Narrative:

The aircraft of this report inadvertently entered class D airspace and landed at willow grove naval airbase in VFR conditions at approximately XA00 sep/xa/04 (the night was dark). While on a left base leg in the traffic pattern, a departing aircraft made a climbing right turn while still over the runway and our aircraft made a descending right turn as both aircraft appeared to spot each other at the same time. The aircraft were believed to be separated by about 1/2 mi at their closest point. At this time, the landing was terminated and we went around for another landing. We tried to reach the departing aircraft on the radio with no response. We were using the CTAF frequency for our intended airport (doylestown). As no contact was made, we contacted a local control tower (trenton), who was previously advised by us of our intent to do a practice NDB approach into doylestown. The goal was to confirm that we were on the right frequency. We were intending to fly to the NDB approach at doylestown airport (which is 6 mi away from the military airport), however the PF, who was completing his check ride in this airplane with me, flew an incorrect radial for the intended airport and he nor I noticed the error. Coincidentally, the military airport and doylestown (the intended airport) are approximately the same DME distance from the yardley VOR from which we were flying. The radial from the yardley VOR to doylestown is a feeder route to the NDB initial approach fix. Since the NDB was not seeming to pick up a signal, the pilot proceeded VFR to the airport encountered at the distance expected based on the DME. As noted, the landing followed. During the time while in the left hand traffic pattern, position reports were made prior to entering the pattern, on downwind and on base and final approach. The inadvertent landing and airspace violation, and resulting encounter with a departing aircraft could have been prevented had cockpit lighting been better or had the feeder route radial been more visible on the approach chart. Additionally, had a moving map GPS been installed in the aircraft, it would have been obvious that we were not headed to the intended airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C182 PLT, AND PLT TAKING CHK, CONFUSED ARPTS AND HAD AN ENCOUNTER WITH AN ACFT TAKING OFF FROM NXX. THE PLT VIOLATED NXX CLASS D, AND WAS NOT IN COM WITH THE MIL CTLR. THE PLT THEN LANDED AT NXX BY MISTAKE.

Narrative: THE ACFT OF THIS RPT INADVERTENTLY ENTERED CLASS D AIRSPACE AND LANDED AT WILLOW GROVE NAVAL AIRBASE IN VFR CONDITIONS AT APPROX XA00 SEP/XA/04 (THE NIGHT WAS DARK). WHILE ON A L BASE LEG IN THE TFC PATTERN, A DEPARTING ACFT MADE A CLBING R TURN WHILE STILL OVER THE RWY AND OUR ACFT MADE A DSNDING R TURN AS BOTH ACFT APPEARED TO SPOT EACH OTHER AT THE SAME TIME. THE ACFT WERE BELIEVED TO BE SEPARATED BY ABOUT 1/2 MI AT THEIR CLOSEST POINT. AT THIS TIME, THE LNDG WAS TERMINATED AND WE WENT AROUND FOR ANOTHER LNDG. WE TRIED TO REACH THE DEPARTING ACFT ON THE RADIO WITH NO RESPONSE. WE WERE USING THE CTAF FREQ FOR OUR INTENDED ARPT (DOYLESTOWN). AS NO CONTACT WAS MADE, WE CONTACTED A LCL CTL TWR (TRENTON), WHO WAS PREVIOUSLY ADVISED BY US OF OUR INTENT TO DO A PRACTICE NDB APCH INTO DOYLESTOWN. THE GOAL WAS TO CONFIRM THAT WE WERE ON THE RIGHT FREQ. WE WERE INTENDING TO FLY TO THE NDB APCH AT DOYLESTOWN ARPT (WHICH IS 6 MI AWAY FROM THE MIL ARPT), HOWEVER THE PF, WHO WAS COMPLETING HIS CHK RIDE IN THIS AIRPLANE WITH ME, FLEW AN INCORRECT RADIAL FOR THE INTENDED ARPT AND HE NOR I NOTICED THE ERROR. COINCIDENTALLY, THE MIL ARPT AND DOYLESTOWN (THE INTENDED ARPT) ARE APPROX THE SAME DME DISTANCE FROM THE YARDLEY VOR FROM WHICH WE WERE FLYING. THE RADIAL FROM THE YARDLEY VOR TO DOYLESTOWN IS A FEEDER RTE TO THE NDB INITIAL APCH FIX. SINCE THE NDB WAS NOT SEEMING TO PICK UP A SIGNAL, THE PLT PROCEEDED VFR TO THE ARPT ENCOUNTERED AT THE DISTANCE EXPECTED BASED ON THE DME. AS NOTED, THE LNDG FOLLOWED. DURING THE TIME WHILE IN THE L HAND TFC PATTERN, POS RPTS WERE MADE PRIOR TO ENTERING THE PATTERN, ON DOWNWIND AND ON BASE AND FINAL APCH. THE INADVERTENT LNDG AND AIRSPACE VIOLATION, AND RESULTING ENCOUNTER WITH A DEPARTING ACFT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED HAD COCKPIT LIGHTING BEEN BETTER OR HAD THE FEEDER RTE RADIAL BEEN MORE VISIBLE ON THE APCH CHART. ADDITIONALLY, HAD A MOVING MAP GPS BEEN INSTALLED IN THE ACFT, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN OBVIOUS THAT WE WERE NOT HEADED TO THE INTENDED ARPT.

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.