Narrative:

I was cleared for the ILS 30L approach at hobby. I was told to fly heading 350 degree to intercept the localizer and to maintain 3000' until established. About the time I was established on 350 degree the localizer needle started to move toward center. At this time I broke out the bottom of the overcast at 3000' MSL to find myself lined up perfectly on a runway about 4 mi away. This distracted me from watching the needle swing through center as I passed through the localizer for 30L at hobby. I thought the runway in front of me was hobby but the DME said I was still 6 mi out. While trying to identify if this was the right airport or if my DME was tuned wrong approach control called to verify that I was right of course. I looked at the localizer needle to see that it was full deflection left. It was at this time I realized that I was looking at the wrong airport. I was given vectors to a visual approach and in about 1 mi I had the correct runway in sight. Conclusion: when I broke out of the clouds at 3000' and lined up perfectly on a visible runway I assumed it was the correct airport and proceeded visually without verifying with my instruments. I should have studied the area better before the flight so I would have known that there was another airport nearby that was on the approach to 30L at hobby.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF INSTRUMENT APCH LOOKED UP AS CLEARED BASE OF CLOUDS AND SAW A RWY. STARTED APCH AT WRONG ARPT.

Narrative: I WAS CLRED FOR THE ILS 30L APCH AT HOBBY. I WAS TOLD TO FLY HDG 350 DEG TO INTERCEPT THE LOC AND TO MAINTAIN 3000' UNTIL ESTABLISHED. ABOUT THE TIME I WAS ESTABLISHED ON 350 DEG THE LOC NEEDLE STARTED TO MOVE TOWARD CENTER. AT THIS TIME I BROKE OUT THE BOTTOM OF THE OVERCAST AT 3000' MSL TO FIND MYSELF LINED UP PERFECTLY ON A RWY ABOUT 4 MI AWAY. THIS DISTRACTED ME FROM WATCHING THE NEEDLE SWING THROUGH CENTER AS I PASSED THROUGH THE LOC FOR 30L AT HOBBY. I THOUGHT THE RWY IN FRONT OF ME WAS HOBBY BUT THE DME SAID I WAS STILL 6 MI OUT. WHILE TRYING TO IDENTIFY IF THIS WAS THE RIGHT ARPT OR IF MY DME WAS TUNED WRONG APCH CTL CALLED TO VERIFY THAT I WAS RIGHT OF COURSE. I LOOKED AT THE LOC NEEDLE TO SEE THAT IT WAS FULL DEFLECTION LEFT. IT WAS AT THIS TIME I REALIZED THAT I WAS LOOKING AT THE WRONG ARPT. I WAS GIVEN VECTORS TO A VISUAL APCH AND IN ABOUT 1 MI I HAD THE CORRECT RWY IN SIGHT. CONCLUSION: WHEN I BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS AT 3000' AND LINED UP PERFECTLY ON A VISIBLE RWY I ASSUMED IT WAS THE CORRECT ARPT AND PROCEEDED VISUALLY WITHOUT VERIFYING WITH MY INSTRUMENTS. I SHOULD HAVE STUDIED THE AREA BETTER BEFORE THE FLT SO I WOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT THERE WAS ANOTHER ARPT NEARBY THAT WAS ON THE APCH TO 30L AT HOBBY.

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.