(Pilot) Did Not Realize He Was Approaching The Wrong Airport Until He Was “Too Low And Too Slow”

Location: Griffin, Georgia Accident Number: ERA24LA085
Date & Time: December 15, 2023, 20:33 UTC Registration: N303RA
Aircraft: Beech 58 Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Wrong surface or wrong airport Injuries: 1 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

Analysis: The pilot reported that his intended destination airport was Cedar Ridge Airport (GA62), Griffin, GA, but due to misidentification of the airport while airborne, he landed at Brook Bridge Aerodrome (8GA9), Vaughn, GA. He reported that he did not realize he was approaching the wrong airport until he was “too low and too slow.” The airplane touched down on a shared taxiway/driveway before impacting a utility pole with the left wing. Subsequently, the airplane spun and impacted trees resulting in substantial damage to the left wing, nose structure, and right wing. The pilot reported that there were no pre-accident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Probable Cause and Findings: The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be -- The pilot’s misidentification of a taxiway as the intended runway, which resulted in a collision with a utility pole and trees.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov