Narrative:

Approximately 15 to 20 mi out of gtf, the captain (PNF) obtained the ATIS they were landing runway 03. At approximately 20 mi out I called the runway in sight which I, at the time, thought was gtf, unknown to me it was malmstrom air force base. In the aircraft on the copilot's side at low altitude, you can't see what's on the captain's side. We were headed right at malmstrom it looked to be the distance as what was on the DME and I could not see gtf and our navigation indicated that it was the correct airport. We informed approach that we had the airport in sight. He, in turn, issued traffic that we were to follow, at our 2 O'clock position. It was a small aircraft. The controller stated that the small aircraft would be making a close in approach, and that we would be sequenced in behind him. We never called the traffic in sight, but I think the wording of the controller's statement served to increase our perception that we were looking at gtf and not malmstrom. A slower aircraft (small aircraft) being pointed out as traffic we were to follow, called out to us in our 2 O'clock position (malmstrom was in our 2 O'clock position also) led us to believe he was 'inside' us. Additionally, moments later, we were given a right turn to a heading of 310 degrees, which further pointed us directly at the approach end of runway 03 at malmstrom, and further away from gtf. Then, we were cleared for the visual. I can't recall if the approach controller stated for a specific runway or not. At that point, we began a sweeping or arcing right turn to put us on final for runway 03 at what we thought was gtf airport. We were almost completely lined up on final for runway 03 at malmstrom, when the controller switched us to tower frequency. Again, I cannot remember if he said 'contact great falls tower' or 'contact tower.' when we contacted gtf tower, she (the tower controller) quickly surmised that we were at malmstrom, issued us a go around, and switched us back to approach. Approach had us make an immediate left turn for traffic (which we later learned was no factor) vectored us to runway 21 at gtf and we landed without incident. Unfortunately for us, we had a vip on board. But, this fact was known, apparently, to the controllers. That, combined with our (possibly) unfamiliar call sign 'XXX,' we think led the approach controller to believe we were landing malmstrom, not gtf.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LTT MAKES APCH WRONG ARPT. TWR CTLR SEES PROBLEM AND HAS THEM GAR ON HDOF TO TRACON.

Narrative: APPROX 15 TO 20 MI OUT OF GTF, THE CAPT (PNF) OBTAINED THE ATIS THEY WERE LNDG RWY 03. AT APPROX 20 MI OUT I CALLED THE RWY IN SIGHT WHICH I, AT THE TIME, THOUGHT WAS GTF, UNKNOWN TO ME IT WAS MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE. IN THE ACFT ON THE COPLT'S SIDE AT LOW ALT, YOU CAN'T SEE WHAT'S ON THE CAPT'S SIDE. WE WERE HEADED RIGHT AT MALMSTROM IT LOOKED TO BE THE DISTANCE AS WHAT WAS ON THE DME AND I COULD NOT SEE GTF AND OUR NAV INDICATED THAT IT WAS THE CORRECT ARPT. WE INFORMED APCH THAT WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT. HE, IN TURN, ISSUED TFC THAT WE WERE TO FOLLOW, AT OUR 2 O'CLOCK POS. IT WAS A SMA. THE CTLR STATED THAT THE SMA WOULD BE MAKING A CLOSE IN APCH, AND THAT WE WOULD BE SEQUENCED IN BEHIND HIM. WE NEVER CALLED THE TFC IN SIGHT, BUT I THINK THE WORDING OF THE CTLR'S STATEMENT SERVED TO INCREASE OUR PERCEPTION THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT GTF AND NOT MALMSTROM. A SLOWER ACFT (SMA) BEING POINTED OUT AS TFC WE WERE TO FOLLOW, CALLED OUT TO US IN OUR 2 O'CLOCK POS (MALMSTROM WAS IN OUR 2 O'CLOCK POS ALSO) LED US TO BELIEVE HE WAS 'INSIDE' US. ADDITIONALLY, MOMENTS LATER, WE WERE GIVEN A R TURN TO A HDG OF 310 DEGS, WHICH FURTHER POINTED US DIRECTLY AT THE APCH END OF RWY 03 AT MALMSTROM, AND FURTHER AWAY FROM GTF. THEN, WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL. I CAN'T RECALL IF THE APCH CTLR STATED FOR A SPECIFIC RWY OR NOT. AT THAT POINT, WE BEGAN A SWEEPING OR ARCING R TURN TO PUT US ON FINAL FOR RWY 03 AT WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS GTF ARPT. WE WERE ALMOST COMPLETELY LINED UP ON FINAL FOR RWY 03 AT MALMSTROM, WHEN THE CTLR SWITCHED US TO TWR FREQ. AGAIN, I CANNOT REMEMBER IF HE SAID 'CONTACT GREAT FALLS TWR' OR 'CONTACT TWR.' WHEN WE CONTACTED GTF TWR, SHE (THE TWR CTLR) QUICKLY SURMISED THAT WE WERE AT MALMSTROM, ISSUED US A GAR, AND SWITCHED US BACK TO APCH. APCH HAD US MAKE AN IMMEDIATE L TURN FOR TFC (WHICH WE LATER LEARNED WAS NO FACTOR) VECTORED US TO RWY 21 AT GTF AND WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. UNFORTUNATELY FOR US, WE HAD A VIP ON BOARD. BUT, THIS FACT WAS KNOWN, APPARENTLY, TO THE CTLRS. THAT, COMBINED WITH OUR (POSSIBLY) UNFAMILIAR CALL SIGN 'XXX,' WE THINK LED THE APCH CTLR TO BELIEVE WE WERE LNDG MALMSTROM, NOT GTF.

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.