Narrative:

I departed sgj flying back to crg with a pilot friend in a mooney I took delivery of about 5 weeks ago (it is a 1981 mooney M20K 231 equipped with a garmin GNS530). On the flight down; I had been showing him the garmin's ability to list various airport frequencys and put them in the standby position of the #1 comrdo. After clearing sgj class D airspace; I tuned up the crg ATIS and recorded ATIS. When 10 mi from the airport; I called 'craig tower' and reported in. I was cleared to enter a right downwind for runway 13. This was mistake #1. I never picked up on the fact that it was runway 13 and that craig doesn't have a runway 13. Craig airport currently has one runway under renovation and all traffic is using runway 5/23. I heard what I wanted to hear and stupidly assumed I was cleared to land on the reciprocal of runway 23 (we had departed on runway 23). I even commented to my friend that the winds had shifted to the east. As we got closer; I sighted a cessna at the same altitude off our left wing who looked like he was also setting up for the runway. I called tower and reported him and was told he was not talking to tower (we were now about 3-4 mi from the field). I told tower I was going to do a right 360 degree turn for separation; and tower agreed. After the turn; I continued in; reported turning to base and then to final. While on base; I heard tower tell a cessna to hold short for a plane on final and could clearly see a plane holding short of the runway as I turned to final. When passing through 400 ft (lined up for runway 5 at crg); my friend said 'hey; that is runway 5; we are cleared for runway 13!' I initiated an immediate go around and called tower apologizing for lining up for the wrong runway. Tower replied that there was no runway 5 at st augustine. This was the first time I had heard 'st augustine' on the frequency. Everybody had just been saying tower.' looking at the garmin; I realized I had not flipped the standby frequency (craig tower) to the active position. I told st augustine tower I was at craig and on the wrong frequency. I then shifted frequencys and checked in with craig tower and told them what had happened. They cleared me to join the pattern and land. Contributing factor: I am still new to using the garmin. While a great piece of technology; you need to actually ensure the 'frequency list' page is displaying frequencys for the desired airport. When I checked in with 'craig tower' on the st augustine tower frequency; the controller ignored the wrong airport call-up and assumed I was calling st augustine tower (I'm guessing). Since everyone just used 'tower' there was no further opportunity to realize it was the wrong airport tower frequency. I am new to flying at crg and do not know the runway numbers by heart. Had I been more familiar (or bothered to check) the clearance for runway 13 would have tipped me off. Bottom line: this airspace violation took place because I was on the wrong frequency. It still comes back to the basics; and making sure you are on the correct frequency is as basic as it gets. I will certainly be much more careful in my pre-arrival briefing to review runway confign (including runway numbers) and frequencys.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF M20 FLIES APCH TO DEST ARPT WHILE STILL COMMUNICATING WITH ATCT AT DEP ARPT. DISCOVERS ERROR ON SHORT FINAL AND GOES AROUND WHILE ESTABLISHING CONTACT WITH APPROPRIATE ATCT.

