Small Aircraft; Low Wing; 1 Eng; Fixed Gear
Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Private
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 20; Flight Crew Total 600; Flight Crew Type 600
Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Other / Unknown
Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Airspace Structure; Environment - Non Weather Related
On an IFR flight plan in VMC to Greenville Downtown airport (GMU); I was handed off to Greer Approach.  I had obtained the ATIS at GMU; finding that arrivals and departures were being done on Runway 01.  Sometime after passing ELW; the controller at Greer Approach gave me a heading of 080 and a further descent to 3000 feet; with the reason given 'vectors to final'.  I could see on my EFIS (Electronic Flight Instrument System) via runway extension line; where this was taking me.  I was also told to expect a visual approach to runway 01.As I approached the runway extension line in my EFIS; I expected the controller to give me a left turn to final.  It wasn't until sometime after (at least a mile; if not 2 or 3) I passed the expected turn-in did the controller give me a left turn to the airport.  Instead of a left turn to 010; I now had to turn further back to the left to at least 350 (direct to GMU) and further left if I want to get back on to the final approach course.  The controller asked me to report the airport in sight.  After turning to approximately; I see a large; long black strip of pavement almost directly in front of the plane; which looks like a newly paved runway.  I report 'airport in sight' to the controller; and am told by the controller 'cleared for the visual to runway 01; contact tower on 119.9'.  I switched frequencies; contact the tower and I begin a visual descent to the runway I have in view.  After this point; I stopped referring to the maps on my EFIS. As I descend; the tower contacts me that I have to 'remain above 1800 feet' to stay clear of the Donaldson airport (GYH).  At this point (after a quick glance at the map on my EFIS); I realize that I have the wrong airport in sight.  I immediately begin a climb to approximately 2200 feet.  As I pass over Donaldson; I can see very small X's on the runway indicating that it is closed.  From a distance; these X's had appeared to be a centerline.  During the approach to the airport; I did not have any approach plates for GMU out; nor did I have any approach (ILS or RNAV) loaded into my GPS navigator.  I believe that if I had loaded and activate the approach; I would've been 'flying the needles' or at least partially utilizing them and would've realized that I was off the approach course.  However; given the clear day and the guidance to 'expect the visual'; I didn't make use of this extra information.  Upon landing; the tower gave me a number to call.  After securing my plane; I called the number given to me.  I spoke to the supervisor of the facility.  He indicated that this situation happened just a few days ago (almost exactly the same circumstances) and was the third time in the last two weeks.  He considers this to be a performance issue with the approach controllers not giving proper guidance (stay in positive control of the pilot until past Donaldson or to give guidance to remain at or above a certain altitude) and warning to the pilots that there is another runway closely aligned with runway 01 at GMU.  The supervisor also suggested that the X's on the closed runway at Donaldson should be much larger to make it clear that it is closed from a farther distance.  I believe that the primary contributing factor here was being given the left turn back to GMU after I'd passed through the 'runway extension line' (essentially; a turn later than I expected); which required a turn greater than 90 degrees to get back to the final approach course; this pointed me directly at Donaldson airport.  Seeing a big runway in front of me overrode other considerations for other information available to me.  I feel fairly sure that any of the following would've lessened the chances of this event occurring:Being turned to the final approach course in a more timely fashion (such as to not require a greater than 90 degree left turn).Being given an explanation for the lateness of the turn (i.e. 'to avoid Donaldson').Being warned about the proximity to Donaldson.Being given an altitude to maintain for next XX miles until past Donaldson.If I'd loaded and activated the approach into my IFR GPS navigator; the 'highway in the sky' in my EFIS would have shown me that I was not heading in the right direction.Another contributing factor is the time of day (it was very close to sunset); and the very black pavement of the closed runway at Donaldson made seeing the X's very difficult until almost on top of the runway.  I plan to always load and activate an approach (In larger approach environments; where there are multiple airports in close proximity); just to have an extra set of information about the approach to the runway.
General Aviation Pilot reported that on visual approach to GMU RWY01 he lined up on closed runway at GYH; 6 miles south; before realizing his mistake. The Supervisor indicated that this situation was the third time it happened in the last two weeks.