Narrative:

Air carrier X on approach vectors to sdf. The approach controller asked if we had the airport in sight. We replied that we had a field at 2 O'clock and about 10 mi. The controller said that sdf was about 1 O'clock and 10 mi, and bowman field was 3 O'clock and 7 mi. We were not sure which airport we had in sight and informed the controller of the same, and we proceeded on our assigned heading. The next transmission from the controller was that sdf was at 2 O'clock and 7 mi. When we looked, there was an airport at that locale and we called the field in sight. Sdf, from our perspective, was about 12:30 and 7 mi. We turned to align ourselves with the runway. We realized that we were lined up for bowman field. We were still about 6 mi out from bowman field. We called sdf tower and informed them that we believed we were not lined up with sdf, at which time we started a left-hand turn and sdf tower turned on the approach lighting system for runway 29 and informed us the airport was 20 degrees left. The remainder of the approach and landing were uneventful. After rollout, the tower informed us that we should not feel badly, because another major airline does the same things 2 or 3 times a week. It is my opinion that if scheduled air carrier's are making the same mistake repeatedly in the same locale that maybe there is something wrong with the approach path being flown (either being cleared to low or too close or both) at night when there is a very real possibility that the airport at bowman field could be mistaken for sdf. The louisville VOR is not colocated at the sdf airport and no approachs to sdf have DME from the airport. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter stated this was his first time into sdf. The captain had been into the airport 1 other time 3 months earlier. They were on a south heading for runway 29. This puts lou in line with sdf in close proximity to the same clock position. The reporter stated as soon as the tower turned on the rabbit (sequence flasher approach lights), the flight crew saw the airport. The approach controller was the person that called the tower and said several air carrier flight's a week make an approach to lou. This analyst talked to the facility, also, to verify the reporter's statement. The facility person stated the controllers were aware of the situation and are extra vigilant when an aircraft is southbound for a visibility approach. If the flight has difficulty sighting the airport, the sequence flashers are turned on.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X MADE A VISUAL APCH TO WRONG ARPT. SITUATION: PROX OF ARPTS DURING NIGHT VISUAL APCHS.

Narrative: ACR X ON APCH VECTORS TO SDF. THE APCH CTLR ASKED IF WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT. WE REPLIED THAT WE HAD A FIELD AT 2 O'CLOCK AND ABOUT 10 MI. THE CTLR SAID THAT SDF WAS ABOUT 1 O'CLOCK AND 10 MI, AND BOWMAN FIELD WAS 3 O'CLOCK AND 7 MI. WE WERE NOT SURE WHICH ARPT WE HAD IN SIGHT AND INFORMED THE CTLR OF THE SAME, AND WE PROCEEDED ON OUR ASSIGNED HDG. THE NEXT XMISSION FROM THE CTLR WAS THAT SDF WAS AT 2 O'CLOCK AND 7 MI. WHEN WE LOOKED, THERE WAS AN ARPT AT THAT LOCALE AND WE CALLED THE FIELD IN SIGHT. SDF, FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, WAS ABOUT 12:30 AND 7 MI. WE TURNED TO ALIGN OURSELVES WITH THE RWY. WE REALIZED THAT WE WERE LINED UP FOR BOWMAN FIELD. WE WERE STILL ABOUT 6 MI OUT FROM BOWMAN FIELD. WE CALLED SDF TWR AND INFORMED THEM THAT WE BELIEVED WE WERE NOT LINED UP WITH SDF, AT WHICH TIME WE STARTED A LEFT-HAND TURN AND SDF TWR TURNED ON THE APCH LIGHTING SYS FOR RWY 29 AND INFORMED US THE ARPT WAS 20 DEGS LEFT. THE REMAINDER OF THE APCH AND LNDG WERE UNEVENTFUL. AFTER ROLLOUT, THE TWR INFORMED US THAT WE SHOULD NOT FEEL BADLY, BECAUSE ANOTHER MAJOR AIRLINE DOES THE SAME THINGS 2 OR 3 TIMES A WK. IT IS MY OPINION THAT IF SCHEDULED ACR'S ARE MAKING THE SAME MISTAKE REPEATEDLY IN THE SAME LOCALE THAT MAYBE THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE APCH PATH BEING FLOWN (EITHER BEING CLRED TO LOW OR TOO CLOSE OR BOTH) AT NIGHT WHEN THERE IS A VERY REAL POSSIBILITY THAT THE ARPT AT BOWMAN FIELD COULD BE MISTAKEN FOR SDF. THE LOUISVILLE VOR IS NOT COLOCATED AT THE SDF ARPT AND NO APCHS TO SDF HAVE DME FROM THE ARPT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATED THIS WAS HIS FIRST TIME INTO SDF. THE CAPT HAD BEEN INTO THE ARPT 1 OTHER TIME 3 MONTHS EARLIER. THEY WERE ON A S HDG FOR RWY 29. THIS PUTS LOU IN LINE WITH SDF IN CLOSE PROX TO THE SAME CLOCK POS. THE RPTR STATED AS SOON AS THE TWR TURNED ON THE RABBIT (SEQUENCE FLASHER APCH LIGHTS), THE FLT CREW SAW THE ARPT. THE APCH CTLR WAS THE PERSON THAT CALLED THE TWR AND SAID SEVERAL ACR FLT'S A WK MAKE AN APCH TO LOU. THIS ANALYST TALKED TO THE FAC, ALSO, TO VERIFY THE REPORTER'S STATEMENT. THE FAC PERSON STATED THE CTLRS WERE AWARE OF THE SITUATION AND ARE EXTRA VIGILANT WHEN AN ACFT IS SBND FOR A VIS APCH. IF THE FLT HAS DIFFICULTY SIGHTING THE ARPT, THE SEQUENCE FLASHERS ARE TURNED ON.

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.