Flight crew of mlt attempts visual approach to wrong airport.

Attributes
ACN	114646
Time
Date	198906
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mgm airport : mxf
State Reference	AL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mgm tower : den
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Military Transport
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : military
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 4500
ASRS Report	114646
Person 2
Affiliation	government : military
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were being vectored for a visual approach to runway 33 at maxwell AFB (mxf) alabama by montgomery approach. There were rainshowers and thunderstorms in the area but none at either field. The visibility was about 4-5 mi due to haze. I cannot remember the ceiling but I think it may have been somewhere around 3000'. The aircraft was making a rapid rate of descent due to being high due to vectors for a visual to runway 33 instead of the original vector for runway 15. Approach control made several calls that the field was 12 O'clock but we were still IMC during the first few calls. Finally we descended through the clouds and approach again called the airport at 12 O'clock. At this time the aircraft VOR was inoperative and the TACAN was intermittent. At 12 O'clock we saw an airport and told approach control we had it in sight but that we were too high for a visual approach and we requested a 360 degree turn to lose altitude. They approved this (in reality we were not too high for the correct airport but too high for the wrong one). We did a descending 360 degree turn to lose altitude with approach calling once to check our altitude. (We were probably now too low for the correct airport.) we rolled out of the turn to final on montgomery and on final approach finally realized on our own that we were lined up to the wrong airport. We executed a missed approach and called up and got vectors to maxwell. Although maxwell and montgomery are only about 4 mi apart, we could not see maxwell when overhead montgomery. No other aircraft were observed in the pattern. I let a copilot request a visual approach when I did not want one, into an unfamiliar airport with limited visibility for this situation and no navaids. Also, approach control should have realized by our position, altitude, and the 360 degree turn for descent that we may have sighted the wrong airport. At no time did they ever caution us of the other airport and its close proximity to maxwell.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF MLT ATTEMPTS VISUAL APCH TO WRONG ARPT.

Narrative: WE WERE BEING VECTORED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 33 AT MAXWELL AFB (MXF) ALABAMA BY MONTGOMERY APCH. THERE WERE RAINSHOWERS AND TSTMS IN THE AREA BUT NONE AT EITHER FIELD. THE VISIBILITY WAS ABOUT 4-5 MI DUE TO HAZE. I CANNOT REMEMBER THE CEILING BUT I THINK IT MAY HAVE BEEN SOMEWHERE AROUND 3000'. THE ACFT WAS MAKING A RAPID RATE OF DSCNT DUE TO BEING HIGH DUE TO VECTORS FOR A VISUAL TO RWY 33 INSTEAD OF THE ORIGINAL VECTOR FOR RWY 15. APCH CTL MADE SEVERAL CALLS THAT THE FIELD WAS 12 O'CLOCK BUT WE WERE STILL IMC DURING THE FIRST FEW CALLS. FINALLY WE DESCENDED THROUGH THE CLOUDS AND APCH AGAIN CALLED THE ARPT AT 12 O'CLOCK. AT THIS TIME THE ACFT VOR WAS INOPERATIVE AND THE TACAN WAS INTERMITTENT. AT 12 O'CLOCK WE SAW AN ARPT AND TOLD APCH CTL WE HAD IT IN SIGHT BUT THAT WE WERE TOO HIGH FOR A VISUAL APCH AND WE REQUESTED A 360 DEG TURN TO LOSE ALT. THEY APPROVED THIS (IN REALITY WE WERE NOT TOO HIGH FOR THE CORRECT ARPT BUT TOO HIGH FOR THE WRONG ONE). WE DID A DESCENDING 360 DEG TURN TO LOSE ALT WITH APCH CALLING ONCE TO CHECK OUR ALT. (WE WERE PROBABLY NOW TOO LOW FOR THE CORRECT ARPT.) WE ROLLED OUT OF THE TURN TO FINAL ON MONTGOMERY AND ON FINAL APCH FINALLY REALIZED ON OUR OWN THAT WE WERE LINED UP TO THE WRONG ARPT. WE EXECUTED A MISSED APCH AND CALLED UP AND GOT VECTORS TO MAXWELL. ALTHOUGH MAXWELL AND MONTGOMERY ARE ONLY ABOUT 4 MI APART, WE COULD NOT SEE MAXWELL WHEN OVERHEAD MONTGOMERY. NO OTHER ACFT WERE OBSERVED IN THE PATTERN. I LET A COPLT REQUEST A VISUAL APCH WHEN I DID NOT WANT ONE, INTO AN UNFAMILIAR ARPT WITH LIMITED VISIBILITY FOR THIS SITUATION AND NO NAVAIDS. ALSO, APCH CTL SHOULD HAVE REALIZED BY OUR POSITION, ALT, AND THE 360 DEG TURN FOR DSCNT THAT WE MAY HAVE SIGHTED THE WRONG ARPT. AT NO TIME DID THEY EVER CAUTION US OF THE OTHER ARPT AND ITS CLOSE PROX TO MAXWELL.

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.