Narrative: I DEPARTED SGJ FLYING BACK TO CRG WITH A PLT FRIEND IN A MOONEY I TOOK DELIVERY OF ABOUT 5 WKS AGO (IT IS A 1981 MOONEY M20K 231 EQUIPPED WITH A GARMIN GNS530). ON THE FLT DOWN; I HAD BEEN SHOWING HIM THE GARMIN'S ABILITY TO LIST VARIOUS ARPT FREQS AND PUT THEM IN THE STANDBY POS OF THE #1 COMRDO. AFTER CLRING SGJ CLASS D AIRSPACE; I TUNED UP THE CRG ATIS AND RECORDED ATIS. WHEN 10 MI FROM THE ARPT; I CALLED 'CRAIG TWR' AND RPTED IN. I WAS CLRED TO ENTER A R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 13. THIS WAS MISTAKE #1. I NEVER PICKED UP ON THE FACT THAT IT WAS RWY 13 AND THAT CRAIG DOESN'T HAVE A RWY 13. CRAIG ARPT CURRENTLY HAS ONE RWY UNDER RENOVATION AND ALL TFC IS USING RWY 5/23. I HEARD WHAT I WANTED TO HEAR AND STUPIDLY ASSUMED I WAS CLRED TO LAND ON THE RECIPROCAL OF RWY 23 (WE HAD DEPARTED ON RWY 23). I EVEN COMMENTED TO MY FRIEND THAT THE WINDS HAD SHIFTED TO THE E. AS WE GOT CLOSER; I SIGHTED A CESSNA AT THE SAME ALT OFF OUR L WING WHO LOOKED LIKE HE WAS ALSO SETTING UP FOR THE RWY. I CALLED TWR AND RPTED HIM AND WAS TOLD HE WAS NOT TALKING TO TWR (WE WERE NOW ABOUT 3-4 MI FROM THE FIELD). I TOLD TWR I WAS GOING TO DO A R 360 DEG TURN FOR SEPARATION; AND TWR AGREED. AFTER THE TURN; I CONTINUED IN; RPTED TURNING TO BASE AND THEN TO FINAL. WHILE ON BASE; I HEARD TWR TELL A CESSNA TO HOLD SHORT FOR A PLANE ON FINAL AND COULD CLRLY SEE A PLANE HOLDING SHORT OF THE RWY AS I TURNED TO FINAL. WHEN PASSING THROUGH 400 FT (LINED UP FOR RWY 5 AT CRG); MY FRIEND SAID 'HEY; THAT IS RWY 5; WE ARE CLRED FOR RWY 13!' I INITIATED AN IMMEDIATE GAR AND CALLED TWR APOLOGIZING FOR LINING UP FOR THE WRONG RWY. TWR REPLIED THAT THERE WAS NO RWY 5 AT ST AUGUSTINE. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I HAD HEARD 'ST AUGUSTINE' ON THE FREQ. EVERYBODY HAD JUST BEEN SAYING TWR.' LOOKING AT THE GARMIN; I REALIZED I HAD NOT FLIPPED THE STANDBY FREQ (CRAIG TWR) TO THE ACTIVE POS. I TOLD ST AUGUSTINE TWR I WAS AT CRAIG AND ON THE WRONG FREQ. I THEN SHIFTED FREQS AND CHKED IN WITH CRAIG TWR AND TOLD THEM WHAT HAD HAPPENED. THEY CLRED ME TO JOIN THE PATTERN AND LAND. CONTRIBUTING FACTOR: I AM STILL NEW TO USING THE GARMIN. WHILE A GREAT PIECE OF TECHNOLOGY; YOU NEED TO ACTUALLY ENSURE THE 'FREQ LIST' PAGE IS DISPLAYING FREQS FOR THE DESIRED ARPT. WHEN I CHKED IN WITH 'CRAIG TWR' ON THE ST AUGUSTINE TWR FREQ; THE CTLR IGNORED THE WRONG ARPT CALL-UP AND ASSUMED I WAS CALLING ST AUGUSTINE TWR (I'M GUESSING). SINCE EVERYONE JUST USED 'TWR' THERE WAS NO FURTHER OPPORTUNITY TO REALIZE IT WAS THE WRONG ARPT TWR FREQ. I AM NEW TO FLYING AT CRG AND DO NOT KNOW THE RWY NUMBERS BY HEART. HAD I BEEN MORE FAMILIAR (OR BOTHERED TO CHK) THE CLRNC FOR RWY 13 WOULD HAVE TIPPED ME OFF. BOTTOM LINE: THIS AIRSPACE VIOLATION TOOK PLACE BECAUSE I WAS ON THE WRONG FREQ. IT STILL COMES BACK TO THE BASICS; AND MAKING SURE YOU ARE ON THE CORRECT FREQ IS AS BASIC AS IT GETS. I WILL CERTAINLY BE MUCH MORE CAREFUL IN MY PRE-ARR BRIEFING TO REVIEW RWY CONFIGN (INCLUDING RWY NUMBERS) AND FREQS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.