Narrative:

It was the captain's leg. I had not flown to foe or flown in the center kansas area and the first officer had not flown in the area for some time. Foe is a recently acquired out-station for my company. Proceeding west toward top VOR on V4 arwy, ZKC gave us a heading of 225 or 235 degrees and requested that we call foe in sight for the visibility approach to runway 21. The ATIS had advised us that foe was in fact using runway 21. Since it was late afternoon and the sun was low in the western sky, it was shining in our eyes, and visibility was not as good looking west as it was away from the sun due to moisture in the air (haze). We had looked up the VOR approach for 21 to use as an aid, but had not studied it closely since it was good VMC. We were not flying the VOR approach. About 10 mi out from the VOR, the first officer said he thought he saw the field, I could see what he was indicating as the field, but could not identify runways, so I advised him ont to call the field in sight yet. Since we were heading straight for this airport on our assigned heading, when we were close enough to identify runways, and they appeared to agree with the runway alignment of foe, I asked the first officer to confirm that he thought it was foe, and if so to call the field in sight. The first officer called the field in sight. We were cleared for a visibility approach to runway 21 and instructed to change to tower frequency. Upon contacting foe tower, we were again cleared for a visibility approach to runway 21, and (I believe) required to cal a 2 mi final. We continued the approach and configured for landing normally. 2 or 3 times during the approach I remarked that the runway did not look right--it didn't appear to be long enough--and asked the first officer if he was sure that this was the correct airport. He was. At approximately 2 mi from the approach end of the runway, the first officer called 2 mi final. Tower advised to continued, that he did not have us in sight. Very shortly after that, tower called to say that top tower was reporting an aircraft on final for runway 22 and was signalling with a green light. Almost immediately I noticed the tower and saw a green signal light shining at us. I initiated a go around, told the first officer to request foe tower, advised top tower that we were going around and requested instructions. Foe tower acknowledged. Advised us that foe was approximately 6 mi south of the topeka city, and instructed us to call a right base for runway 21. I made a climbing right turn toward the city and began looking south for foe. I saw it almost immediately, as did the first officer, and tower reported us in sight. Turning back to the left put us on a right base for runway 21, which we called. Tower cleared us to land. Contributing factors included crew member unfamiliarity with the area and airports, the time of day and position of the sun in relation to the flight path, the position of 2 airports so closely aligned with the VOR final approach course and along our en route flight path, and the fact that both airports have very similar layouts (foe: runway 03-21, runway 13-31, ramp area and tower on the west side; top: runway 04-22, runway 03-31, ramp area and tower on the west side). The conduct of both control towers was positive and helpful during this event and led both the myself and the first officer to conclude that this type of incident has occurred previously, perhaps occasionally. In the interest of maintain an excellent safety record, my company is putting out a letter to warn pilots of the possibility of confusing these 2 airports.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LTT COMMUTER BEGAN VISUAL APCH TO TOP INSTEAD OF FOE WHICH WAS 6 MILES FURTHER SOUTH.

