SMA PLT MISIDENTS ARPT MAKES APCH TO WRONG ARPT. TWR CTLR SIGHTS PROBLEM AND TURNS OVER TO TRACON AGAIN FOR PROPER ARPT APCH.

Date: 1992-08 · Aircraft: Small Aircraft; Low Wing; 1 Eng; Retractable Gear · Phase: approach

Anomalies: deviation-track-heading-all-types|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-clearance|other-unspecified|other-airspace-violation-entry-or-exit

Synopsis

SMA PLT MISIDENTS ARPT MAKES APCH TO WRONG ARPT. TWR CTLR SIGHTS PROBLEM AND TURNS OVER TO TRACON AGAIN FOR PROPER ARPT APCH.

Narrative

WHEN BEING VECTORED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO MWC; MY FLT PATH TOOK ME VERY CLOSE AN INTERMEDIATE ARPT MKE; WHICH WAS IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS MY DEST ARPT. I WAS ASKED BY APCH CTL IF THE ARPT WAS IN SIGHT (NO DIRECTION/DISTANCE WAS GIVEN). I RPTED ARPT IN SIGHT AND WAS CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 22R AND INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT TIMMERMAN TWR. I CONTACTED THE TWR AND RPTED WHAT I THOUGHT WAS MY POS; AND STARTED TO MAKE AN APCH TO THE ARPT IN SIGHT. AS DISCOVERED LATER; IT WAS GENERAL MITCHELL AND NOT TIMMERMAN. THE TWR QUESTIONED MY POS BUT THEN ASKED FOR A RPT OF A 2 MI FINAL FOR 22R. TFC 4 MI E OF TIMMERMAN RPTED THEIR POS AND I BEGAN LOOKING FOR THE TFC. AT ABOUT 2 MI OUT FROM 25R AT MKE; I RPTED A 2 MI FINAL. I WAS THEN CLRED TO LAND. THEN AFTER A FEW SECONDS; THE TWR SAID I WAS ON FINAL FOR MITCHELL FIELD; NOT TIMMERMAN. I WAS GIVEN A NEW HDG; INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT APCH CTL; AND PROCEEDED TO TIMMERMAN ARPT WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENCE. THERE WAS NO IMMINENT TFC CONFLICTS AS FAR AS I KNOW. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH AND LNDG PRIOR TO PASSING THE INTERMEDIATE ARPT. 2) UNFAMILIARITY WITH AREA. 3) SIMILAR RWY ALIGNMENTS AT BOTH ARPTS (IE; 22R VERSUS 25R). 4) LACK OF USE OF VFR SECTIONAL CHARTS FOR LANDMARK ORIENTATION. 5) PLT WORKLOAD AND SCANNING FOR OTHER RPTED TFC. 6) RACINE/JOHN BATTON FIELD WAS MISTAKEN AS MITCHELL FIELD. 7) ADDITIONAL VERIFICATION OF POS VA NAV RADIOS. TO PREVENT THIS SITUATION (WHERE ARPTS ARE IN CLOSE PROX); THE PLT AND CTLR NEED TO MAKE SURE THE RIGHT ARPT IS IDENTED. THE CTLR SHOULD GIVE DISTANCE/DIRECTION INFO WHEN ASKING IF THE ARPT IS IN SIGHT. WHEN A PLT RPTS A POS WHICH IS SUSPECT; A LNDG CLRNC SHOULD NOT BE AUTOMATICALLY ISSUED. MORE RELIANCE ON VFR CHARTS IS NEEDED WHEN MAKING VISUAL APCHS IN UNFAMILIAR TERRITORY.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.