UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACES WITH RESULTING NMAC.

Narrative

WHILE I WAS OVER BOSTON TCA AT 9000 FT; I TOOK A HDG OF 230 DEGS FOR 5 MI THEN TOOK A HDG OF 030 DEGS FOR LAURANCE; MA. I LOOKED ON MY SECTIONAL AND SAW LAURANCE; MA AT ABOUT 20 MI (SO I THOUGHT); BUT I WAS ACTUALLY LOOKING AT BEDFORD; MA. I STARTED A FAST DSCNT AT WHICH TIME I BROKE BOSTON TCA AT 4000 FT. WHILE FOLLOWING DIRECTIONS TO RPT MY 2 MI FINAL TO LAURANCE; THEY ASKED IF I WAS THE CESSNA 172 IN SIGHT ON 1/4 MI FINAL. AGAIN; NOT REALIZING I WAS HEADED FOR BEDFORD ARPT; I; MISTAKENLY; TOLD LAURANCE THAT THIS PLANE THEY SAW WAS ME. THEN DID A FLY-BY AT WHICH TIME REALIZING THAT I WAS AT THE WRONG ARPT. AFTER LNDG I CONTACT BOSTON TRACON AND EXPLAINED WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I CONTRIBUTE THIS MISHAP TO POOR NAV; MISJUDGING THE ARPT AND HIGH ALT FLYING. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 300118: I WAS A STUDENT PLT STAYING IN THE PATTERN. HIGH TFC DENSITY AND BEING CAREFUL TO LOOK FOR MY TFC. ON SHORT FINAL; I WAS LOW AND BUSY HOLDING ALT (RED OVER RED ON VASI) WHEN I SAW AN ACFT PASS OVERHEAD; OVERTAKING AT APPROX 5-10 KTS. OTHER ACFT WAS HIGH WING; SO HE COULD HAVE SEEN ME; I THINK. MY ACFT WAS WHITE; ALTHOUGH I MAY NOT HAVE BEEN VISIBLE IN GND CLUTTER. I SAW OTHER ACFT APPROX 3 SECONDS BEFORE TWR CALLED ME TO EXECUTE GAR. THE OTHER ACFT WAS 'INTENTIONS UNKNOWN.' I BELIEVE HE WAS ON THE GS; BUT HE MIGHT HAVE BEEN HIGH. VERY DIFFICULT TO JUDGE RELATIVE SEPARATION. HE WAS JUST OFF CTR (TO MY R); AND ABOVE; FIXED LNDG GEAR AND ACFT BELLY CLRLY VISIBLE. BY THE TIME I SAW HIM DANGER HAD PASSED. THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD HAVE DONE ONCE WE WERE BOTH ON FINAL. (I WAS IN R TFC; I BELIEVE HE CAME IN L-HANDED; BUT DON'T KNOW). I FOUND OUT LATER; THAT OTHER ACFT WAS TALKING TO LWM TWR NOT BED (APPROX 15 MI NE) BOTH ARPTS WERE USING RWY 5; SIMILAR LENGTH RWYS. BUT LVM HAS A BIG LAKE NEXT TO THE ARPT; BED DOES NOT. OTHER PLT VERY CONFUSED. ALSO; LVM HAS A VOR TO TRACK TO IT. (BED DOES NOT). AFTER GAR; TWR TOLD ME OTHER ACFT WAS NORDO AND THAT'S WHY HE CUT IN FRONT. WHEN READING THE AIM; IT SEEMED THAT; BECAUSE OUR SEPARATION WAS LESS THAN 500 FT; THIS SHOULD BE CALLED A NMAC.