different circumstances this could have been disastrous. I learned several things from this incident. First, I will carry a 'piddle pack' to eliminate the possibility of being nearly incapacitated by a physiological urge. Most importantly, I intend to do a better job of reviewing all options well before entering the approach environment.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: T28 PLT MAKES AN INST APCH TO AN ARPT BELIEVING THAT HE WAS ON AN APCH TO ANOTHER ARPT.

Narrative: IFR FLT FROM KSKF TO KRVS. ON TOP OF AN OVCST (CLR ABOVE) WITH THE TOPS AT 5000 FT MSL, BASES 1300 FT AGL. DUE TO PHYSIOLOGICAL EMER (UNDENIABLE URGE TO URINATE) DIVERTED TO KADM. THIS IS A CLASS D, NON RADAR ENVIRONMENT. REQUESTED ILS TO KADM AND CTR CLRED AS REQUESTED. CTR ASKED IF I WANTED TO GO DIRECT TO OM, AND I ASKED IF VECTORS WERE AVAILABLE. CTR SAID VECTORS WERE NOT POSSIBLE, SO I SAID I WOULD DEPART THE VOR TO THE OM AND PROCEED OUTBOUND, ON THE LOC FOR THE PROC TURN AS PUBLISHED. CTR CLRED ME FOR THE APCH. BY THIS TIME THE PHYSIOLOGICAL PROB WAS GETTING CRITICAL. I DID NOT RECEIVE THE LOC DURING THE APCH AND ADVISED CTR THAT I WAS MISSED APCH AND RETURNING TO THE VOR. CTR ASKED WHAT MY INTENTIONS WERE. AT THIS POINT, THINGS STARTED TO BECOME A LITTLE CONFUSING. CONSIDER THAT THE T-28 DOES NOT HAVE AN AUTOPLT OR ANY SORT OF WING LEVELER OR ANY OTHER TYPE OF FLT CTL ASSIST. IT IS SOMEWHAT UNSTABLE AND REQUIRES CONSTANT ATTN TO BASIC INST FLYING. I WAS USING GOV PLATES, WHICH ARE PUBLISHED IN A BOUND BOOK AND REQUIRE THUMBING THROUGH EACH PLATE (NOT NEARLY AS CONVENIENT AS COMMERCIAL BINDERS). THE PHYSIOLOGICAL ISSUE WAS GETTING VERY PAINFUL. I FOUND A VOR/DME APCH, BUT THE ACFT WAS NOT DME EQUIPPED. I ALSO FOUND THE VOR APCH TO ARDMORE, BUT DID NOT REALIZE IT WAS TO ARDMORE EXECUTIVE (AN UNCTLED ARPT ABOUT 4 MI E OF MUNI). IN ASKING FOR THE APCH I THINK I MUST HAVE ASKED FOR THE VOR/DME WHEN I WAS LOOKING AT THE VOR PLATE. CTR CLRED ME FOR THE APCH AND TOLD ME TO CONTACT TWR AFTER THE VOR. I FLEW THE VOR APCH, CONTACTED TWR AFTER THE VOR AND TWR TOLD ME TO RPT CIRCLING S FOR RWY 31. I BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS AT ABOUT 1600 FT AGL AND THE ARPT WAS RIGHT WHERE I EXPECTED IT TO BE. I CALLED THE TWR AND TOLD THEM I WAS S AND ENTERING DOWNWIND. TWR SAID, 'NOT IN SIGHT.' IT BECAME IMMEDIATELY OBVIOUS TO ME THAT I WAS NOT LOOKING AT ARDMORE MUNI AS IT WAS A SINGLE N/S RWY . I TOLD THE TWR THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION, THAT I WOULDN'T BE LNDG AT MUNI, TO CANCEL MY IFR AND I WOULD GIVE HIM A CALL WHEN I GOT ON THE GND. I ENTERED DOWNWIND FOR RWY 35 AT ARDMORE EXECUTIVE AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. AS SOON AS I GOT OUT OF THE ACFT, I RELIEVED MYSELF AND WENT INSIDE TO CALL THE TWR. OF COURSE, HE THOUGHT I WAS LNDG AT MUNI OUT OF THE VOR/DME APCH. THIS WAS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE, BECAUSE THE CTL ZONE WAS MINE UNTIL I CANCELLED IFR. I NEVER LEFT THE CTL ZONE THROUGHOUT THE SEQUENCE, ACHIEVED VFR CONDITIONS AND CANCELLED IFR, LNDG VFR. THIS WAS A SYMPHONY OF EVENTS THAT BEGAN WITH A PHYSIOLOGICAL PROB THAT FOGGED MY ABILITY TO ADEQUATELY ADDRESS THE SIT. COMBINING THIS WITH THE INHERENT INSTABILITY OF THE ACFT AND THE CUMBERSOME APCH PLATE BOOK CAUSED ME TO NOT RECOGNIZE THAT I HAD SELECTED AN APCH TO A DIFFERENT ARPT THAN THE ARPT I HAD INTENDED TO LAND AT. UNDER DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES THIS COULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS. I LEARNED SEVERAL THINGS FROM THIS INCIDENT. FIRST, I WILL CARRY A 'PIDDLE PACK' TO ELIMINATE THE POSSIBILITY OF BEING NEARLY INCAPACITATED BY A PHYSIOLOGICAL URGE. MOST IMPORTANTLY, I INTEND TO DO A BETTER JOB OF REVIEWING ALL OPTIONS WELL BEFORE ENTERING THE APCH ENVIRONMENT.

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.