Narrative:

Approaching san juan, pr. The WX was scattered clouds, 13 mi visibility. First officer was the PF and I was operating the radios. We were being vectored by approach control to the airport. We had requested runway 10 but the controller said that the tower would clear us for that runway if it was available. I was inside tuning the radios when approach asked if we had the airport in sight. I looked up and out the window and saw the (what I thought was the airport) airport slightly to our left. I asked if he saw it and he said yes. I told approach we had the airport in sight and they cleared us for the visual to runway 8. Our position was such that we had to immediately configure for approach landing. Our focus from that point on was outside the cockpit. We configured in the descent, were switched over to the tower and cleared to land. We heard no more radio calls after that. On the landing roll it became obvious that something was not right. After some radio calls we were informed that this airport was isla grande, a few mi short of san juan airport, the intended point of landing. Factors: first time into airport. Captain very new on airplane. Copilot's first leg to do approach landing with captain. Copilot very new to airplane. Fixating on first airport to be seen out window. Not verifying same with navaids. Airport not delineated very well on charts. ILS runway 8 page shows isla grande as just a beacon and the ILS runway 10 page shows it as a runway but it is somewhat hidden under the holding pattern depiction.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF LGT 2 ENG ACR LANDED AT ISLA GRANDE, PR, INSTEAD OF SAN JUAN ARPT.

Narrative: APCHING SAN JUAN, PR. THE WX WAS SCATTERED CLOUDS, 13 MI VISIBILITY. FO WAS THE PF AND I WAS OPERATING THE RADIOS. WE WERE BEING VECTORED BY APCH CTL TO THE ARPT. WE HAD REQUESTED RWY 10 BUT THE CTLR SAID THAT THE TWR WOULD CLR US FOR THAT RWY IF IT WAS AVAILABLE. I WAS INSIDE TUNING THE RADIOS WHEN APCH ASKED IF WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT. I LOOKED UP AND OUT THE WINDOW AND SAW THE (WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE ARPT) ARPT SLIGHTLY TO OUR L. I ASKED IF HE SAW IT AND HE SAID YES. I TOLD APCH WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT AND THEY CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL TO RWY 8. OUR POS WAS SUCH THAT WE HAD TO IMMEDIATELY CONFIGURE FOR APCH LNDG. OUR FOCUS FROM THAT POINT ON WAS OUTSIDE THE COCKPIT. WE CONFIGURED IN THE DSCNT, WERE SWITCHED OVER TO THE TWR AND CLRED TO LAND. WE HEARD NO MORE RADIO CALLS AFTER THAT. ON THE LNDG ROLL IT BECAME OBVIOUS THAT SOMETHING WAS NOT RIGHT. AFTER SOME RADIO CALLS WE WERE INFORMED THAT THIS ARPT WAS ISLA GRANDE, A FEW MI SHORT OF SAN JUAN ARPT, THE INTENDED POINT OF LNDG. FACTORS: FIRST TIME INTO ARPT. CAPT VERY NEW ON AIRPLANE. COPLT'S FIRST LEG TO DO APCH LNDG WITH CAPT. COPLT VERY NEW TO AIRPLANE. FIXATING ON FIRST ARPT TO BE SEEN OUT WINDOW. NOT VERIFYING SAME WITH NAVAIDS. ARPT NOT DELINEATED VERY WELL ON CHARTS. ILS RWY 8 PAGE SHOWS ISLA GRANDE AS JUST A BEACON AND THE ILS RWY 10 PAGE SHOWS IT AS A RWY BUT IT IS SOMEWHAT HIDDEN UNDER THE HOLDING PATTERN DEPICTION.

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.