Commuter flight crew mis-identifies traffic to follow on visual at night.

Attributes
ACN	128407
Time
Date	198910
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : clt
State Reference	NC
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : clt
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 2500 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	128407
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 2000 vertical : 500
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

At night, returning to clt, I was in light transport X right seat on a right downwind to 36R at clt. There were several aircraft approaching the airport at the same time. I was instructed to follow traffic 2 O'clock into the airport. I reported him in sight and turned to follow, although he seemed to be more at 3 O'clock. As it turned out, the traffic I was to follow was on a left base for 36 right and we turned at the same time, paralleling each other into the runway. He had navigation lights on, no strobe, no landing lights, and I just didn't see him in all the lights of the city of charlotte. Tower turned me to 050 degrees and I s-turned and followed the air carrier jet.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER FLT CREW MIS-IDENTIFIES TRAFFIC TO FOLLOW ON VISUAL AT NIGHT.

Narrative: AT NIGHT, RETURNING TO CLT, I WAS IN LTT X RIGHT SEAT ON A RIGHT DOWNWIND TO 36R AT CLT. THERE WERE SEVERAL ACFT APCHING THE ARPT AT THE SAME TIME. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO FOLLOW TFC 2 O'CLOCK INTO THE ARPT. I RPTED HIM IN SIGHT AND TURNED TO FOLLOW, ALTHOUGH HE SEEMED TO BE MORE AT 3 O'CLOCK. AS IT TURNED OUT, THE TFC I WAS TO FOLLOW WAS ON A LEFT BASE FOR 36 R AND WE TURNED AT THE SAME TIME, PARALLELING EACH OTHER INTO THE RWY. HE HAD NAV LIGHTS ON, NO STROBE, NO LNDG LIGHTS, AND I JUST DIDN'T SEE HIM IN ALL THE LIGHTS OF THE CITY OF CHARLOTTE. TWR TURNED ME TO 050 DEGS AND I S-TURNED AND FOLLOWED THE ACR JET.

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.