Narrative:

I was cleared for the RNAV/GPS 14 approach into dts; had passed my FAF and initiated my descent into dts. I descended to 500 ft; and could not see the runway; and decided to go missed. Dts is an uncontrolled airport; and I had been in contact with eglin approach during the entire time; had been given missed approach instructions; called and informed of going missed and requested to try another approach. Still in IMC for this entire event; I was vectored around to the IAP ilope to begin another approach. I passed ilope and was descending to 1600 ft for nozec which was my FAF into destin. I was searching; trying to spot the runway; but could see nothing. Suddenly; I saw a hole; and spotted a runway; and immediately began to descend for landing. I was still in contact with eglin approach; and when I landed; I noticed that the runway seemed to be much bigger than I expected for what had been described on the approach plate. Just at that second eglin informed me that I had landed at eglin AFB; and gave me their tower frequency and directed me to contact them immediately. If I could offer a suggestion; I would suggest that something be noted on the approach plate for destin; especially the one for runway 14; showing on the plate the runways for eglin and warning about the proximity of the runways in relation to the runways at destin. I also wonder if because eglin and destin both have aircraft flying in the same airspace; if eglin tower should control both areas. I feel that this kind of problem could be helped and possibly eliminated if the approach plate had more information; not only text information; but graphic; showing the actual runways at eglin; and informing not to confuse with destin. I have been informed that these types of problems happen a lot at eglin; but most of the incidents do not get reported to the FAA; they stay in-house at eglin. I also have a feeling that I will be made an example of and eglin will press for a violation on me in order to impress on the FAA the need for eglin to have control of destin; or destin having their own control tower; in an effort to try to remedy this problem.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA34 PLT LANDS AT WRONG ARPT DURING IFR APCH.

Narrative: I WAS CLRED FOR THE RNAV/GPS 14 APCH INTO DTS; HAD PASSED MY FAF AND INITIATED MY DSCNT INTO DTS. I DSNDED TO 500 FT; AND COULD NOT SEE THE RWY; AND DECIDED TO GO MISSED. DTS IS AN UNCTLED ARPT; AND I HAD BEEN IN CONTACT WITH EGLIN APCH DURING THE ENTIRE TIME; HAD BEEN GIVEN MISSED APCH INSTRUCTIONS; CALLED AND INFORMED OF GOING MISSED AND REQUESTED TO TRY ANOTHER APCH. STILL IN IMC FOR THIS ENTIRE EVENT; I WAS VECTORED AROUND TO THE IAP ILOPE TO BEGIN ANOTHER APCH. I PASSED ILOPE AND WAS DSNDING TO 1600 FT FOR NOZEC WHICH WAS MY FAF INTO DESTIN. I WAS SEARCHING; TRYING TO SPOT THE RWY; BUT COULD SEE NOTHING. SUDDENLY; I SAW A HOLE; AND SPOTTED A RWY; AND IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO DSND FOR LNDG. I WAS STILL IN CONTACT WITH EGLIN APCH; AND WHEN I LANDED; I NOTICED THAT THE RWY SEEMED TO BE MUCH BIGGER THAN I EXPECTED FOR WHAT HAD BEEN DESCRIBED ON THE APCH PLATE. JUST AT THAT SECOND EGLIN INFORMED ME THAT I HAD LANDED AT EGLIN AFB; AND GAVE ME THEIR TWR FREQ AND DIRECTED ME TO CONTACT THEM IMMEDIATELY. IF I COULD OFFER A SUGGESTION; I WOULD SUGGEST THAT SOMETHING BE NOTED ON THE APCH PLATE FOR DESTIN; ESPECIALLY THE ONE FOR RWY 14; SHOWING ON THE PLATE THE RWYS FOR EGLIN AND WARNING ABOUT THE PROX OF THE RWYS IN RELATION TO THE RWYS AT DESTIN. I ALSO WONDER IF BECAUSE EGLIN AND DESTIN BOTH HAVE ACFT FLYING IN THE SAME AIRSPACE; IF EGLIN TWR SHOULD CTL BOTH AREAS. I FEEL THAT THIS KIND OF PROB COULD BE HELPED AND POSSIBLY ELIMINATED IF THE APCH PLATE HAD MORE INFO; NOT ONLY TEXT INFO; BUT GRAPHIC; SHOWING THE ACTUAL RWYS AT EGLIN; AND INFORMING NOT TO CONFUSE WITH DESTIN. I HAVE BEEN INFORMED THAT THESE TYPES OF PROBS HAPPEN A LOT AT EGLIN; BUT MOST OF THE INCIDENTS DO NOT GET RPTED TO THE FAA; THEY STAY IN-HOUSE AT EGLIN. I ALSO HAVE A FEELING THAT I WILL BE MADE AN EXAMPLE OF AND EGLIN WILL PRESS FOR A VIOLATION ON ME IN ORDER TO IMPRESS ON THE FAA THE NEED FOR EGLIN TO HAVE CTL OF DESTIN; OR DESTIN HAVING THEIR OWN CTL TWR; IN AN EFFORT TO TRY TO REMEDY THIS PROB.

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.