CTLR ISSUED HEADING TO WRONG ARPT.

Narrative

X CLBED TO 3500 FT; AND ABOUT OVER LIVERMORE; I CONTACTED STOCKTON APCH ON 123.85 FOR FLT ADVISORIES. I NOTICED THE THULE FOG WAS RIGHT TO THE TOP OF THE ALTAMONT PASS; AND FLOWING WESTERLY OVER THE HILLS TOWARD LIVERMORE ARPT. CONTINUING; AND AFTER PASSING APPROX OVER THE MANTECA VOR (ECA); I WAS GIVEN A HDOF TO ANOTHER CTLR; ON 125.1. I WAS REACHING THE LIMIT OF THEIR RADAR COVERAGE FOR THAT SECTOR; AND THE CTLR ADVISED ME RADAR SVC WAS TERMINATED; AND TO SQUAWK 1200. BY THIS TIME; IT WAS ALMOST DARK. I WAS JUST COMING TO THE NE EDGE OF THE THULE FOG AND SEEING LAND AGAIN. I ASKED AT THAT TIME; 'BEFORE GOING; COULD YOU VERIFY MY HEADING TO PINE MOUNTAIN LAKE?' AFTER A FEW SECONDS; SHE REPLIED; 'HEADING 110 DEGS;' AND I BELIEVE SHE SAID '28 MI.' 'YOU CAN CONTACT' WHAT I THOUGHT SHE SAID; 'ZOA; ON 120.95; AND THEY CAN HELP YOU FIND THE ARPT.' I KNEW ZOA CTLS THAT SECTOR AT THE HIGHER ALTS AND DIDN'T THINK ANY MORE ABOUT IT. PINE MOUNTAIN LAKE ARPT SHOULD BE ABOUT 12 O'CLOCK ABOUT 15 MI. I IMMEDIATELY QUESTIONED; 'HEADING 110 DEGS?' I INITIALLY QUESTIONED IN MY MIND THAT IT SEEMED LIKE A BIG HEADING CORRECTION. I DECIDE TO GIVE STOCKTON APCH ANOTHER CALL. I DIAL UP 120.95; THE GUY ANSWERS 'STOCKTON APCH.' MY INITIAL REACTION WAS; 'I THOUGHT THIS WAS ZOA'S SECTORS. WELL; MAYBE AT NIGHT THEY TAKE OVER EACH OTHER'S SECTORS AS BUSINESS SLOWS DOWN.' WRONG. AFTER BEING REIDENTED; I AGAIN ASK FOR A HEADING TO 'PINE MOUNTAIN LAKE.' HEADING 120 DEGS HE SAYS. I WHIP A 180 DEG TURN AND HEAD 120 DEGS. AFTER AWHILE HE SAYS; 'THE ARPT IS AT YOUR 1 O'CLOCK AT ABOUT 3 MI.' I STILL DON'T SEE IT. I SEE AGAIN THE BIG MOUNTAIN AT MY 11 O'CLOCK POS; WITH THE BIG STROBE AND RADIO TWRS. AS I PASS ABEAM OF IT (MY 9 O'CLOCK POS); I SEE A TOWN ABOUT 4 MI AT MY 12 O'CLOCK POS. 'THAT MUST BE GROVELAND; BUT THE ARPT IS IN THE WRONG PLACE. WHY CAN'T I SEE THE PINE MOUNTAIN LAKE 'LAKE'?' ALL THESE THOUGHTS PASS THROUGH MY MIND. THE CTLR NOW SAYS; 'THE ARPT IS 1 O'CLOCK; 1/2 MI. SURE ENOUGH; I LOOK ALMOST STRAIGHT DOWN. THERE IS AN ARPT. BY THIS TIME; ALL I WANT TO DO IS PUT IT ON THE GND. BUT WAIT; THERE ARE HANGARS ON THAT ARPT. PML DOESN'T HAVE HANGARS LIKE THAT. THE BEACON IS ALSO IN THE WRONG PLACE. THE HELL WITH IT; WE'RE PUTTING THIS THING DOWN ON THAT ARPT. I'M AT ABOUT 4500 FT MSL; AND I START TO CIRCLE DOWN OVER THE ARPT; FIRST TO THE L. BUT THAT DAMN MOUNTAIN IS OVER THERE SOMEPLACE. BACK TO THE R. IT'S BLACK AS A COAL BIN THIS DIRECTION. FINALLY; TIGHT S TURNS OVER THE BEACON. I MAKE A LOW PASS OVER WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE RWY. MY LNDG LIGHT FINALLY SHINES ON THE RWY NUMBERS. BACK UP A LITTLE; A R 20 DEG TURN; A L 270 AND LINE UP ON FINAL. A LITTLE UP ON FINAL. A LITTLE DOWNWIND; BUT LNDG WAS MADE WITH NO INCIDENT. I TAXI UP TO THE GAS PUMPS. I WONDER WHERE IN THE HELL WE ARE. MARIPOSA YOSEMITE!!! I CALL THE EMER NUMBER TO ARRANGE FOR FUEL. I THEN CALL FLT SVC AND TELL THEM OF THE INCIDENT. THEY GAVE ME THE NUMBER FOR STOCKTON APCH. I CALL THEM; TALK TO THE WATCH SUPVR AND TELL THEM I AM SLIGHTLY PISSED. I RELATE THE WHOLE INCIDENT TO THEM. THE WATCH SUPVR PROMISED TO CHK INTO IT; LISTEN TO THE TAPES; AND CALL ME. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: FACILITY SUPVR STATED THEY HAVE A NEW VIDEO MAP AND THE CTLR THOUGHT Q68 WAS 068. CTLR KNOWLEDGE OF MAP WAS THE PROB.