C205 PLT ACCIDENTALLY LANDED AT A MIL AFB.

Date: 2002-03 · Aircraft: Cessna Super Skywagon/Super Skylane · Phase: approach

Anomalies: deviation-track-heading-all-types|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-landing-without-clearance|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|other-landed-at-military-arpt-by-mistake

Synopsis

C205 PLT ACCIDENTALLY LANDED AT A MIL AFB.

Narrative

I FILED A VFR FLT PLAN FOR DEP FROM SFF. THE RTE TOOK V2 TO 1S0 (PIERCE COUNTY). WE BEGAN OUR DSCNT FROM 10500 FT MSL DUE TO THE SHORT DISTANCE TO DSND UNDER CLASS B AIRSPACE AND TO MAKE THE APCH FOR 1S0. DURING THE DSCNT THERE WERE A NUMBER OF TFC SEPARATION ALERTS GIVEN BY ATC. AT APPROX 3000 FT MSL; ZSE ASKED IF I HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT AT 12 O'CLOCK POS. I RPTED AFFIRMATIVE AND CHANGED MY XPONDER TO 1200 FT AND TUNED IN PIERCE COUNTY TFC. ASKED LCL TFC WHAT RWY WAS ACTIVE AND DIRECTION OF TFC. AT THIS POINT; I WAS TOO CLOSE TO THE ARPT (THE ONE I WAS LOOKING AT) TO ENTER THE L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 16. I WAS EXPECTING L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 34 DUE TO THE WINDS. I XMITTED MY INTENTIONS TO OVERFLY THE ARPT AT MIDFIELD; AND TO ENTER L TFC FOR RWY 16. I NOTICED SOME MIL ACFT. I WAS ONLY 1700 FT AGL; AND VERY BUSY KEEPING MY EYE ON AREA TFC (LATER TO REALIZE IT WAS NOT IN THIS ARPT'S PATTERN). I REMEMBER THE THOUGHT THAT THE INFO WAS CONVENIENT TO GIVE DURING THE DOWNWIND (LATER TO REALIZE IT WAS COINCIDENTAL -- THE AWOS ANNOUNCED AT INTERVALS THE INFO ON THE FIELD). AS I MADE MY WAY TO FINAL; I REALIZED THAT THE AIRSTRIP WAS TOO LONG. I KNEW AT THIS POINT I HAD MADE A MISTAKE. I KNEW I HAD BREACHED SECURITY. I FELT THAT THE BEST THING TO DO WAS TO MAKE THE LNDG AND EXPLAIN MY SIT. I PULLED OFF OF THE ACTIVE RWY; LOOKED FOR THE TWR FREQ FOR INSTRUCTIONS; AND DID NOT FIND THE AFB LISTED. BY THIS TIME AN ENTOURAGE OF VEHICLES WERE UPON THE SCENE AND WE EXITED THE PLANE. WITH THE VOR OTS AND NO DME TO GIVE ME A FIX TO IDENT THE TURNOFF FOR THE CORRECT RWY POINT; I DID NOT REALIZE HOW CLOSE THE 2 ARPTS WERE -- IN FACT I NEVER SAW 1S0. THE 2 ARPTS ARE LESS THAN 3 MINS OF FLT TIME APART. MY CONVERSATIONS WITH THE 1S0 TFC OVERSHADOWED THE GREATER PICTURE OF LOOKING MORE SPECIFICALLY AT THE GND. I SHOULD HAVE NOTICED ONLY MIL AND NO SMALL ACFT ALONG THE RWY. I HAVE 22 HRS UNDER THE HOOD IN THE LAST 75 DAYS IN TRAINING TOWARDS AN IFR RATING. I HAVE A HARD TIME JUSTIFYING OR ACCOUNTING FOR MY ERROR IN LOCATING THE CORRECT AIRFIELD. THE MIL WAS UNDERSTANDING; PROTECTIVE; AND JUSTIFIED IN THEIR RESPONSE TO OUR BREACH OF THEIR SECURITY.

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