MIL FLT OF 2 OPERATING VFR ENTER TCA WITHOUT CLRNC AND BEGAN APCH TO WRONG ARPT.
Synopsis
MIL FLT OF 2 OPERATING VFR ENTER TCA WITHOUT CLRNC AND BEGAN APCH TO WRONG ARPT.
Narrative
WHILE LEADING A FLT OF 2 SPC ACFT FROM THE FORT BENNING TARGET RANGE BACK TO DOBBINS AFB I INTRUDED INTO THE FULTON COUNTY TRSA W/O PERMISSION OR RADIO CONTACT. WE WERE IN VISUAL CONDITIONS BELOW THE ATL TCA ON A VFR FLT PLAN FILED WITH DOBBINS AFB OPS. THE DME IN MY TACAN WAS INOP SO AS WE PASSED FROM S TO N UNDER THE WESTERN SIDE OF THE ATL TCA; I LED THE FLT FURTHER TO THE W THAN NECESSARY JUST TO GIVE THE TCA ON A LITTLE MORE ROOM. I WAS USING THE ALT AZIMUTH AND AN ATL SECTIONAL CHART FOR NAV. AS WE PASSED THE ATL 270 DEG R AT WHAT I GUESSED TO BE ABOUT 20 NM; I TOOK A CUT TO ABOUT 040 DEGS AND TURNED IN DOBBINS TACAN; EXPECTING TO LOCK UP ABOUT 060 DEGS (240 DEG R). WHEN THE TACAN LOCKED UP AT ABOUT 350 DEGS (170 DEG R); I ASSUMED I HAD A BAD LOCK AND CYCLED IT. IT LOCKED UP AGAIN IN THE SAME PLACE AND I REALIZED I WAS NOT WHERE I THOUGHT I WAS. I TURNED TO 350 DEGS AND SAW FULTON COUNTY ARPT THINKING IT WAS DOBBINS IN THE HAZE. I SWITCHED MY WING MAN TO DOBBINS TWR; BUT HE GOT LOST BTWN FREQ BECAUSE HIS RADIO HAD NOT BEEN PRESET TO LCL FREQS AS WE ARE USED TO. I REQUESTED A VISUAL APCH WHICH WAS GRANTED. WHEN I ROLLED OUT ON FINAL ABOUT 2 1/2 NM; I KNEW I WAS AT THE WRONG ARPT. I TURNED DIRECT DOBBINS AND COMPLETED A VISUAL APCH. DOBBINS WAS CONTACTED BY FULTON COUNTY TWR WHOM I SPOKE TO BY TELEPHONE. AFTER RELATING THIS STORY TO HIM; HE CHKED WITH ATL TWR TO VERIFY THERE WERE NO TCA VIOLATIONS AND LET IT GO AT THAT. I SHOULD HAVE USED ATL APCH CLT RETURNING FROM TARGET. I SHOULD HAVE EITHER GOTTEN MORE INFO FROM MY WING MAN OR GIVEN HIM THE LEAD.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.