20150107006279I

Incident · No damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-28-181 · Merritt Island, FL · January 7, 2015

Date: January 7, 2015 · 12:45 local
Place: Merritt Island, FL
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N699DW
Reported as: Piper PA-28-181
Reported engine: Lycoming O-360 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Unknown or foreign certificate

N699DWRegistered now · Piper PA-28-181S/N 2843612 · Built 2005 Airframe modelPiper PA-28-181 Engine modelLycoming O-360 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Airman entered the patrick air force base (cof) class "delta" airspace without a clearance. Patrick air traffic control tower (ATCT) attempted to establish communications without success. Traffic in the pattern was deconflicted. The airman then exited the airspace and landed at Merritt Island (kcoi) 7NM to the northwest of cof.

When contacted by cof controllers on the ground, the airman admitted that he mistook patrick air force base for Merritt Island.

Since cof is not in the atqa database, a 8020-17 does not exist in atqa. This 8020-23 was filled out without an a pilot deviation number. FAA order 8020.11C chapter 5, paragraph 3C covers this type of situation.

As the FAA filed it

AIRMAN ENTERED THE PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE (COF) CLASS "DELTA" AIRSPACE WITHOUT A CLEARANCE. PATRICK AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER (ATCT) ATTEMPTED TO ESTABLISH COMMUNICATIONS WITHOUT SUCCESS. TRAFFIC IN THE PATTERN WAS DECONFLICTED. THE AIRMAN THEN EXITED THE AIRSPACE AND LANDED AT MERRITT ISLAND (KCOI) 7NM TO THE NORTHWEST OF COF.

WHEN CONTACTED BY COF CONTROLLERS ON THE GROUND, THE AIRMAN ADMITTED THAT HE MISTOOK PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE FOR MERRITT ISLAND.

SINCE COF IS NOT IN THE ATQA DATABASE, A 8020-17 DOES NOT EXIST IN ATQA. THIS 8020-23 WAS FILLED OUT WITHOUT AN A PILOT DEVIATION NUMBER. FAA ORDER 8020.11C CHAPTER 5, PARAGRAPH 3C COVERS THIS TYPE OF SITUATION.