AN M20F PLT ATTEMPTS TO FLY A WRONG RWY APCH ALONG WITH A WRONG ARPT APCH AFTER ATC ASKS PLT TO FLY A VISUAL ON PRECEDING TFC INTO TPA; FL.

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PLT EXPERIENCED LOSS OF ORIENTATION DURING INST PROC DUE TO EARLY TRANSITION FROM INST REF TO VISUAL REF. DURING A LOC APCH TO TAMPA INTL ARPT IN MIXED IFR AND VFR CONDITIONS; THE ACFT WAS CLRED FOR AN APCH TO RWY 36R FOLLOWING SEVERAL VECTORS FROM ATC. VISUAL CONTACT WAS MADE WITH THE RWY ENVIRONMENT AND PLT TRANSITIONED TO A VISUAL APCH. THE RWY ENVIRONMENT WAS MCDILL AIRFORCE BASE RATHER THAN TAMPA INTL. ATC INTERPRETED THE ACTION AS A FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPER ALT AND CORRECTED THE SIT WITH A VECTOR TO REINTERCEPT THE LOC AND DIRECTIONS TO CLB. ONCE ORIENTATION AND TRANSITION BACK TO INST RELIANCE WAS ESTABLISHED THE APCH WAS CONDUCTED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE EVENTS LEADING TO THE SIT WERE CAUSED BY 3 FACTORS: MIXED IFR AND VFR CONDITIONS ALLOWING PLT TO RELY ON VISUAL REFS; REQUEST BY ATC FOR PLT TO MAINTAIN VISUAL CONTACT WITH AN ACFT ON APCH TO RWY 36L; AND DISTR OF THE PLT BY PAX INTERFERENCE. PREMATURE TRANSITION FROM INST REF TO VISUAL REF CAUSED PLT TO LOSE SITUATIONAL REF OF POS DURING INST APCH PROC. WHILE IN VISUAL REF MODE VISUAL CONTACT WITH RWY ENVIRONMENT MADE INST RELIANCE VERY DIFFICULT. THE CORRECTIVE ACTION IS TO PARTICIPATE IN A PLT PROFICIENCY PROGRAM AND CONDUCT SIMULATOR-BASED TRAINING. ATC REQUEST TO MAINTAIN VISUAL REF DURING CRITICAL FINAL APCH INTERCEPT SHOULD BE AVOIDED. THE VECTORS PLACED THE ACFT ON AN INTERCEPT COURSE WITH AN ACFT ON APCH TO A PARALLEL RWY; WHICH LEAD ATC TO ASK FOR PLT TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION. THIS REQUIRED HEADS UP ACTION BY THE PLT AT A TIME WHEN HEADS DOWN AND INST ORIENTATION SHOULD HAVE BEEN MAINTAINED. CORRECTIVE ACTION WOULD BE TO CONDUCT TRAINING OF ATC OPERATORS TO UNDERSTAND PLT TRANSITION FROM INST TO VISUAL REFS AND ITS AFFECT. PAX DISTRACTED PLT ASKING QUESTION WHY WE WERE ON A FAIRLY CLOSE INTERCEPT PATH WITH AN ONCOMING B737. PLT DESCRIBED SIT ADDING FURTHER COMPLEXITY TO THE TRANSITION FROM VISUAL REF BACK TO INST ORIENTATION. CORRECTIVE ACTION IS TO ISOLATE PLT INTERCOM DURING CRITICAL FLT OPS.