Commuter aircraft diverts, lands wrong airport.

Attributes
ACN	164148
Time
Date	199011
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ubs
State Reference	MS
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 2700 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	164148
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

The flight we were flying to tuscaloosa, al, was diverted due to power outage at airport. After about 15 min of holding finally got a hold of dispatch and we were told to divert to golden triangle regulation airport at columbus, ms. Well we made the diversion and while en route we were interrupted by dispatch several times and also an annunciator panel light which we immediately took care of. Neither pilot not ever being down to this area we were not familiar with the airport. While navigating VFR we spotted an airport at 12 O'clock and 10 mi. We thought this was the airport we were supposed to go to. Several factors lead us to believe this. First of all the runway alignment was the same 18, 36, also the airport was right in line with the direction we were headed. That being the runway was 18-36 and we going from e-w so we were going right over the top of the airport anyway because gtr was 9 mi on the other side. Also unicom was the same frequency and also the runway lights were illuminated on 122.8 the same as gtr. All these factors led us to believe we were at the correct airport. It was a careless mistake but I think with the amount of airports in the gtr area it can be very easy to make that mistake. I think something ought to be done about the unicom and runway lights being the same. The airport we landed at was the lowndes county airport.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER ACFT DIVERTS, LANDS WRONG ARPT.

Narrative: THE FLT WE WERE FLYING TO TUSCALOOSA, AL, WAS DIVERTED DUE TO PWR OUTAGE AT ARPT. AFTER ABOUT 15 MIN OF HOLDING FINALLY GOT A HOLD OF DISPATCH AND WE WERE TOLD TO DIVERT TO GOLDEN TRIANGLE REG ARPT AT COLUMBUS, MS. WELL WE MADE THE DIVERSION AND WHILE ENRTE WE WERE INTERRUPTED BY DISPATCH SEVERAL TIMES AND ALSO AN ANNUNCIATOR PANEL LIGHT WHICH WE IMMEDIATELY TOOK CARE OF. NEITHER PLT NOT EVER BEING DOWN TO THIS AREA WE WERE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT. WHILE NAVIGATING VFR WE SPOTTED AN ARPT AT 12 O'CLOCK AND 10 MI. WE THOUGHT THIS WAS THE ARPT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO GO TO. SEVERAL FACTORS LEAD US TO BELIEVE THIS. FIRST OF ALL THE RWY ALIGNMENT WAS THE SAME 18, 36, ALSO THE ARPT WAS R IN LINE WITH THE DIRECTION WE WERE HEADED. THAT BEING THE RWY WAS 18-36 AND WE GOING FROM E-W SO WE WERE GOING R OVER THE TOP OF THE ARPT ANYWAY BECAUSE GTR WAS 9 MI ON THE OTHER SIDE. ALSO UNICOM WAS THE SAME FREQ AND ALSO THE RWY LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED ON 122.8 THE SAME AS GTR. ALL THESE FACTORS LED US TO BELIEVE WE WERE AT THE CORRECT ARPT. IT WAS A CARELESS MISTAKE BUT I THINK WITH THE AMOUNT OF ARPTS IN THE GTR AREA IT CAN BE VERY EASY TO MAKE THAT MISTAKE. I THINK SOMETHING OUGHT TO BE DONE ABOUT THE UNICOM AND RWY LIGHTS BEING THE SAME. THE ARPT WE LANDED AT WAS THE LOWNDES COUNTY ARPT.

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.