CPR BE20 PLT ON A NO RADAR VISUAL APCH MAKES A WRONG ARPT APCH AND LNDG AT AN OLD CLOSED MIL ARPT INSTEAD OF THE PLANNED ARPT AT GPM.
Synopsis
CPR BE20 PLT ON A NO RADAR VISUAL APCH MAKES A WRONG ARPT APCH AND LNDG AT AN OLD CLOSED MIL ARPT INSTEAD OF THE PLANNED ARPT AT GPM.
Narrative
I DEPARTED SPRINGDALE; AR; FOR A FLT TO GRAND PRAIRIE; TX (GPM). WX WAS VFR BUT HAZY. AS THE FINAL APCH CTLR WAS VECTORING ME TO GPM; HE TOLD ME THERE WAS TFC AT 11 O'CLOCK POS; 2 MI AT 1600 FT (I WAS AT 2000 FT). ABOUT THAT TIME; THE AUTOPLT DISCONNECTED. CTLR ASKED IF I HAD THE TFC; I SAID NO. HE THEN ASKED ME IF I HAD THE ARPT; I SAID I SAW AN ARPT AT 12 O'CLOCK POS AND 3 OR 4 MI. HE SAID THAT WAS IT AND CLRED ME FOR A VISUAL; AND HANDED ME OFF TO THE TWR (NO RADAR). THE TWR CLRED ME TO LAND. AFTER LNDG THEY ASKED WHERE I WAS. I SAID ON THE RWY. THEY TOLD ME I WAS AT AN ARPT 3 MI AWAY. THAT WAS AN OLD MIL ARPT. I DEPARTED AND FLEW TO GPM. I BELIEVE THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF LNDG AT THE WRONG ARPT WAS MY ASSUMING I WAS WHERE I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE DEALING WITH TFC CLOSE BY; AND DEALING WITH THE AUTOPLT FAILURE. I THINK A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE CTLR'S FAILURE TO TELL ME ABOUT THE CLOSED ARPT AND THE TWR CTLR CLRING ME TO LAND WHEN HE DIDN'T HAVE ME IN SIGHT. MORE VIGILANCE FROM FLT CREWS AND BETTER PLT/CTLR COM WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.