Narrative:

This was a 4.7 hour flight with 2 intermediate stops. The first stop was in fargo, nd with the second stop at green bay, wi. The flight departed NAS glenview midafternoon and returned almost 5 hours later. Flight was longer than normal nbu-fargo-green bay-nbu trip due to requirement to fy around a severe WX warning are, which was in the direct flight route. WX conditions in chicago area, during our approach phase were as follows: severe WX system (thunderstorms and tornado warnings) had just passed through the chicago approach sector (approximately 20 mins prior to our arrival in the approach sector). There were numerous layers of cloud; stratus, altostratus and cumulo stratus throughout the area. Approximately 15 mi DME from NAS glenview, the ceiling was 8000' AGL, and the visibility was approximately 5 mi laterally. As you approached NAS glenview, the ceiling lowered to about 400' AGL, with a thin scud layer forming at approximately 1200' AGL. Visibility decreased to less than 3 mi within 5 mi of NAS glenview. No turbulence. On the final leg from green bay to NAS glenview at approximately west bend VOR, ZMP issued the following clearance: cleared to janesville-V97-krena intersection-direct navy glenview. This is non standard clearance; we're normally cleared to northbrook VOR after the krena intersection. On handoff to chicago approach, we were issued a couple altitude dscnts, then the following clearance: after northbrook, fly heading 140-vectors to navy glenview. We responded that we had been cleared to navy glenview direct after krena, by ZMP, and were presently proceeding direct to navy glenview. Chicago approach said that this was fine and to continue direct navy glenview. While this approach sector is normally very congested, we seemed like the only aircraft on frequency. At approximately 11 mi DME from NAS glenview, approach asked us to call field in sight. Approach called it 12 O'clock and 10 mi. At about 10 DME, both pilots and F/east saw a beacon and a southerly runway with hangars on the west side of the airfield. This is the same general airfield confign as NAS glenview. We then called the field in sight to chicago approach. Approach cleared us for a visibility to runway 17 and to switch to tower frequency. At 8 mi the aircraft was configured for landing and tower was contacted. The visibility approach was backed up with TACAN 17. This is historically not a particularly reliable approach in our aircraft. During IFR conditions, a PAR is the normal (preferred) approach to navy glenview. Calling tower 7 mi out for runway 17, they cleared us to land with the arresting gear rigged and a wet runway. At 5 mi tower asked us if the approach lighting was too bright. We responded no. Also at 5 mi, it was noticed that there was a VASI at the field (NAS glenview has no VASI). It was at this point that things began to feel uncomfortable. The once centered TACAN bearng now was drifting very rapidly. Between 500 and 700' AGL on approach, I saw '16' as the runway #south on the runway, called this as the wrong airfield and initiated a go around. Our aircraft overflew pwk at approximately 500' AGL. We called tower informed them of our go around, switched to approach to get a vector to NAS glenview. Approach asked our heading and provided ap int to nbu. We then entered a right base to runway 17. Switched to tower, we were reclred to land and an uneventful landing at NAS glenview followed. No comments by approach or tower were issued, and I believe there were no apparent traffic conflicts in this airspace. This due to the fact that this severe storm had just left the area. Factors: longer than anticipated flight due to circumnav of severe WX area. Initially acceptable WX conditions for a visibility approach which deteriorated rapidly as we approached the field. Similarity of airfields within 5 air mi sep of each other. Tower called the approach lights at bright. It should have been evident to the flight crew that something was wrong when no bright approach lights were visible. Seeing the VASI (which is not present at NAS glenview) is another clue to the wrong airfield. While looking at this in retrospect, there were numerous occasions to break the chain of events that led to the overfly of the wrong airfield. The fatigue F having to deal with severe WX along the flight plan, coupled witha# of non standard clrncs contributed to this occurrence.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLT FLT CREW MAKES WRONG ARPT APCH.

