Narrative:

We reported robin, made our turn toward cun, 86 mi away, and started a descent from FL350. The DME was intermittent, but we were able to report the 50 DME and were cleared to 12000'. Shortly after that we were cleared to 2000' and to call cancun at the 12 DME. We were told to expect a visibility approach to runway 12. We had a great deal of difficulty understanding the controller and had many repeats and had to wait because spanish was being spoken on the frequency. We had now lost DME on both sides. The first officer did an approach briefing to runway 12. We were descending rapidly using speedbrakes and could occasionally see the caribbean to our left side and expected to break out below the clouds soon. By now we were receiving neither azimuth nor DME, so the first officer set up for the ILS hoping to receive an ILS/DME lock on. We both tried the ILS frequency and momentarily got a 12 DME reading and then lost it. I glanced at the la 3/4 chart for the VOR frequency again and saw 112.6 which is near cancun on the chart. Just then we broke out of the clouds and saw the 'picture' we expected to see, a runway oriented east/west, straight ahead which coincided with the #1 VOR needle. At that time there was no doubt in my mind that it was cancun. We called 'runway in sight' and were cleared to land. We rapidly slowed the aircraft, configured for landing and completed the checklist. We reported turning a left base and were 'cleared to land, wind 110/15.' as we were about to T/D I realized that it was not cancun, I did not see the parallel taxiway or the terminal. The tower said you are landing at cozumel. I deemed it safer to stop than to go around because the speedbrake had started to extend. The tower offered us immediate takeoff clearance which we refused. We taxied back down the runway, received a dispatch release from ord dispatch, an ATC clearance and made a normal departure czm and landing at cancun 12 mins later. The short distance from 35000' to the airport and the delays caused by the communication problems with controllers, a non-radar environment, unfamiliarity with the area, proximity of similar airports, low ceilings and turbulence, poor visibility, unreliable WX reporting and unreliable navigation aids all contributed to our landing at cozumel. I had been to cancun, mexico one previous time on a different routing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF LGT LANDED WRONG ARPT.

Narrative: WE RPTED ROBIN, MADE OUR TURN TOWARD CUN, 86 MI AWAY, AND STARTED A DSCNT FROM FL350. THE DME WAS INTERMITTENT, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO RPT THE 50 DME AND WERE CLRED TO 12000'. SHORTLY AFTER THAT WE WERE CLRED TO 2000' AND TO CALL CANCUN AT THE 12 DME. WE WERE TOLD TO EXPECT A VIS APCH TO RWY 12. WE HAD A GREAT DEAL OF DIFFICULTY UNDERSTANDING THE CTLR AND HAD MANY REPEATS AND HAD TO WAIT BECAUSE SPANISH WAS BEING SPOKEN ON THE FREQ. WE HAD NOW LOST DME ON BOTH SIDES. THE F/O DID AN APCH BRIEFING TO RWY 12. WE WERE DSNDING RAPIDLY USING SPEEDBRAKES AND COULD OCCASIONALLY SEE THE CARIBBEAN TO OUR L SIDE AND EXPECTED TO BREAK OUT BELOW THE CLOUDS SOON. BY NOW WE WERE RECEIVING NEITHER AZIMUTH NOR DME, SO THE F/O SET UP FOR THE ILS HOPING TO RECEIVE AN ILS/DME LOCK ON. WE BOTH TRIED THE ILS FREQ AND MOMENTARILY GOT A 12 DME READING AND THEN LOST IT. I GLANCED AT THE LA 3/4 CHART FOR THE VOR FREQ AGAIN AND SAW 112.6 WHICH IS NEAR CANCUN ON THE CHART. JUST THEN WE BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS AND SAW THE 'PICTURE' WE EXPECTED TO SEE, A RWY ORIENTED E/W, STRAIGHT AHEAD WHICH COINCIDED WITH THE #1 VOR NEEDLE. AT THAT TIME THERE WAS NO DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT IT WAS CANCUN. WE CALLED 'RWY IN SIGHT' AND WERE CLRED TO LAND. WE RAPIDLY SLOWED THE ACFT, CONFIGURED FOR LNDG AND COMPLETED THE CHKLIST. WE RPTED TURNING A L BASE AND WERE 'CLRED TO LAND, WIND 110/15.' AS WE WERE ABOUT TO T/D I REALIZED THAT IT WAS NOT CANCUN, I DID NOT SEE THE PARALLEL TXWY OR THE TERMINAL. THE TWR SAID YOU ARE LNDG AT COZUMEL. I DEEMED IT SAFER TO STOP THAN TO GO AROUND BECAUSE THE SPEEDBRAKE HAD STARTED TO EXTEND. THE TWR OFFERED US IMMEDIATE TKOF CLRNC WHICH WE REFUSED. WE TAXIED BACK DOWN THE RWY, RECEIVED A DISPATCH RELEASE FROM ORD DISPATCH, AN ATC CLRNC AND MADE A NORMAL DEP CZM AND LNDG AT CANCUN 12 MINS LATER. THE SHORT DISTANCE FROM 35000' TO THE ARPT AND THE DELAYS CAUSED BY THE COM PROBS WITH CTLRS, A NON-RADAR ENVIRONMENT, UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE AREA, PROXIMITY OF SIMILAR ARPTS, LOW CEILINGS AND TURB, POOR VISIBILITY, UNRELIABLE WX RPTING AND UNRELIABLE NAV AIDS ALL CONTRIBUTED TO OUR LNDG AT COZUMEL. I HAD BEEN TO CANCUN, MEXICO ONE PREVIOUS TIME ON A DIFFERENT ROUTING.

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.