C560XL flight crew on a visual approach lined up for the wrong airport until noticing that they were...

Narrative:

I set up the RNAV to runway xx in the FMS. Saw what we thought was the airport at 10 o'clock and called it in sight. Center cleared us for a visual approach and switched us to tower. After turning final I noticed we were paralleling the final approach course on the FMS and realized we had misidentified the airport. I advised the tower and turned towards [destination] and landed uneventfully. Lesson learned: always follow the final approach course depicted on the FMS. Glad we set up the approach even though we were on a visual approach otherwise we might not have noticed our error and landed at the wrong airport. Although I am embarrassed and feel stupid; I also feel good that we always set the final approach course in the FMS. I have read about disregarding indications of things not right when you have a mindset for a course of action and I can attest that it is indeed powerful. It was only the sight of paralleling the final approach course on the FMS that clued me into something not right. The runway we were going to was the same direction and later I found out this is not an unusual occurrence [here]. They even have a note in the AFD to use caution. Bottom line is another great lesson learned!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C560XL flight crew on a visual approach lined up for the wrong airport until noticing that they were paralleling the Final Approach Course on the FMS. Crew re-established course to destination and landed without further incident.

Narrative: I set up the RNAV to Runway XX in the FMS. Saw what we thought was the airport at 10 o'clock and called it in sight. Center cleared us for a visual approach and switched us to Tower. After turning final I noticed we were paralleling the final approach course on the FMS and realized we had misidentified the airport. I advised the Tower and turned towards [destination] and landed uneventfully. Lesson learned: always follow the Final Approach Course depicted on the FMS. Glad we set up the approach even though we were on a visual approach otherwise we might not have noticed our error and landed at the wrong airport. Although I am embarrassed and feel stupid; I also feel good that we always set the Final Approach Course in the FMS. I have read about disregarding indications of things not right when you have a mindset for a course of action and I can attest that it is indeed powerful. It was only the sight of paralleling the final approach course on the FMS that clued me into something not right. The runway we were going to was the same direction and later I found out this is not an unusual occurrence [here]. They even have a note in the AFD to use caution. Bottom line is another great lesson learned!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.

Attributes
ACN	1174114
Time
Date	201405
Local Time Of Day	1201-1800
Place
Locale Reference	ZZZ.Tower
State Reference	US
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Citation Excel (C560XL)
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	Initial Approach
Route In Use	Visual Approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	Pilot Not Flying First Officer
Qualification	Flight Crew Multiengine Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 90 Flight Crew Total 7900 Flight Crew Type 1800
Events
Anomaly	Deviation - Procedural Clearance Deviation - Track / Heading All Types

C560XL flight crew on a visual approach lined up for the wrong airport until noticing that they were paralleling the final approach course on the FMS. Crew re-established course to destination and landed without further incident.