Pilot entered air traffic area without clearance, made unauthorized landing.

Attributes
ACN	88152
Time
Date	198805
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : cho airport : gve
State Reference	VA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 0 msl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : cho
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 10 flight time total : 140 flight time type : 140
ASRS Report	88152
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On 5/sat/88, I was flying from elmira, ny to raleigh, nc. Visibility was between 5-7 mi. I planned on landing in gordonsville, va, for fuel. I passed over winchester, va, at 6500' MSL on a heading which would take me directly to gordonsville. I was tuned into both the winchester and gordonsville VOR's. My fuel gauges were reading slightly less than 1/4 full when I reached the point where I thought gordonsville should be. As I was searching for gordonsville airport, I noticed that my gordonsville VOR had swung from a 'to' indication to a 'from' indication. Since the airport lay 10 mi north of the VOR, I realized that I had missed it. I turned the plane to the right and spotted a runway which I thought was gordonsville. I tried the gordonsville unicom on 122.8 and requested an airport advisory, but got no response. I xed the runway at midfield at 6500' to determine which runway to use and realized that this was not gordonsville due to the runway markings. At that point, I did not know where I was and my fuel situation precluded my looking any further. I noticed several planes at the holding line for runway 21. I announced my intentions on 122.8 and enter downwind for 21. I proceeded with a standard approach to a landing on runway 21. It was only after I stopped the plane and was welcomed to charlottesville by the FBO line man that I knew where I had landed. Upon entering the FBO, I was notified that the tower wanted to talk to me. When I contacted them, I told them I was lost and low on fuel. After refueling, I proceeded to raleigh (actually raleigh east airport in knightdale) with no further incidents.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT ENTERED ATA WITHOUT CLRNC, MADE UNAUTH LNDG.

Narrative: ON 5/SAT/88, I WAS FLYING FROM ELMIRA, NY TO RALEIGH, NC. VIS WAS BTWN 5-7 MI. I PLANNED ON LNDG IN GORDONSVILLE, VA, FOR FUEL. I PASSED OVER WINCHESTER, VA, AT 6500' MSL ON A HDG WHICH WOULD TAKE ME DIRECTLY TO GORDONSVILLE. I WAS TUNED INTO BOTH THE WINCHESTER AND GORDONSVILLE VOR'S. MY FUEL GAUGES WERE READING SLIGHTLY LESS THAN 1/4 FULL WHEN I REACHED THE POINT WHERE I THOUGHT GORDONSVILLE SHOULD BE. AS I WAS SEARCHING FOR GORDONSVILLE ARPT, I NOTICED THAT MY GORDONSVILLE VOR HAD SWUNG FROM A 'TO' INDICATION TO A 'FROM' INDICATION. SINCE THE ARPT LAY 10 MI N OF THE VOR, I REALIZED THAT I HAD MISSED IT. I TURNED THE PLANE TO THE RIGHT AND SPOTTED A RWY WHICH I THOUGHT WAS GORDONSVILLE. I TRIED THE GORDONSVILLE UNICOM ON 122.8 AND REQUESTED AN ARPT ADVISORY, BUT GOT NO RESPONSE. I XED THE RWY AT MIDFIELD AT 6500' TO DETERMINE WHICH RWY TO USE AND REALIZED THAT THIS WAS NOT GORDONSVILLE DUE TO THE RWY MARKINGS. AT THAT POINT, I DID NOT KNOW WHERE I WAS AND MY FUEL SITUATION PRECLUDED MY LOOKING ANY FURTHER. I NOTICED SEVERAL PLANES AT THE HOLDING LINE FOR RWY 21. I ANNOUNCED MY INTENTIONS ON 122.8 AND ENTER DOWNWIND FOR 21. I PROCEEDED WITH A STANDARD APCH TO A LNDG ON RWY 21. IT WAS ONLY AFTER I STOPPED THE PLANE AND WAS WELCOMED TO CHARLOTTESVILLE BY THE FBO LINE MAN THAT I KNEW WHERE I HAD LANDED. UPON ENTERING THE FBO, I WAS NOTIFIED THAT THE TWR WANTED TO TALK TO ME. WHEN I CONTACTED THEM, I TOLD THEM I WAS LOST AND LOW ON FUEL. AFTER REFUELING, I PROCEEDED TO RALEIGH (ACTUALLY RALEIGH EAST ARPT IN KNIGHTDALE) WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENTS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.