Narrative: IT WAS THE CAPT'S LEG. I HAD NOT FLOWN TO FOE OR FLOWN IN THE CENTER KANSAS AREA AND THE F/O HAD NOT FLOWN IN THE AREA FOR SOME TIME. FOE IS A RECENTLY ACQUIRED OUT-STATION FOR MY COMPANY. PROCEEDING W TOWARD TOP VOR ON V4 ARWY, ZKC GAVE US A HDG OF 225 OR 235 DEGS AND REQUESTED THAT WE CALL FOE IN SIGHT FOR THE VIS APCH TO RWY 21. THE ATIS HAD ADVISED US THAT FOE WAS IN FACT USING RWY 21. SINCE IT WAS LATE AFTERNOON AND THE SUN WAS LOW IN THE WESTERN SKY, IT WAS SHINING IN OUR EYES, AND VISIBILITY WAS NOT AS GOOD LOOKING W AS IT WAS AWAY FROM THE SUN DUE TO MOISTURE IN THE AIR (HAZE). WE HAD LOOKED UP THE VOR APCH FOR 21 TO USE AS AN AID, BUT HAD NOT STUDIED IT CLOSELY SINCE IT WAS GOOD VMC. WE WERE NOT FLYING THE VOR APCH. ABOUT 10 MI OUT FROM THE VOR, THE F/O SAID HE THOUGHT HE SAW THE FIELD, I COULD SEE WHAT HE WAS INDICATING AS THE FIELD, BUT COULD NOT IDENT RWYS, SO I ADVISED HIM ONT TO CALL THE FIELD IN SIGHT YET. SINCE WE WERE HDG STRAIGHT FOR THIS ARPT ON OUR ASSIGNED HDG, WHEN WE WERE CLOSE ENOUGH TO IDENT RWYS, AND THEY APPEARED TO AGREE WITH THE RWY ALIGNMENT OF FOE, I ASKED THE F/O TO CONFIRM THAT HE THOUGHT IT WAS FOE, AND IF SO TO CALL THE FIELD IN SIGHT. THE F/O CALLED THE FIELD IN SIGHT. WE WERE CLRED FOR A VIS APCH TO RWY 21 AND INSTRUCTED TO CHANGE TO TWR FREQ. UPON CONTACTING FOE TWR, WE WERE AGAIN CLRED FOR A VIS APCH TO RWY 21, AND (I BELIEVE) REQUIRED TO CAL A 2 MI FINAL. WE CONTINUED THE APCH AND CONFIGURED FOR LNDG NORMALLY. 2 OR 3 TIMES DURING THE APCH I REMARKED THAT THE RWY DID NOT LOOK RIGHT--IT DIDN'T APPEAR TO BE LONG ENOUGH--AND ASKED THE F/O IF HE WAS SURE THAT THIS WAS THE CORRECT ARPT. HE WAS. AT APPROX 2 MI FROM THE APCH END OF THE RWY, THE F/O CALLED 2 MI FINAL. TWR ADVISED TO CONTINUED, THAT HE DID NOT HAVE US IN SIGHT. VERY SHORTLY AFTER THAT, TWR CALLED TO SAY THAT TOP TWR WAS RPTING AN ACFT ON FINAL FOR RWY 22 AND WAS SIGNALLING WITH A GREEN LIGHT. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY I NOTICED THE TWR AND SAW A GREEN SIGNAL LIGHT SHINING AT US. I INITIATED A GAR, TOLD THE F/O TO REQUEST FOE TWR, ADVISED TOP TWR THAT WE WERE GOING AROUND AND REQUESTED INSTRUCTIONS. FOE TWR ACKNOWLEDGED. ADVISED US THAT FOE WAS APPROX 6 MI S OF THE TOPEKA CITY, AND INSTRUCTED US TO CALL A RIGHT BASE FOR RWY 21. I MADE A CLBING RIGHT TURN TOWARD THE CITY AND BEGAN LOOKING S FOR FOE. I SAW IT ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, AS DID THE F/O, AND TWR RPTED US IN SIGHT. TURNING BACK TO THE LEFT PUT US ON A RIGHT BASE FOR RWY 21, WHICH WE CALLED. TWR CLRED US TO LAND. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS INCLUDED CREW MEMBER UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE AREA AND ARPTS, THE TIME OF DAY AND POS OF THE SUN IN RELATION TO THE FLT PATH, THE POS OF 2 ARPTS SO CLOSELY ALIGNED WITH THE VOR FINAL APCH COURSE AND ALONG OUR ENRTE FLT PATH, AND THE FACT THAT BOTH ARPTS HAVE VERY SIMILAR LAYOUTS (FOE: RWY 03-21, RWY 13-31, RAMP AREA AND TWR ON THE W SIDE; TOP: RWY 04-22, RWY 03-31, RAMP AREA AND TWR ON THE W SIDE). THE CONDUCT OF BOTH CTL TWRS WAS POSITIVE AND HELPFUL DURING THIS EVENT AND LED BOTH THE MYSELF AND THE F/O TO CONCLUDE THAT THIS TYPE OF INCIDENT HAS OCCURRED PREVIOUSLY, PERHAPS OCCASIONALLY. IN THE INTEREST OF MAINTAIN AN EXCELLENT SAFETY RECORD, MY COMPANY IS PUTTING OUT A LETTER TO WARN PLTS OF THE POSSIBILITY OF CONFUSING THESE 2 ARPTS.

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.