A sight seeing flight to mount rushmore followed by a VOR approach to rap ends in a landing to rca. ...

Attributes
ACN	583011
Time
Date	200305
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : rca.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cessna 210 Centurion / Turbo Centurion 210C, 210D
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing : roll
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 85 flight time total : 1950 flight time type : 1100
ASRS Report	583011
Person 2
Affiliation	government : military
Function	controller : local
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe airspace violation : entry incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllerb other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : investigated other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance Weather
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I made an unauthorized landing at rca, runway 13, instead of my intended landing at rap. In summary, I was on an IFR flight from funy to frap to view the mount rushmore and crazy horse monuments, when on final approach to rap, I experienced a sandel/directional gyro malfunction, which caused me to believe that I was inbound on the VOR runway 14 approach to frap. Both airports are quite close to each other (approximately 6.2 mi apart, and the runways are roughly aligned (rrap is runway 14, and krca is runway 13). I was cleared for the rap runway 14 VOR approach, given a radar vector for an intercept course to track the course inbound, and clearance to descend, and then for the approach, once the course was intercepted, I intercepted the radial (the directional gyro and obs needle seemed properly aligned), but my DME in the sandel became inoperative, and when I saw the runway in front of me (lined up with my directional gyro and obs), I wrongly believed I was landing at rap. I changed frequency to the tower, idented myself and I was cleared to land on runway 14. There was a very strong crosswind, so I was crabbed significantly to the right, and I was nose high, so I did not see any indication that I was landing over a portion of a closed runway. I believe the sandel pin connectors must be fully seated to the panel connectors or this problem may recur with others. Also, given how close these airports are, I believe that ATC should monitor pilots in this area to ensure that they are not on approach to the wrong airport. I think it would be a good idea for elsworth approach to monitor the rap tower frequency to insure that pilots do not mistake these 2 airports. As I also mentioned to you yesterday, over the past 2 yrs I have had a number of intermittent problems with my sandel that has required various repairs. This problem first occurred about 2 yrs ago (and my mechanic reseated the sandel), and then about 12-14 months ago, the problem recurred twice, and sandel authority/authorized repair and replacement (free of charge) the mounting bracket for the sandel.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A SIGHT SEEING FLT TO MOUNT RUSHMORE FOLLOWED BY A VOR APCH TO RAP ENDS IN A LNDG TO RCA. A RECURRING NAV EQUIP PROB CONTRIBUTES TO THE EVENT.

Narrative: I MADE AN UNAUTH LNDG AT RCA, RWY 13, INSTEAD OF MY INTENDED LNDG AT RAP. IN SUMMARY, I WAS ON AN IFR FLT FROM FUNY TO FRAP TO VIEW THE MOUNT RUSHMORE AND CRAZY HORSE MONUMENTS, WHEN ON FINAL APCH TO RAP, I EXPERIENCED A SANDEL/DIRECTIONAL GYRO MALFUNCTION, WHICH CAUSED ME TO BELIEVE THAT I WAS INBOUND ON THE VOR RWY 14 APCH TO FRAP. BOTH ARPTS ARE QUITE CLOSE TO EACH OTHER (APPROX 6.2 MI APART, AND THE RWYS ARE ROUGHLY ALIGNED (RRAP IS RWY 14, AND KRCA IS RWY 13). I WAS CLRED FOR THE RAP RWY 14 VOR APCH, GIVEN A RADAR VECTOR FOR AN INTERCEPT COURSE TO TRACK THE COURSE INBOUND, AND CLRNC TO DSND, AND THEN FOR THE APCH, ONCE THE COURSE WAS INTERCEPTED, I INTERCEPTED THE RADIAL (THE DIRECTIONAL GYRO AND OBS NEEDLE SEEMED PROPERLY ALIGNED), BUT MY DME IN THE SANDEL BECAME INOP, AND WHEN I SAW THE RWY IN FRONT OF ME (LINED UP WITH MY DIRECTIONAL GYRO AND OBS), I WRONGLY BELIEVED I WAS LNDG AT RAP. I CHANGED FREQ TO THE TWR, IDENTED MYSELF AND I WAS CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 14. THERE WAS A VERY STRONG XWIND, SO I WAS CRABBED SIGNIFICANTLY TO THE R, AND I WAS NOSE HIGH, SO I DID NOT SEE ANY INDICATION THAT I WAS LNDG OVER A PORTION OF A CLOSED RWY. I BELIEVE THE SANDEL PIN CONNECTORS MUST BE FULLY SEATED TO THE PANEL CONNECTORS OR THIS PROB MAY RECUR WITH OTHERS. ALSO, GIVEN HOW CLOSE THESE ARPTS ARE, I BELIEVE THAT ATC SHOULD MONITOR PLTS IN THIS AREA TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE NOT ON APCH TO THE WRONG ARPT. I THINK IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA FOR ELSWORTH APCH TO MONITOR THE RAP TWR FREQ TO INSURE THAT PLTS DO NOT MISTAKE THESE 2 ARPTS. AS I ALSO MENTIONED TO YOU YESTERDAY, OVER THE PAST 2 YRS I HAVE HAD A NUMBER OF INTERMITTENT PROBS WITH MY SANDEL THAT HAS REQUIRED VARIOUS REPAIRS. THIS PROB FIRST OCCURRED ABOUT 2 YRS AGO (AND MY MECH RESEATED THE SANDEL), AND THEN ABOUT 12-14 MONTHS AGO, THE PROB RECURRED TWICE, AND SANDEL AUTH REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT (FREE OF CHARGE) THE MOUNTING BRACKET FOR THE SANDEL.

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.

A sight seeing flight to mount rushmore followed by a VOR approach to rap ends in a landing to rca. A recurring navigation equipment problem contributes to the event.