1995-07 · NASA ASRS report 311629
UNAUTH PENETRATION OF CLASS B AND D AIRSPACE; UNAUTH LNDG AFTER APCH TO WRONG ARPT.
RETURNING VFR FROM OSHKOSH TO DENVER'S CENTENNIAL ARPT I HIT SEVERE TURB; LIGHTNING AND TSTMS APPROX 40 MI FROM CENTENNIAL ARPT. I CALLED FLT WATCH FOR ASSISTANCE NAVING AROUND THE STORMS BUT WAS TOLD THE FRONT RANGE RADAR WAS NOT WORKING AND THEY COULD NOT HELP. AT APPROX 30 MI OUT OF CENTENNIAL ARPT I CALLED FLT WATCH AGAIN AND RECEIVED CENTENNIAL ARPT WX. THE STORMS INTENSIFIED WITH MULTIPLE LIGHTNING STRIKES TO THE N AND S OF MY WESTERLY PATH. I FOUND A HOLE BTWN 2 TSTMS AND TRIED TO GET THROUGH. SUDDENLY A LIGHTNING STRIKE SEVERELY THREW THE PLANE UP AND DOWN AND MY LORAN STOPPED WORKING; DISPLAYING ONLY 'STANDBY.' THE LAST READING I SAW ON THE LORAN DISPLAY BEFORE IT DROPPED OFF LINE WAS FTG 7.2 NM; MEANING FRONT RANGE ARPT WAS 7.2 MI AHEAD OF ME. I HAD ELECTED TO TRY AND LAND AT FRONT RANGE ARPT BECAUSE THE STORMS WOULD NOT LET ME THROUGH TO CENTENNIAL ARPT; ABOUT 20 MI FURTHER TO THE SW. THROUGH THE STORM I SAW WHAT I BELIEVED TO BE FRONT RANGE ARPT'S RWY 26. I XMITTED ON 123.0 CTAF A L BASE AND FINAL FOR RWY 26 FRONT RANGE. I LANDED IN SEVERE TURB AND BROUGHT THE PLANE TO A STOP ONLY TO REALIZE I WAS NOT AT FRONT RANGE ARPT; BUT AT DENVER INTL ARPT WHICH IS RIGHT NEXT TO FRONT RANGE. BOTH ARPTS HAVE RWYS 26/8 AND 36/18 WHICH IS DETACHED FROM RWY 26/8. THE DEN TERMINAL BUILDING IS APPROX 5 MI FROM THE END OF RWY 26 AND WAS NOT VISIBLE BECAUSE OF A STORM FRONT BTWN THE RWY END AND THE TERMINAL. FROM DEN TO FRONT RANGE ARPT IS APPROX 5 MI. OF COURSE I FEEL BADLY ABOUT LNDG AT DEN RWY 26 INSTEAD OF FRONT RANGE RWY 26; BUT WITH THE TERMINAL BUILDING NOT IN SIGHT THEY LOOK VERY MUCH ALIKE; ESPECIALLY DURING VIOLENT STORMS. THIS IS A REAL SAFETY PROB; AND I GUARANTEE IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN. DEN WAS BUILT TOO CLOSE TO FRONT RANGE ARPT TO HAVE IDENTICAL RWYS WHEN VIEWED FROM LOW ALT INBOUND FROM THE E.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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