Narrative: THIS WAS A 4.7 HR FLT WITH 2 INTERMEDIATE STOPS. THE FIRST STOP WAS IN FARGO, ND WITH THE SECOND STOP AT GREEN BAY, WI. THE FLT DEPARTED NAS GLENVIEW MIDAFTERNOON AND RETURNED ALMOST 5 HRS LATER. FLT WAS LONGER THAN NORMAL NBU-FARGO-GREEN BAY-NBU TRIP DUE TO REQUIREMENT TO FY AROUND A SEVERE WX WARNING ARE, WHICH WAS IN THE DIRECT FLT RTE. WX CONDITIONS IN CHICAGO AREA, DURING OUR APCH PHASE WERE AS FOLLOWS: SEVERE WX SYS (TSTMS AND TORNADO WARNINGS) HAD JUST PASSED THROUGH THE CHICAGO APCH SECTOR (APPROX 20 MINS PRIOR TO OUR ARR IN THE APCH SECTOR). THERE WERE NUMEROUS LAYERS OF CLOUD; STRATUS, ALTOSTRATUS AND CUMULO STRATUS THROUGHOUT THE AREA. APPROX 15 MI DME FROM NAS GLENVIEW, THE CEILING WAS 8000' AGL, AND THE VISIBILITY WAS APPROX 5 MI LATERALLY. AS YOU APCHED NAS GLENVIEW, THE CEILING LOWERED TO ABOUT 400' AGL, WITH A THIN SCUD LAYER FORMING AT APPROX 1200' AGL. VISIBILITY DECREASED TO LESS THAN 3 MI WITHIN 5 MI OF NAS GLENVIEW. NO TURB. ON THE FINAL LEG FROM GREEN BAY TO NAS GLENVIEW AT APPROX WEST BEND VOR, ZMP ISSUED THE FOLLOWING CLRNC: CLRED TO JANESVILLE-V97-KRENA INTXN-DIRECT NAVY GLENVIEW. THIS IS NON STANDARD CLRNC; WE'RE NORMALLY CLRED TO NORTHBROOK VOR AFTER THE KRENA INTXN. ON HDOF TO CHICAGO APCH, WE WERE ISSUED A COUPLE ALT DSCNTS, THEN THE FOLLOWING CLRNC: AFTER NORTHBROOK, FLY HDG 140-VECTORS TO NAVY GLENVIEW. WE RESPONDED THAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO NAVY GLENVIEW DIRECT AFTER KRENA, BY ZMP, AND WERE PRESENTLY PROCEEDING DIRECT TO NAVY GLENVIEW. CHICAGO APCH SAID THAT THIS WAS FINE AND TO CONTINUE DIRECT NAVY GLENVIEW. WHILE THIS APCH SECTOR IS NORMALLY VERY CONGESTED, WE SEEMED LIKE THE ONLY ACFT ON FREQ. AT APPROX 11 MI DME FROM NAS GLENVIEW, APCH ASKED US TO CALL FIELD IN SIGHT. APCH CALLED IT 12 O'CLOCK AND 10 MI. AT ABOUT 10 DME, BOTH PLTS AND F/E SAW A BEACON AND A SOUTHERLY RWY WITH HANGARS ON THE W SIDE OF THE AIRFIELD. THIS IS THE SAME GENERAL AIRFIELD CONFIGN AS NAS GLENVIEW. WE THEN CALLED THE FIELD IN SIGHT TO CHICAGO APCH. APCH CLRED US FOR A VIS TO RWY 17 AND TO SWITCH TO TWR FREQ. AT 8 MI THE ACFT WAS CONFIGURED FOR LNDG AND TWR WAS CONTACTED. THE VIS APCH WAS BACKED UP WITH TACAN 17. THIS IS HISTORICALLY NOT A PARTICULARLY RELIABLE APCH IN OUR ACFT. DURING IFR CONDITIONS, A PAR IS THE NORMAL (PREFERRED) APCH TO NAVY GLENVIEW. CALLING TWR 7 MI OUT FOR RWY 17, THEY CLRED US TO LAND WITH THE ARRESTING GEAR RIGGED AND A WET RWY. AT 5 MI TWR ASKED US IF THE APCH LIGHTING WAS TOO BRIGHT. WE RESPONDED NO. ALSO AT 5 MI, IT WAS NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A VASI AT THE FIELD (NAS GLENVIEW HAS NO VASI). IT WAS AT THIS POINT THAT THINGS BEGAN TO FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE. THE ONCE CENTERED TACAN BEARNG NOW WAS DRIFTING VERY RAPIDLY. BTWN 500 AND 700' AGL ON APCH, I SAW '16' AS THE RWY #S ON THE RWY, CALLED THIS AS THE WRONG AIRFIELD AND INITIATED A GAR. OUR ACFT OVERFLEW PWK AT APPROX 500' AGL. WE CALLED TWR INFORMED THEM OF OUR GAR, SWITCHED TO APCH TO GET A VECTOR TO NAS GLENVIEW. APCH ASKED OUR HDG AND PROVIDED AP INT TO NBU. WE THEN ENTERED A RIGHT BASE TO RWY 17. SWITCHED TO TWR, WE WERE RECLRED TO LAND AND AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG AT NAS GLENVIEW FOLLOWED. NO COMMENTS BY APCH OR TWR WERE ISSUED, AND I BELIEVE THERE WERE NO APPARENT TFC CONFLICTS IN THIS AIRSPACE. THIS DUE TO THE FACT THAT THIS SEVERE STORM HAD JUST LEFT THE AREA. FACTORS: LONGER THAN ANTICIPATED FLT DUE TO CIRCUMNAV OF SEVERE WX AREA. INITIALLY ACCEPTABLE WX CONDITIONS FOR A VIS APCH WHICH DETERIORATED RAPIDLY AS WE APCHED THE FIELD. SIMILARITY OF AIRFIELDS WITHIN 5 AIR MI SEP OF EACH OTHER. TWR CALLED THE APCH LIGHTS AT BRIGHT. IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN EVIDENT TO THE FLT CREW THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WHEN NO BRIGHT APCH LIGHTS WERE VISIBLE. SEEING THE VASI (WHICH IS NOT PRESENT AT NAS GLENVIEW) IS ANOTHER CLUE TO THE WRONG AIRFIELD. WHILE LOOKING AT THIS IN RETROSPECT, THERE WERE NUMEROUS OCCASIONS TO BREAK THE CHAIN OF EVENTS THAT LED TO THE OVERFLY OF THE WRONG AIRFIELD. THE FATIGUE F HAVING TO DEAL WITH SEVERE WX ALONG THE FLT PLAN, COUPLED WITHA# OF NON STANDARD CLRNCS CONTRIBUTED TO THIS OCCURRENCE.

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.