Commuter aircraft wrong runway approach.

Attributes
ACN	130084
Time
Date	198912
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz
State Reference	US
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	130084
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 2600
ASRS Report	130086
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

While descending from cruise altitude to an initial approach altitude, center requested that we report the field in sight for a visual approach. The flight crew reported the airport in sight. Subsequent checks of radio navigation aids made it clear that the identified airport was not in fact the destination airport. As soon as the discrepancy was noted ATC was advised that the destination airport was not in sight and the flight crew requested additional radar services from ATC. The operation of pilot controled lighting was a contributing factor to the situation. Both the destination and the airport short of the destination utilized pilot controled lighting on the same frequency.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER ACFT WRONG RWY APCH.

Narrative: WHILE DESCENDING FROM CRUISE ALT TO AN INITIAL APCH ALT, CENTER REQUESTED THAT WE REPORT THE FIELD IN SIGHT FOR A VISUAL APCH. THE FLT CREW REPORTED THE ARPT IN SIGHT. SUBSEQUENT CHECKS OF RADIO NAVIGATION AIDS MADE IT CLEAR THAT THE IDENTIFIED ARPT WAS NOT IN FACT THE DEST ARPT. AS SOON AS THE DISCREPANCY WAS NOTED ATC WAS ADVISED THAT THE DEST ARPT WAS NOT IN SIGHT AND THE FLT CREW REQUESTED ADDITIONAL RADAR SERVICES FROM ATC. THE OPERATION OF PLT CTLED LIGHTING WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THE SITUATION. BOTH THE DEST AND THE ARPT SHORT OF THE DEST UTILIZED PLT CTLED LIGHTING ON THE SAME FREQ.

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.