Narrative:

We were flying from bhm to hsv. Hsv ATIS reported winds 140/04. Landing runway 18L and 18R. When we called approach control they told us to expect a runway 18R approach with vectors east of the airport. They cleared us to 2900' MSL and 210 KTS. I added flaps to get down early anticipating a visibility approach. They then said 'expect runway 18L you're following an small aircraft Y.' (estimated visibility at about 4-5 mi with no scattered clouds). Passing 3500' MSL and heading north we saw an airport at 10 O'clock about 3 mi with a north/south runway. Because of the 4-5 mi visibility I didn't expect to identify the parallel runway to the west. We called the airport in sight and they cleared us for the visibility approach runway 18L. We had the runway 18L ILS tuned idented and an NDB (cwh) 7.3 mi north of the airport on runway 18R approach tuned and idented. Hsv tower cleared us to land on runway 18L following an small aircraft Y. When we rolled out on about a 2 1/2 mi final we couldn't spot the small aircraft Y, and asked about him. They said he was 'no factor he's on a 1/2 mi final.' my G/south indicator was moving up an down and the localizer needle was off to the right. We couldn't spot the small aircraft Y or the hsv parallel runway to the west. It (then became) apparent we were at the wrong airport. We advised hsv tower. We were told to turn right to 270 degree heading which we did. We saw hsv airport about 4 mi to the west and we landed. (In future) I won't accept a visibility approach by sight alone. I will use at least one navigation aid to verify airport position. This is difficult at many airports (there are no navigation aids or ILS' with DME at hsv). Hsv approach and tower should have been more diligent [about] our position and aware that redstone aaf can be mistaken for hsv. There should be a notation on hsv runway diagram page that redstone aaf has a north/south runway and can be mistaken for hsv. On hsv approach plates there should be a basic diagram of the runway layout of redstone aaf. Supplemental information from acn 181125. I was concentrating in looking for the small aircraft Y when the copilot said 'something doesn't look right!' I looked at the field and knew we were at the wrong field not hsv. I told the copilot to 'take it around' and told approach we were at the wrong place. We were distraction by looking for the [traffic].

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG FLC MISTAKES REDSTONE AAF (HUA) FOR HUNSTVILLE (HSV) WHEN CLEARED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 18L.

Narrative: WE WERE FLYING FROM BHM TO HSV. HSV ATIS RPTED WINDS 140/04. LNDG RWY 18L AND 18R. WHEN WE CALLED APCH CTL THEY TOLD US TO EXPECT A RWY 18R APCH WITH VECTORS E OF THE ARPT. THEY CLRED US TO 2900' MSL AND 210 KTS. I ADDED FLAPS TO GET DOWN EARLY ANTICIPATING A VIS APCH. THEY THEN SAID 'EXPECT RWY 18L YOU'RE FOLLOWING AN SMA Y.' (ESTIMATED VISIBILITY AT ABOUT 4-5 MI WITH NO SCATTERED CLOUDS). PASSING 3500' MSL AND HDG N WE SAW AN ARPT AT 10 O'CLOCK ABOUT 3 MI WITH A N/S RWY. BECAUSE OF THE 4-5 MI VISIBILITY I DIDN'T EXPECT TO IDENT THE PARALLEL RWY TO THE W. WE CALLED THE ARPT IN SIGHT AND THEY CLRED US FOR THE VIS APCH RWY 18L. WE HAD THE RWY 18L ILS TUNED IDENTED AND AN NDB (CWH) 7.3 MI N OF THE ARPT ON RWY 18R APCH TUNED AND IDENTED. HSV TWR CLRED US TO LAND ON RWY 18L FOLLOWING AN SMA Y. WHEN WE ROLLED OUT ON ABOUT A 2 1/2 MI FINAL WE COULDN'T SPOT THE SMA Y, AND ASKED ABOUT HIM. THEY SAID HE WAS 'NO FACTOR HE'S ON A 1/2 MI FINAL.' MY G/S INDICATOR WAS MOVING UP AN DOWN AND THE LOC NEEDLE WAS OFF TO THE R. WE COULDN'T SPOT THE SMA Y OR THE HSV PARALLEL RWY TO THE W. IT (THEN BECAME) APPARENT WE WERE AT THE WRONG ARPT. WE ADVISED HSV TWR. WE WERE TOLD TO TURN R TO 270 DEG HDG WHICH WE DID. WE SAW HSV ARPT ABOUT 4 MI TO THE W AND WE LANDED. (IN FUTURE) I WON'T ACCEPT A VIS APCH BY SIGHT ALONE. I WILL USE AT LEAST ONE NAV AID TO VERIFY ARPT POS. THIS IS DIFFICULT AT MANY ARPTS (THERE ARE NO NAV AIDS OR ILS' WITH DME AT HSV). HSV APCH AND TWR SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE DILIGENT [ABOUT] OUR POS AND AWARE THAT REDSTONE AAF CAN BE MISTAKEN FOR HSV. THERE SHOULD BE A NOTATION ON HSV RWY DIAGRAM PAGE THAT REDSTONE AAF HAS A N/S RWY AND CAN BE MISTAKEN FOR HSV. ON HSV APCH PLATES THERE SHOULD BE A BASIC DIAGRAM OF THE RWY LAYOUT OF REDSTONE AAF. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 181125. I WAS CONCENTRATING IN LOOKING FOR THE SMA Y WHEN THE COPLT SAID 'SOMETHING DOESN'T LOOK RIGHT!' I LOOKED AT THE FIELD AND KNEW WE WERE AT THE WRONG FIELD NOT HSV. I TOLD THE COPLT TO 'TAKE IT AROUND' AND TOLD APCH WE WERE AT THE WRONG PLACE. WE WERE DISTR BY LOOKING FOR THE [TRAFFIC].

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.