Narrative:

Inbound ATIS indicated WX now 1200 scattered and 5 mi visibility and approachs to circle to runway 15 from the VOR runway 3 approach. Now the WX was acceptable for this approach and an air carrier ahead of us on this approach completed it successfully. After passing the VOR inbound, air carrier ahead reported that WX was deteriorating. We elected to continue approach to 'have a look.' broke out with ground contact and started looking for runway. ATC (tower) said they would turn runway lights up full bright. Approaching missed approach point, someone said (I think flight engineer) 'VASI in sight.' I then saw VASI, noticed we were on glide path, and started to turn towards that runway, and called for final flaps. Then the tower called and said we appeared to be lined up for runway 1 and to go around, which we did. Runway 1/19 is 3600 ft long. Runway lights were full bright. We proceeded around and flew the ILS to 15 without incident. Contributing factors: 1) began approach thinking it would be a VMC approach. It turned into an almost impossible night circling approach in mins WX. We were therefore not prepared for the approach adequately, i.e., did not study the lighting system for each runway or prepare for the visual orientation of runways. At mins on this approach, the missed approach point is only 0.4 mi from the runway -- not much time to see, identify, and line up with correct runway. The fact that the runway was well lit led me to believe it was the right one. Also, jumpseat rider from that airport said nothing. I should have 1) shot the ILS right from the start and not bothered with VOR circling at night approach. 2) prepared for the approach more thoroughly. 3) abandoned approach when air carrier ahead said that WX had deteriorated. 4) more accurately tried to identify runway for correct orientation. In this case, the runways were only 40 degrees apart. For some reason, the runway I lined up for didn't look too short. 5) realized the difficulty, even under good WX conditions of shooting a successful night circling approach. Regarding human factors, none of my crew members had any problem with the idea of shooting the approach and no one idented the runway including the jumpseater, as being the wrong one. This was the last leg of a long day and we were all tired.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN LGT ACR CREW, IN DETERIORATING WX, AT NIGHT, MADE AN APCH AND LINED UP WITH THE WRONG RWY. THE TWR NOTICED THE ERROR.

Narrative: INBOUND ATIS INDICATED WX NOW 1200 SCATTERED AND 5 MI VISIBILITY AND APCHS TO CIRCLE TO RWY 15 FROM THE VOR RWY 3 APCH. NOW THE WX WAS ACCEPTABLE FOR THIS APCH AND AN ACR AHEAD OF US ON THIS APCH COMPLETED IT SUCCESSFULLY. AFTER PASSING THE VOR INBOUND, ACR AHEAD RPTED THAT WX WAS DETERIORATING. WE ELECTED TO CONTINUE APCH TO 'HAVE A LOOK.' BROKE OUT WITH GND CONTACT AND STARTED LOOKING FOR RWY. ATC (TWR) SAID THEY WOULD TURN RWY LIGHTS UP FULL BRIGHT. APCHING MISSED APCH POINT, SOMEONE SAID (I THINK FLT ENGINEER) 'VASI IN SIGHT.' I THEN SAW VASI, NOTICED WE WERE ON GLIDE PATH, AND STARTED TO TURN TOWARDS THAT RWY, AND CALLED FOR FINAL FLAPS. THEN THE TWR CALLED AND SAID WE APPEARED TO BE LINED UP FOR RWY 1 AND TO GAR, WHICH WE DID. RWY 1/19 IS 3600 FT LONG. RWY LIGHTS WERE FULL BRIGHT. WE PROCEEDED AROUND AND FLEW THE ILS TO 15 WITHOUT INCIDENT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) BEGAN APCH THINKING IT WOULD BE A VMC APCH. IT TURNED INTO AN ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE NIGHT CIRCLING APCH IN MINS WX. WE WERE THEREFORE NOT PREPARED FOR THE APCH ADEQUATELY, I.E., DID NOT STUDY THE LIGHTING SYS FOR EACH RWY OR PREPARE FOR THE VISUAL ORIENTATION OF RWYS. AT MINS ON THIS APCH, THE MISSED APCH POINT IS ONLY 0.4 MI FROM THE RWY -- NOT MUCH TIME TO SEE, IDENT, AND LINE UP WITH CORRECT RWY. THE FACT THAT THE RWY WAS WELL LIT LED ME TO BELIEVE IT WAS THE RIGHT ONE. ALSO, JUMPSEAT RIDER FROM THAT ARPT SAID NOTHING. I SHOULD HAVE 1) SHOT THE ILS RIGHT FROM THE START AND NOT BOTHERED WITH VOR CIRCLING AT NIGHT APCH. 2) PREPARED FOR THE APCH MORE THOROUGHLY. 3) ABANDONED APCH WHEN ACR AHEAD SAID THAT WX HAD DETERIORATED. 4) MORE ACCURATELY TRIED TO IDENT RWY FOR CORRECT ORIENTATION. IN THIS CASE, THE RWYS WERE ONLY 40 DEGS APART. FOR SOME REASON, THE RWY I LINED UP FOR DIDN'T LOOK TOO SHORT. 5) REALIZED THE DIFFICULTY, EVEN UNDER GOOD WX CONDITIONS OF SHOOTING A SUCCESSFUL NIGHT CIRCLING APCH. REGARDING HUMAN FACTORS, NONE OF MY CREW MEMBERS HAD ANY PROBLEM WITH THE IDEA OF SHOOTING THE APCH AND NO ONE IDENTED THE RWY INCLUDING THE JUMPSEATER, AS BEING THE WRONG ONE. THIS WAS THE LAST LEG OF A LONG DAY AND WE WERE ALL TIRED.

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.