Narrative:

After 3 1/2 hour flight to the west coast, we started our descent to destination airport. Reaching the end of the STAR, we were then assigned a southerly heading for downwind. I was flying the airplane when the copilot called the airport in sight. Approach then cleared us for the visual with a restriction to cross a local landmark -- racetrack -- at or above 2500 ft. I glanced out the copilot's window and saw what I thought he was looking at, the destination airport. I had also set up my navaids for the approach to the landing runway as a backup. We attempted to find the race track, but could not, so asked the tower for further guidance. We never did locate the race track, but seeing we were getting in position for base, I started a right turn back to the runway. Tower called traffic on final at 12 O'clock which we saw and started to follow. While on base, tower stated that we were flying the approach to the wrong airport and gave us a turn back to the south followed quickly by a turn back to the north. Then, seeing that we were getting close to the traffic area at the wrong airport, tower gave us an immediate 270 degree heading and climb to 3000 and sent us back to destination airport for uneventful landing. Several lessons were learned from this experience. First, make sure you see the right airport when you acknowledge that you have it in sight -- the copilot did see the right airport -- at his 4 O'clock -- I could not see it from my position across cockpit, but did see the neighboring airport at 3 O'clock. I was sure I was looking at the same airport as the copilot. Second, even though visual, I should have used the backup navaids that I had set in. We got too busy looking for the race track and I didn't use the information I had in front of me. And finally, when going to an unfamiliar airport, always get vectors to final -- even when you're sure, like I was that you have the right airport in sight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CORPORATE MLG MAKES WRONG ARPT APCH.

Narrative: AFTER 3 1/2 HR FLT TO THE W COAST, WE STARTED OUR DSCNT TO DEST ARPT. REACHING THE END OF THE STAR, WE WERE THEN ASSIGNED A SOUTHERLY HDG FOR DOWNWIND. I WAS FLYING THE AIRPLANE WHEN THE COPLT CALLED THE ARPT IN SIGHT. APCH THEN CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL WITH A RESTRICTION TO CROSS A LCL LANDMARK -- RACETRACK -- AT OR ABOVE 2500 FT. I GLANCED OUT THE COPLT'S WINDOW AND SAW WHAT I THOUGHT HE WAS LOOKING AT, THE DEST ARPT. I HAD ALSO SET UP MY NAVAIDS FOR THE APCH TO THE LNDG RWY AS A BACKUP. WE ATTEMPTED TO FIND THE RACE TRACK, BUT COULD NOT, SO ASKED THE TWR FOR FURTHER GUIDANCE. WE NEVER DID LOCATE THE RACE TRACK, BUT SEEING WE WERE GETTING IN POS FOR BASE, I STARTED A R TURN BACK TO THE RWY. TWR CALLED TFC ON FINAL AT 12 O'CLOCK WHICH WE SAW AND STARTED TO FOLLOW. WHILE ON BASE, TWR STATED THAT WE WERE FLYING THE APCH TO THE WRONG ARPT AND GAVE US A TURN BACK TO THE S FOLLOWED QUICKLY BY A TURN BACK TO THE N. THEN, SEEING THAT WE WERE GETTING CLOSE TO THE TFC AREA AT THE WRONG ARPT, TWR GAVE US AN IMMEDIATE 270 DEG HDG AND CLB TO 3000 AND SENT US BACK TO DEST ARPT FOR UNEVENTFUL LNDG. SEVERAL LESSONS WERE LEARNED FROM THIS EXPERIENCE. FIRST, MAKE SURE YOU SEE THE RIGHT ARPT WHEN YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU HAVE IT IN SIGHT -- THE COPLT DID SEE THE RIGHT ARPT -- AT HIS 4 O'CLOCK -- I COULD NOT SEE IT FROM MY POS ACROSS COCKPIT, BUT DID SEE THE NEIGHBORING ARPT AT 3 O'CLOCK. I WAS SURE I WAS LOOKING AT THE SAME ARPT AS THE COPLT. SECOND, EVEN THOUGH VISUAL, I SHOULD HAVE USED THE BACKUP NAVAIDS THAT I HAD SET IN. WE GOT TOO BUSY LOOKING FOR THE RACE TRACK AND I DIDN'T USE THE INFO I HAD IN FRONT OF ME. AND FINALLY, WHEN GOING TO AN UNFAMILIAR ARPT, ALWAYS GET VECTORS TO FINAL -- EVEN WHEN YOU'RE SURE, LIKE I WAS THAT YOU HAVE THE RIGHT ARPT IN SIGHT.

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.