SMA PLT CONDUCTED A VISUAL APCH TO THE WRONG ARPT. THE ERROR WAS DISCOVERED; GAR WAS EXECUTED; AND THE PLT PROCEEDED VISUALLY TO DEST.

Narrative

WHILE LEVEL AT 4000 FT; I WAS ADVISED MY DEST (RME) WAS OFF MY 12 O'CLOCK AND 15 MI. WX WAS CLR AND A MILLION; SO I GLANCED OUT; SAW THE ARPT AND WAS CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 33. I HAD LANDED AT RME A DOZEN OR MORE TIMES IN THE PAST; INCLUDING TWICE IN THE LAST 2 DAYS. AS I GOT LOWER I WAS TOLD TO CONTACT GRIFFISS TWR; WHICH I DID. AS I GOT CLOSER TO THE ARPT I NOTICED THAT THE TWR AND BUILDINGS WERE ON THE R SIDE OF THE RWY AND COULD HAVE SWORN I REMEMBERED THEM ON THE L SIDE; BUT COULDN'T ARGUE WITH WHAT I WAS SEEING. THE RWY WAS WIDE AND QUITE LONG; AND AS I GOT CLOSER I SAW THE NUMBERS FOR RWY 33. I WAS FULLY CONFIGURED FOR LNDG; GEAR DOWN; AND FLAPS DOWN; DSNDING THROUGH ABOUT 1000 FT WHEN I NOTICED WHAT LOOKED LIKE TFC CONES FORMING X'S ON THE RWY. AT THIS SAME TIME GRIFFISS TWR CONTACTED ME; 'SAY ALT;' AND I REALIZED WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND COMMUNICATED THIS WITH TWR. I HAD BEEN LOOKING AT THE OLD COUNTY ARPT RATHER THAN GRIFFISS. I WENT AROUND; IMMEDIATELY PICKED UP THE GRIFFISS ARPT AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. WHEN I WENT AROUND I GLANCED AT MY GPS WHICH HAD BEEN PROGRAMMED TO THE GRIFFISS ARPT; AND IT RPTED A DISTANCE OF 6 NM. HERE WERE 2 LARGE ARPTS WITH THE EXACT SAME RWY ORIENTATION ONLY 6 NM APART. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ERROR WAS THAT ONCE I SAW THE ARPT AND WAS CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH; I STOPPED MAKING REF TO MY GPS AND NAV INSTS. AT BUSY ARPTS WITH MULTIPLE RWYS; I TYPICALLY SET UP A LOC OR GPS EXTENDED CTRLINE TO AID IN APCHING THE CORRECT RWY. HOWEVER; AT GRIFFISS; WHICH HAS ONLY 1 RWY AND ISN'T VERY BUSY; I LET MY GUARD DOWN AND DIDN'T BACK MYSELF UP WITH ELECTRONIC NAVAIDS. BEFORE THIS; I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND HOW A PLT COULD LAND AT THE WRONG ARPT; BUT NOW I SEE HOW IT'S POSSIBLE.