INEXPERIENCED PRIVATE C172 PLT LANDS AT LARGE ARPT NEAR TO -- BUT NOT -- HIS DESTINATION.

Narrative

I HAD BEEN TALKING TO NY APCH DURING THE ENTIRE FLT TO MY INTENDED DEST; MGJ (ORANGE COUNTY). AS I CROSSED THE HUDSON RIVER AT 3500 FT MSL; CTL SAID TO RPT ARPT IN SIGHT. I SAW AN ARPT AT MY 12 O'CLOCK POS; WHICH LOOKED LIKE MGJ; SO I RPTED. CTL APPROVED MY SWITCHING OVER TO LCL TFC; AND I DID SO. I ANNOUNCED MYSELF ON THE COMMON TFC FREQ; DSNDED TO PATTERN ALT; AND JOINED THE DOWNWIND FOR RWY 26 ON A 45 DEG APCH. AS I FLEW MY DOWNWIND AND BASE LEG; ANNOUNCING MYSELF ALL ALONG; THERE WERE CERTAIN VISUAL CUES THAT LOOKED OUT OF PLACE; BUT BECAUSE I WAS ALREADY IN THE PATTERN; AND NOW TURNING FINAL; I THOUGHT I SHOULD JUST CONTINUE. I SAW A GREEN LIGHT FROM THE TWR (ANOTHER HINT; MGJ WAS NON-CTLED) AND SO I PASSED OVER THE RWY THRESHOLD AND SAW I WAS ABOUT TO LAND ON RWY 27; I KNEW I HAD DEFINITELY MADE A MISTAKE AND LANDED AT THE WRONG ARPT. ALTHOUGH I KNEW THAT CERTAIN FACTORS DID NOT ADD UP; SUCH AS SEEING A B747 AND C5'S PARKED ON THE FIELD; IN MY MIND I HAD TO BE IN THE RIGHT PLACE. I LOOKED AT THE SECTIONAL; AND IT ALL LOOKED RIGHT. I THOUGHT THAT THERE WAS NO TURNING BACK ONCE I WAS IN THE PATTERN; AND STILL WASN'T COMPLETELY SURE I WAS IN THE WRONG PLACE UNTIL I SAW THE RWY NUMBERS. I HAD NEVER BEEN TO MGJ BEFORE; SO I WAS WILLING TO BELIEVE THAT THIS COULD HAVE BEEN IT; EVEN THOUGH SO MANY VISUAL CUES SAID OTHERWISE.