Air carrier descends through clouds, sights runway. Makes approach to wrong airport.

Attributes
ACN	166909
Time
Date	199101
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : elw airport : gsp
State Reference	SC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1000 msl bound upper : 2500
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : gsp
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	approach : visual enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 6300 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	166909
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Our clearance was a tight but makeable crossing northeast of elw. We were told to continue our descent to 2500' and call the field in sight. Upon breaking out of the clouds we were on an offset final to a similar direction runway and called the field in sight. With clearance for a visibility approach we continued to descend for landing. Shortly thereafter gsp approach advised we must have the wrong airport. They vectored us on the approximately same heading and 15 mi to gsp.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR DESCENDS THROUGH CLOUDS, SIGHTS RWY. MAKES APCH TO WRONG ARPT.

Narrative: OUR CLRNC WAS A TIGHT BUT MAKEABLE XING NE OF ELW. WE WERE TOLD TO CONTINUE OUR DSNT TO 2500' AND CALL THE FIELD IN SIGHT. UPON BREAKING OUT OF THE CLOUDS WE WERE ON AN OFFSET FINAL TO A SIMILAR DIRECTION RWY AND CALLED THE FIELD IN SIGHT. WITH CLRNC FOR A VIS APCH WE CONTINUED TO DSND FOR LNDG. SHORTLY THEREAFTER GSP APCH ADVISED WE MUST HAVE THE WRONG ARPT. THEY VECTORED US ON THE APPROX SAME HDG AND 15 MI TO GSP.

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.