Narrative:

We were on a scheduled flight from sgf to jln. There were no passenger on board at the time. The captain and myself were both from the stl system of our airline and were unfamiliar with the airports in the kc system (ie, jln and sgf). The captain was flying. Our flight plan was sgf V190 qualm jln. Qualm was 45 DME on V190. Jln has no VOR on field, so I assume radar vectors are normal from qualm to jln. At approximately 40 DME, center asked if we wanted vectors or a visibility. The captain reported having the airport in sight and elected a visibility approach. We were assigned an altitude of 3200' before this time. Center then advised us to switch to jln tower. We reported in with jln tower and were told to report left base. After maneuvering onto a left downwind, having some trouble keeping the airport in sight due to haze and the rising sun. The runway did not have the proper magnetic alignment. We knew then that we were at the wrong airport and advised tower and started climbing and looking for the proper airport. Tower advised us to switch back to center. When we checked in with center, they stated they were showing us at 3700'. At this time we spotted the proper airport and center switched us back to jln tower. We should have never accepted a visibility into an unfamiliar airport until we had radio navigation established that confirmed we were in the right place. Once we determined we weren't, there was poor crew coordination--we were both looking outside instead of one of us staying on the instruments.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER FLT CREW ELECTED VISUAL APCH INSTEAD OF VECTORS, BUT HAD WRONG ARPT IN SIGHT. CAUGHT ERROR, RECEIVED VECTORS TO CORRECT ARPT.

Narrative: WE WERE ON A SCHEDULED FLT FROM SGF TO JLN. THERE WERE NO PAX ON BOARD AT THE TIME. THE CAPT AND MYSELF WERE BOTH FROM THE STL SYS OF OUR AIRLINE AND WERE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE ARPTS IN THE KC SYS (IE, JLN AND SGF). THE CAPT WAS FLYING. OUR FLT PLAN WAS SGF V190 QUALM JLN. QUALM WAS 45 DME ON V190. JLN HAS NO VOR ON FIELD, SO I ASSUME RADAR VECTORS ARE NORMAL FROM QUALM TO JLN. AT APPROX 40 DME, CENTER ASKED IF WE WANTED VECTORS OR A VIS. THE CAPT RPTED HAVING THE ARPT IN SIGHT AND ELECTED A VIS APCH. WE WERE ASSIGNED AN ALT OF 3200' BEFORE THIS TIME. CENTER THEN ADVISED US TO SWITCH TO JLN TWR. WE RPTED IN WITH JLN TWR AND WERE TOLD TO RPT LEFT BASE. AFTER MANEUVERING ONTO A LEFT DOWNWIND, HAVING SOME TROUBLE KEEPING THE ARPT IN SIGHT DUE TO HAZE AND THE RISING SUN. THE RWY DID NOT HAVE THE PROPER MAGNETIC ALIGNMENT. WE KNEW THEN THAT WE WERE AT THE WRONG ARPT AND ADVISED TWR AND STARTED CLBING AND LOOKING FOR THE PROPER ARPT. TWR ADVISED US TO SWITCH BACK TO CENTER. WHEN WE CHKED IN WITH CENTER, THEY STATED THEY WERE SHOWING US AT 3700'. AT THIS TIME WE SPOTTED THE PROPER ARPT AND CENTER SWITCHED US BACK TO JLN TWR. WE SHOULD HAVE NEVER ACCEPTED A VIS INTO AN UNFAMILIAR ARPT UNTIL WE HAD RADIO NAV ESTABLISHED THAT CONFIRMED WE WERE IN THE RIGHT PLACE. ONCE WE DETERMINED WE WEREN'T, THERE WAS POOR CREW COORD--WE WERE BOTH LOOKING OUTSIDE INSTEAD OF ONE OF US STAYING ON THE INSTRUMENTS.

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.