Narrative:

Event occurred during approach into pvd from ord, approaching south to north. Approach advised they were down to temporary radar and asked us if we could accept a visibility to pvd. We were approximately 20 mi from pvd at the first request. We said we were unfamiliar and asked for a turn to final. Once we were below 5000' MSL we received 2 squawk changes and at least 2 frequency changes. We were given a heading of 030 degrees to intercept the localizer 34. We were again asked by approach if we could take a visibility and that our traffic was an light transport on 6 mi final. At this time quonset point appeared with an aircraft on short final. We mistook this for pvd. The ILS to the active runway was tuned and idented and the VOR was also tuned. We seemed to be very close and high, and our attention was diverted from out navigation inputs to getting the aircraft slowed and stabilized for the approach. The wind was reported to be at 300 degrees, 18 KTS, gusts to 35 KTS, and the ride was extremely rough (moderate, occasionally severe) with 10-15 KTS wind shear. Pvd tower advised that we appeared to be on final for quonset. The approach was discontinued at 2500' at approximately 6 mi. We had just begun to call and confirm our position when the tower called. The high workload in the medium large transport coupled with the WX, frequency and squawk changes helped contribute to this situation. Another confusing occurrence was that the idents on the 2 marker beacons at pvd were reversed. I always have said that couldn't happen to me--how could that happen? When the conditions are just right, it's easy to be trapped. Also, after the last query by approach for the visibility, we stated we had an airport at 10 O'clock, a 6-8 mi approach, 'cleared for visibility 34, contact pvd tower.' it was quonset. I'll never accept a night visibility again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG WRONG ARPT APCH AT NIGHT ON VIS APCH TO PVD.

Narrative: EVENT OCCURRED DURING APCH INTO PVD FROM ORD, APCHING S TO N. APCH ADVISED THEY WERE DOWN TO TEMPORARY RADAR AND ASKED US IF WE COULD ACCEPT A VIS TO PVD. WE WERE APPROX 20 MI FROM PVD AT THE FIRST REQUEST. WE SAID WE WERE UNFAMILIAR AND ASKED FOR A TURN TO FINAL. ONCE WE WERE BELOW 5000' MSL WE RECEIVED 2 SQUAWK CHANGES AND AT LEAST 2 FREQ CHANGES. WE WERE GIVEN A HDG OF 030 DEGS TO INTERCEPT THE LOC 34. WE WERE AGAIN ASKED BY APCH IF WE COULD TAKE A VIS AND THAT OUR TFC WAS AN LTT ON 6 MI FINAL. AT THIS TIME QUONSET POINT APPEARED WITH AN ACFT ON SHORT FINAL. WE MISTOOK THIS FOR PVD. THE ILS TO THE ACTIVE RWY WAS TUNED AND IDENTED AND THE VOR WAS ALSO TUNED. WE SEEMED TO BE VERY CLOSE AND HIGH, AND OUR ATTN WAS DIVERTED FROM OUT NAV INPUTS TO GETTING THE ACFT SLOWED AND STABILIZED FOR THE APCH. THE WIND WAS RPTED TO BE AT 300 DEGS, 18 KTS, GUSTS TO 35 KTS, AND THE RIDE WAS EXTREMELY ROUGH (MODERATE, OCCASIONALLY SEVERE) WITH 10-15 KTS WIND SHEAR. PVD TWR ADVISED THAT WE APPEARED TO BE ON FINAL FOR QUONSET. THE APCH WAS DISCONTINUED AT 2500' AT APPROX 6 MI. WE HAD JUST BEGUN TO CALL AND CONFIRM OUR POS WHEN THE TWR CALLED. THE HIGH WORKLOAD IN THE MLG COUPLED WITH THE WX, FREQ AND SQUAWK CHANGES HELPED CONTRIBUTE TO THIS SITUATION. ANOTHER CONFUSING OCCURRENCE WAS THAT THE IDENTS ON THE 2 MARKER BEACONS AT PVD WERE REVERSED. I ALWAYS HAVE SAID THAT COULDN'T HAPPEN TO ME--HOW COULD THAT HAPPEN? WHEN THE CONDITIONS ARE JUST RIGHT, IT'S EASY TO BE TRAPPED. ALSO, AFTER THE LAST QUERY BY APCH FOR THE VIS, WE STATED WE HAD AN ARPT AT 10 O'CLOCK, A 6-8 MI APCH, 'CLRED FOR VIS 34, CONTACT PVD TWR.' IT WAS QUONSET. I'LL NEVER ACCEPT A NIGHT VIS AGAIN.

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.