1991-12 · NASA ASRS report 197261
PLT ENTERS ATA AND LANDS AT WRONG ARPT.
I WAS ON AN ARPT HOPPING PLEASURE FLT IN A RENTED SMA OUT OF HANSCOM FIELD; MA. I WAS INTENDING TO LAND AT FITCHBURG WHICH I KNEW HAD 2 RWYS AND I WOULD USE 14-32. I CAME OVER AN ARPT WITH A 14-32 RWY AND DID A TOUCH AND GO. ON BASE I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A TWR ON THE FIELD AND IT DIDN'T LOOK RIGHT SO I WENT AROUND WHILE LOOKING AT MY SECTIONAL. FROM MY QUICK SCAN; FITCHBURG WAS THE ONLY ARPT IN MY VICINITY WITH 2 RWYS AND THE NUMBERS WERE 14-32 (THE OTHER RWY WAS BURIED UNDER SNOW). I CAME AROUND AND DID A TOUCH AND GO AND ON TKOF NOTICED THAT THERE WERE PEOPLE IN THE TWR AND THE HANGAR HAD MOORE AAF PAINTED ON THE ROOF. I CALLED THE TWR AND APOLOGIZED AND ASKED WHAT THEY WANTED ME TO DO. THEY GAVE ME DIRECTIONS TO FITCHBURG; 6 MI UP THE ROAD BUT OTHERWISE DID NOT ACT IN THE LEAST BIT DISTURBED THAT I HAD VIOLATED THEIR AIRSPACE AND LANDED AT A MIL BASE. SUGGESTIONS FOR PREVENTION OF RECURRENCE: THE ARPTS ARE VERY SIMILAR BUT I COULD HAVE AVOIDED THE MISTAKE WITH MORE DILIGENT CHART READING. I COME FROM MAINE AND AM NOT USED TO HAVING AN ARPT POP UP EVERY 10 MI SO MY CHART READING WAS A LITTLE RELAXED. PAINTING 'MOORE AAF' ON THE RWY WOULD HAVE KEPT ME FROM LNDG BUT NOT FROM BUSTING THE ATA (THE HANGAR ROOF SIGN WAS PARTIALLY SNOWED OVER).
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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