Flight Crew Glider; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Private
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 22; Flight Crew Total 800; Flight Crew Type 550
Situational Awareness; Human-Machine Interface; Communication Breakdown; Confusion
Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance
Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance
Human Factors; Airport
I was on an IFR flight to RAP. Minneapolis Center handed me off to Ellsworth Approach on our approach to RAP. RAP was VFR; but I was in the broken cloud base at 5;400 FT MSL; so the field was not in sight. Approach Control gave me vectors to the VOR 14 approach to RAP; holding me in the clouds at 5;400 FT MSL; their radar minimum. While making the vectored left turn onto the final approach course; I broke out of the clouds several miles north of the approach end of Runway 13 at nearby Ellsworth Air Force Base; which is aligned along the same course as Runway 14 at RAP. I informed Ellsworth approach that I had the 'field in sight;' even though it was the wrong field. Approach quickly cleared me for the visual and handed me over to the RAP Tower. Having never seen the field at RAP; I flew a visual approach toward Ellsworth AFB Runway 13 before the terrain warning alerted me that I was too low for an approach to Runway 14 at RAP. During this time I contacted RAP Tower and waited for clearance to land. Tower recognized that I was over the wrong field and alerted me; directing me to the approach end of Runway 14 at RAP (1 o'clock and 2 miles.) The Tower also advised me of traffic; a Bellanca on a 2 mile final to Runway 14 RAP.Several seconds later I found myself on final to Runway 14 at RAP; one-half mile behind and 500 FT above the Bellanca. The horizontal distance was closing rapidly as my speed was about 80 KTS and the Bellanca's was considerably less than that. It was clear that there was insufficient space for me to land behind the Bellanca. I called Tower and informed them that I was making a turn to the right; off the final approach course and that I would make a 360 degree turn to allow the Bellanca to land. I could have also climbed and gone around; but I did not know what traffic was on downwind and did not know if the Bellanca was going to perform a full stop or touch-and-go. Tower allowed the 360 degree turn; or at least did not object or ask me to go around. The Bellanca cleared the runway and I landed uneventfully. The situation arose because I was vectored out of the clouds close enough to the approach end of Ellsworth AFB to mistake it for my destination at RAP. This is a frequent problem; apparently; because a warning appears in the airport information; and I had read it. I even commented to others that I did not want to make the mistake of landing at Ellsworth! The problem was compounded by my searching for the airport as I broke out of the clouds. Once seeing Ellsworth AFB; and being aligned on the runway; I kept my eyes out of the plane; on a visual approach. I had 3 devices that knew where to go; including my autopilot; which was engaged and flying the intercept to the Runway 14 final course; my certified GPS; which had the approach loaded; and my IPad; with geo-referenced approach plates. All the avionics and the iPad knew where to go; but I was looking out of the plane; not at the avionics. Fortunately I did not land at the air force base. I realize that despite my knowing Ellsworth was there and having equipment telling me otherwise; it is really hard to ignore that big; long runway ahead when breaking out of the clouds on an instrument approach. It did seem as if Tower and Approach were not talking to each other; as it appeared that Tower did not know I was on the Runway 14 approach; and did not reply to my first two radio calls after Approach Control passed me off. When Tower did talk to me; they correctly verified my location and called out the traffic in front of me. As soon as I saw the traffic; the Bellanca; I diverted. Another contributing problem was that approach told other planes to beware of Ellsworth AFB on their approach; but I do not recall approach giving me such a warning. This would have been especially useful while being vectored onto the final approach course for the VOR 14 approach to RAP; since the vectors brought me directly onto a final course for Runway 13 at Ellsworth.
A BE-33 pilot flying IFR to RAP declared the runway in sight after breaking out of the clouds. A low altitude alert from the RAP ILS made him realize he was making a visual approach to a similarly aligned runway at RCA some seven miles closer than RAP.