Narrative:

I was the PIC of a piper cherokee. En route on a VFR flight plan from btf; ut; to driggs; identification; I was en route at 9500 ft MSL on the 024 degree radial of mld when I encountered heavy turbulence with strong mountain winds. I then thought it would be safer to divert and find an alternate airport to land at. I had flown into pocatello a couple times before but had never been to idaho falls. Since I was unfamiliar with the area; I decided to land at an airport that I had been before. I found blackfoot airport on my VFR chart and made 90 degree left turn off the airway to a heading that would take me to I-15 which I could follow south to blackfoot. Once I arrived at what I thought was blackfoot; I attempted to land but the gusty winds made it difficult to do so. I then decided that it would be best where I could land at a larger airport with more space and runway lengths. I continued swbound to where I thought was pocatello airport. The last time I had been to pocatello was when I was a student pilot on a solo flight; and once when I was on an IFR flight plan with my instrument flight instructor. The mistake that I made was that I assumed that I was at pocatello airport but actually; I was approaching idaho falls airport. I then attempted to make radio contact with the control tower of pocatello to let them know I was attempting to land so that I would be able to check the WX and see if the winds would calm. I could not get a signal because I was approaching the idaho falls airport and didn't know this at the time. I continued to make radio contact attempts with tower on 119.1 and also 122.95 using both communication #1 and communication #2 on my radio. Once I was about 5 mi from the airport; I received a transmission from the pocatello airport. This transmission was broken up and hard to understand. I assumed this was considered radio contact with the tower and continued inbound for runway 21. As I got closer; about 3 mi from the numbers; I reported a 3 mi final as requested by the pocatello tower on the broken transmission. I did not hear a response and figured that I could not hear them at this point; then I must have had a communications failure. I noticed a citation when I was 2 mi from the runway. He was on downwind and getting ready to turn base. Not sure what was happening and not clear if I had landing clearance; I went missed and made a left turn to remain in pattern. At this time I turned a 360 degree clearing turn and found no traffic in sight. Once I knew there was no other aircraft in the class D airspace; I continued to wait for some type of light gun signal or a radio transmission. After I did not hear or see anything; I proceeded to land. Once I safely landed and cleared the active runway; I taxied to the ramp. An airport officer was waiting for me at the ramp. He informed me that I had just landed at a controled airport without a clearance. At this time; I realized I had been talking to the wrong tower the whole time. After this; I met with the tower manager and gave her my information.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 PLT LANDS WITHOUT A CLRNC.

Narrative: I WAS THE PIC OF A PIPER CHEROKEE. ENRTE ON A VFR FLT PLAN FROM BTF; UT; TO DRIGGS; ID; I WAS ENRTE AT 9500 FT MSL ON THE 024 DEG RADIAL OF MLD WHEN I ENCOUNTERED HVY TURB WITH STRONG MOUNTAIN WINDS. I THEN THOUGHT IT WOULD BE SAFER TO DIVERT AND FIND AN ALTERNATE ARPT TO LAND AT. I HAD FLOWN INTO POCATELLO A COUPLE TIMES BEFORE BUT HAD NEVER BEEN TO IDAHO FALLS. SINCE I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA; I DECIDED TO LAND AT AN ARPT THAT I HAD BEEN BEFORE. I FOUND BLACKFOOT ARPT ON MY VFR CHART AND MADE 90 DEG L TURN OFF THE AIRWAY TO A HDG THAT WOULD TAKE ME TO I-15 WHICH I COULD FOLLOW S TO BLACKFOOT. ONCE I ARRIVED AT WHAT I THOUGHT WAS BLACKFOOT; I ATTEMPTED TO LAND BUT THE GUSTY WINDS MADE IT DIFFICULT TO DO SO. I THEN DECIDED THAT IT WOULD BE BEST WHERE I COULD LAND AT A LARGER ARPT WITH MORE SPACE AND RWY LENGTHS. I CONTINUED SWBOUND TO WHERE I THOUGHT WAS POCATELLO ARPT. THE LAST TIME I HAD BEEN TO POCATELLO WAS WHEN I WAS A STUDENT PLT ON A SOLO FLT; AND ONCE WHEN I WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN WITH MY INST FLT INSTRUCTOR. THE MISTAKE THAT I MADE WAS THAT I ASSUMED THAT I WAS AT POCATELLO ARPT BUT ACTUALLY; I WAS APCHING IDAHO FALLS ARPT. I THEN ATTEMPTED TO MAKE RADIO CONTACT WITH THE CTL TWR OF POCATELLO TO LET THEM KNOW I WAS ATTEMPTING TO LAND SO THAT I WOULD BE ABLE TO CHK THE WX AND SEE IF THE WINDS WOULD CALM. I COULD NOT GET A SIGNAL BECAUSE I WAS APCHING THE IDAHO FALLS ARPT AND DIDN'T KNOW THIS AT THE TIME. I CONTINUED TO MAKE RADIO CONTACT ATTEMPTS WITH TWR ON 119.1 AND ALSO 122.95 USING BOTH COM #1 AND COM #2 ON MY RADIO. ONCE I WAS ABOUT 5 MI FROM THE ARPT; I RECEIVED A XMISSION FROM THE POCATELLO ARPT. THIS XMISSION WAS BROKEN UP AND HARD TO UNDERSTAND. I ASSUMED THIS WAS CONSIDERED RADIO CONTACT WITH THE TWR AND CONTINUED INBOUND FOR RWY 21. AS I GOT CLOSER; ABOUT 3 MI FROM THE NUMBERS; I RPTED A 3 MI FINAL AS REQUESTED BY THE POCATELLO TWR ON THE BROKEN XMISSION. I DID NOT HEAR A RESPONSE AND FIGURED THAT I COULD NOT HEAR THEM AT THIS POINT; THEN I MUST HAVE HAD A COMS FAILURE. I NOTICED A CITATION WHEN I WAS 2 MI FROM THE RWY. HE WAS ON DOWNWIND AND GETTING READY TO TURN BASE. NOT SURE WHAT WAS HAPPENING AND NOT CLR IF I HAD LNDG CLRNC; I WENT MISSED AND MADE A L TURN TO REMAIN IN PATTERN. AT THIS TIME I TURNED A 360 DEG CLRING TURN AND FOUND NO TFC IN SIGHT. ONCE I KNEW THERE WAS NO OTHER ACFT IN THE CLASS D AIRSPACE; I CONTINUED TO WAIT FOR SOME TYPE OF LIGHT GUN SIGNAL OR A RADIO XMISSION. AFTER I DID NOT HEAR OR SEE ANYTHING; I PROCEEDED TO LAND. ONCE I SAFELY LANDED AND CLRED THE ACTIVE RWY; I TAXIED TO THE RAMP. AN ARPT OFFICER WAS WAITING FOR ME AT THE RAMP. HE INFORMED ME THAT I HAD JUST LANDED AT A CTLED ARPT WITHOUT A CLRNC. AT THIS TIME; I REALIZED I HAD BEEN TALKING TO THE WRONG TWR THE WHOLE TIME. AFTER THIS; I MET WITH THE TWR MGR AND GAVE HER MY INFO.

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.