Narrative:

We were on approach to rsw from the west. It was the copilot's leg. We were both tuned to the rsw ILS. The first officer was on full VOR/ILS (raw data). I was on map 20. Page airport (the airport serving ft myers) lies to the southwest of rsw. I had noted this on my initial review of the approach pages. Neither the first officer nor I had been into rsw before. I am new on the aircraft with less than 100 hours in seat and equipment. With the proceeding setup, here's what happened. Approach called out the airport at our 12 O'clock position (I can't remember if they gave us a distance). I acknowledged that we had the airport, whereupon we were cleared for an approach to intercept final aoa 1600'. The first officer called for the gear and final descent checklist. I proceeded to complete the checklist and the first officer commenced a descent and lineup on the runway. Just as I completed the checklist, approach asked us if we had the airport in sight. I answered 'yes,' whereupon approach asked us at what position. I answered, '12 O'clock,' and looked at my map display. There was obviously a discrepancy, as we were about 8 mi short of the runway as depicted. My first thought was a map shift had occurred (something they hammered away upon during school). Approach control indicated that this was not the correct airport; rsw was at 2 O'clock and 8 mi, whereupon they instructed us to maintain 1600' and turn toward the airport. By then we had descended to approximately 1300'. The first officer added power, climbed to 1600' and turned toward rsw, which we now saw. The lessons learned: even with both ILS's tuned and pictorial map display, we almost landed at the wrong airport. You can never be too cautious when identing the correct airport. Don't be so quick to accept a visibility into an airport you are unfamiliar with.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG WRONG ARPT APCH. ATC SAW THE PROBLEM AND INTERVENED.

Narrative: WE WERE ON APCH TO RSW FROM THE W. IT WAS THE COPLT'S LEG. WE WERE BOTH TUNED TO THE RSW ILS. THE F/O WAS ON FULL VOR/ILS (RAW DATA). I WAS ON MAP 20. PAGE ARPT (THE ARPT SERVING FT MYERS) LIES TO THE SW OF RSW. I HAD NOTED THIS ON MY INITIAL REVIEW OF THE APCH PAGES. NEITHER THE F/O NOR I HAD BEEN INTO RSW BEFORE. I AM NEW ON THE ACFT WITH LESS THAN 100 HRS IN SEAT AND EQUIP. WITH THE PROCEEDING SETUP, HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED. APCH CALLED OUT THE ARPT AT OUR 12 O'CLOCK POS (I CAN'T REMEMBER IF THEY GAVE US A DISTANCE). I ACKNOWLEDGED THAT WE HAD THE ARPT, WHEREUPON WE WERE CLRED FOR AN APCH TO INTERCEPT FINAL AOA 1600'. THE F/O CALLED FOR THE GEAR AND FINAL DSNT CHKLIST. I PROCEEDED TO COMPLETE THE CHKLIST AND THE F/O COMMENCED A DSNT AND LINEUP ON THE RWY. JUST AS I COMPLETED THE CHKLIST, APCH ASKED US IF WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT. I ANSWERED 'YES,' WHEREUPON APCH ASKED US AT WHAT POS. I ANSWERED, '12 O'CLOCK,' AND LOOKED AT MY MAP DISPLAY. THERE WAS OBVIOUSLY A DISCREPANCY, AS WE WERE ABOUT 8 MI SHORT OF THE RWY AS DEPICTED. MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS A MAP SHIFT HAD OCCURRED (SOMETHING THEY HAMMERED AWAY UPON DURING SCHOOL). APCH CTL INDICATED THAT THIS WAS NOT THE CORRECT ARPT; RSW WAS AT 2 O'CLOCK AND 8 MI, WHEREUPON THEY INSTRUCTED US TO MAINTAIN 1600' AND TURN TOWARD THE ARPT. BY THEN WE HAD DSNDED TO APPROX 1300'. THE F/O ADDED PWR, CLBED TO 1600' AND TURNED TOWARD RSW, WHICH WE NOW SAW. THE LESSONS LEARNED: EVEN WITH BOTH ILS'S TUNED AND PICTORIAL MAP DISPLAY, WE ALMOST LANDED AT THE WRONG ARPT. YOU CAN NEVER BE TOO CAUTIOUS WHEN IDENTING THE CORRECT ARPT. DON'T BE SO QUICK TO ACCEPT A VIS INTO AN ARPT YOU ARE UNFAMILIAR WITH.

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.