Corp medium large transport landed at wrong airport.

Attributes
ACN	102677
Time
Date	198901
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : nog airport : ali
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	military facility : nqi tower : nog
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 10500 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	102677
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 5200 flight time type : 700
ASRS Report	102678
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

15 mi from alice, the aircraft was cleared for localizer 31 approach, maintain 2000', report procedure turn inbound. At approximately 2300' MSL we descended below the overcast and saw what we thought was alice airport. At this time we told kingsville approach that we had the field in sight. Kingsville approach control acknowledged, cancelled IFR, changed to advisory frequency. We proceeded to enter downwind for runway 31 and called alice radio. Upon T/D we realized that this was not alice airport. The airport was orange grove NAS, about 8 mi from alice airport. I believe the problem occurred because at this time we were VFR and both pilots were looking out for VFR traffic and not monitoring the navaids. If we had stayed in contact with kingsville approach control and monitored the approach aids, in my opinion, this event would not have occurred. Supplemental information from acn 102678: this was the pilot's first time into alice and my third. I changed the navigation radios to the localizer frequency and set the inbound course. I reported to alice radio we were entering a left downwind for runway 31. On base leg I noticed the VLF needle on the pilot's EFIS RMI selected to the airport was pointing to the right, away from the airport. It appeared to be fluctuating 10-20 degrees which interpreted as being close to the field and about to change. The last DME I recalled was about 5 mi on base leg. As we got closer to the airport the runway appeared to be wider than I remembered but the terminal was where it was supposed to be. At about 200' I noticed the arresting cable and the control tower and realized this was not alice. Not being sure where we were I felt it better to land and sort it out on the ground. We believe this could have been avoided had I told the controller at the time of initial sighting of the airport that 'we have the airport (ie, 12 O'clock and 3 mi)' to see if he concurred. Also and more importantly, use of the navaids available would have verified this was not the airport of intended landing.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CORP MLG LANDED AT WRONG ARPT.

Narrative: 15 MI FROM ALICE, THE ACFT WAS CLRED FOR LOC 31 APCH, MAINTAIN 2000', RPT PROC TURN INBND. AT APPROX 2300' MSL WE DSNDED BELOW THE OVCST AND SAW WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS ALICE ARPT. AT THIS TIME WE TOLD KINGSVILLE APCH THAT WE HAD THE FIELD IN SIGHT. KINGSVILLE APCH CTL ACKNOWLEDGED, CANCELLED IFR, CHANGED TO ADVISORY FREQ. WE PROCEEDED TO ENTER DOWNWIND FOR RWY 31 AND CALLED ALICE RADIO. UPON T/D WE REALIZED THAT THIS WAS NOT ALICE ARPT. THE ARPT WAS ORANGE GROVE NAS, ABOUT 8 MI FROM ALICE ARPT. I BELIEVE THE PROB OCCURRED BECAUSE AT THIS TIME WE WERE VFR AND BOTH PLTS WERE LOOKING OUT FOR VFR TFC AND NOT MONITORING THE NAVAIDS. IF WE HAD STAYED IN CONTACT WITH KINGSVILLE APCH CTL AND MONITORED THE APCH AIDS, IN MY OPINION, THIS EVENT WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 102678: THIS WAS THE PLT'S FIRST TIME INTO ALICE AND MY THIRD. I CHANGED THE NAV RADIOS TO THE LOC FREQ AND SET THE INBND COURSE. I RPTED TO ALICE RADIO WE WERE ENTERING A LEFT DOWNWIND FOR RWY 31. ON BASE LEG I NOTICED THE VLF NEEDLE ON THE PLT'S EFIS RMI SELECTED TO THE ARPT WAS POINTING TO THE RIGHT, AWAY FROM THE ARPT. IT APPEARED TO BE FLUCTUATING 10-20 DEGS WHICH INTERPRETED AS BEING CLOSE TO THE FIELD AND ABOUT TO CHANGE. THE LAST DME I RECALLED WAS ABOUT 5 MI ON BASE LEG. AS WE GOT CLOSER TO THE ARPT THE RWY APPEARED TO BE WIDER THAN I REMEMBERED BUT THE TERMINAL WAS WHERE IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE. AT ABOUT 200' I NOTICED THE ARRESTING CABLE AND THE CTL TWR AND REALIZED THIS WAS NOT ALICE. NOT BEING SURE WHERE WE WERE I FELT IT BETTER TO LAND AND SORT IT OUT ON THE GND. WE BELIEVE THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED HAD I TOLD THE CTLR AT THE TIME OF INITIAL SIGHTING OF THE ARPT THAT 'WE HAVE THE ARPT (IE, 12 O'CLOCK AND 3 MI)' TO SEE IF HE CONCURRED. ALSO AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, USE OF THE NAVAIDS AVAILABLE WOULD HAVE VERIFIED THIS WAS NOT THE ARPT OF INTENDED LNDG.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.