Atx small transport wrong airport approach.

Attributes
ACN	135543
Time
Date	199002
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : fat airport : fch
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 100 agl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : fat tower : cdg
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 2500 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	135543
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Descending inbound for landing at fch. Arsa clearance received from fat approach. Tracking fch NDB. Planning landing runway 12. Fch is uncontrolled and appropriate advisories were issued on CTAF. During initial descent profile left-hand fire handle illuminated briefly, then continued to cycle intermittently. Mast caution (amber) light illuminated simultaneously. Numerous resets attempted west/O result. Caution light eventually extinguished by actuating 'bright/dim' switch to day mode. Due to continued flickering of left-hand fire light, power was reduced on left-hand engine. As power was reduced, fire light extinguished. During this approximately 2-3 min period, heading apparently deviated to the north due to power reduction on left-hand engine and preoccupation with electric/possible fire problem. Possible southwest wind flow at incident altitude could have exacerbated course deviation. Aircraft confign had been cleaned up, then reconfigured for visibility approach. Corresponding heading established and runway acquired visually. Aircraft reconfigured for landing. Radio advisories made on CTAF and all landing/taxi lights were on. Descent made to approximately 100' AGL. Landing not accomplished as realization that I was at wrong airport. A go around was initiated. As aircraft was pwred up, green light signal was perceived out of the corner of right eye. Proceeded to a left downwind runway 12 at fch. Fat approach now called on CTAF and requested intentions/identify of aircraft landing at fch. Acknowledged call and was asked to contact approach subsequent to arrival. Post-flight inspection revealed lower left-hand fire handle light bulb was inoperative. Was unable to duplicate alarm situation on ground. Company contacted and was advised by maintenance that aircraft dispatch was legal for continued flight. Next day research confirmed log book write up addressed and corrective action was taken re: fire handle and annunciator panel. Probable reasons for selection of wrong runway were: concentration on electric/possible fire problem, compounded by workload in maintaining aircraft ctlability in power reduced confign with less attention paid to geographical position (MSA no problem in any quadrant) and when runway again acquired visually, immediate desire was to land and terminate problem. The short runway at fat (11R) is similar in appearance to runway 12R at fch. Fch is a non-tower airport and all communications are 'in the blind.'

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX SMT WRONG ARPT APCH.

Narrative: DSNDING INBND FOR LNDG AT FCH. ARSA CLRNC RECEIVED FROM FAT APCH. TRACKING FCH NDB. PLANNING LNDG RWY 12. FCH IS UNCONTROLLED AND APPROPRIATE ADVISORIES WERE ISSUED ON CTAF. DURING INITIAL DSCNT PROFILE LEFT-HAND FIRE HANDLE ILLUMINATED BRIEFLY, THEN CONTINUED TO CYCLE INTERMITTENTLY. MAST CAUTION (AMBER) LIGHT ILLUMINATED SIMULTANEOUSLY. NUMEROUS RESETS ATTEMPTED W/O RESULT. CAUTION LIGHT EVENTUALLY EXTINGUISHED BY ACTUATING 'BRIGHT/DIM' SWITCH TO DAY MODE. DUE TO CONTINUED FLICKERING OF LEFT-HAND FIRE LIGHT, PWR WAS REDUCED ON LEFT-HAND ENG. AS PWR WAS REDUCED, FIRE LIGHT EXTINGUISHED. DURING THIS APPROX 2-3 MIN PERIOD, HDG APPARENTLY DEVIATED TO THE N DUE TO PWR REDUCTION ON LEFT-HAND ENG AND PREOCCUPATION WITH ELECTRIC/POSSIBLE FIRE PROB. POSSIBLE SW WIND FLOW AT INCIDENT ALT COULD HAVE EXACERBATED COURSE DEVIATION. ACFT CONFIGN HAD BEEN CLEANED UP, THEN RECONFIGURED FOR VIS APCH. CORRESPONDING HDG ESTABLISHED AND RWY ACQUIRED VISUALLY. ACFT RECONFIGURED FOR LNDG. RADIO ADVISORIES MADE ON CTAF AND ALL LNDG/TAXI LIGHTS WERE ON. DSCNT MADE TO APPROX 100' AGL. LNDG NOT ACCOMPLISHED AS REALIZATION THAT I WAS AT WRONG ARPT. A GAR WAS INITIATED. AS ACFT WAS PWRED UP, GREEN LIGHT SIGNAL WAS PERCEIVED OUT OF THE CORNER OF RIGHT EYE. PROCEEDED TO A LEFT DOWNWIND RWY 12 AT FCH. FAT APCH NOW CALLED ON CTAF AND REQUESTED INTENTIONS/IDENT OF ACFT LNDG AT FCH. ACKNOWLEDGED CALL AND WAS ASKED TO CONTACT APCH SUBSEQUENT TO ARR. POST-FLT INSPECTION REVEALED LOWER LEFT-HAND FIRE HANDLE LIGHT BULB WAS INOP. WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE ALARM SITUATION ON GND. COMPANY CONTACTED AND WAS ADVISED BY MAINT THAT ACFT DISPATCH WAS LEGAL FOR CONTINUED FLT. NEXT DAY RESEARCH CONFIRMED LOG BOOK WRITE UP ADDRESSED AND CORRECTIVE ACTION WAS TAKEN RE: FIRE HANDLE AND ANNUNCIATOR PANEL. PROBABLE REASONS FOR SELECTION OF WRONG RWY WERE: CONCENTRATION ON ELECTRIC/POSSIBLE FIRE PROB, COMPOUNDED BY WORKLOAD IN MAINTAINING ACFT CTLABILITY IN PWR REDUCED CONFIGN WITH LESS ATTN PAID TO GEOGRAPHICAL POS (MSA NO PROB IN ANY QUADRANT) AND WHEN RWY AGAIN ACQUIRED VISUALLY, IMMEDIATE DESIRE WAS TO LAND AND TERMINATE PROB. THE SHORT RWY AT FAT (11R) IS SIMILAR IN APPEARANCE TO RWY 12R AT FCH. FCH IS A NON-TWR ARPT AND ALL COMS ARE 'IN THE BLIND.'

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.