Narrative:

We were cleared for the struk 8 arrival into hou. A few mi from ading intersection, the captain and I positively idented houston hobby airport. At ading intersection, we were given a heading of 180 degrees and an altitude of 6000 ft. At this point the captain was concerned that we might be dropped off high for the approach. I lost sight of the airport as we passed the abeam position and would not be in a position to regain the airport until on base. We were vectored around 2-4 mi on downwind before given a turn to base. On the turn to base leg, we were given a descent to a lower altitude. The captain dropped the gear as we rolled out on base (feeling we were high). At this point I could not see the airport and resumed the landing checklist. As we approached the turn to final for 35 at ellington, I acquired ellington, mistaking it for hou. I asked the captain if he had the field in sight in which he responded, yes. I informed approach we had the field in sight and they cleared us for a visual approach to 30 of hou. On base leg, I idented the captain's radio for ILS 30L to hou and joined him (my radio) on turn to final. After we rolled out on final (to 35 at ellington), I requested to switch tower and had just completed our landing checklist. As I keyed the microphone to talk to tower, I remember looking at the ILS indications (confused) and then the HSI and seeing a heading of 350 degrees. I conveyed this to the captain immediately. I feel he was aware something was wrong because it didn't take him long to respond 'I think we have the wrong airport.' instantly feeling the denial the stage I thought maybe we had lined up for runway 35 at hou. However, it was only a couple seconds later that I could see he was right. At this point the captain initiated a level off and right turn away from the airport. I advised tower we had the wrong airport and requested to switch to departure. Departure gave us a 040 degree heading and climb to 3000 ft. The remainder of the flight was uneventful. My backgnd is 8 yrs in the navy flying bmb and fgt. I was checked out as copilot on the aircraft in july and had a total of 148 hours. On the medium large transport prior to this trip, I was a flight engineer for 1 yr prior to my transition to copilot.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF ACR MLG ACFT MISTAKENLY ROLLED OUT OF BASE LEG FOR ANOTHER RWY AT A NEARBY ARPT.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED FOR THE STRUK 8 ARR INTO HOU. A FEW MI FROM ADING INTXN, THE CAPT AND I POSITIVELY IDENTED HOUSTON HOBBY ARPT. AT ADING INTXN, WE WERE GIVEN A HDG OF 180 DEGS AND AN ALT OF 6000 FT. AT THIS POINT THE CAPT WAS CONCERNED THAT WE MIGHT BE DROPPED OFF HIGH FOR THE APCH. I LOST SIGHT OF THE ARPT AS WE PASSED THE ABEAM POS AND WOULD NOT BE IN A POS TO REGAIN THE ARPT UNTIL ON BASE. WE WERE VECTORED AROUND 2-4 MI ON DOWNWIND BEFORE GIVEN A TURN TO BASE. ON THE TURN TO BASE LEG, WE WERE GIVEN A DSCNT TO A LOWER ALT. THE CAPT DROPPED THE GEAR AS WE ROLLED OUT ON BASE (FEELING WE WERE HIGH). AT THIS POINT I COULD NOT SEE THE ARPT AND RESUMED THE LNDG CHKLIST. AS WE APCHED THE TURN TO FINAL FOR 35 AT ELLINGTON, I ACQUIRED ELLINGTON, MISTAKING IT FOR HOU. I ASKED THE CAPT IF HE HAD THE FIELD IN SIGHT IN WHICH HE RESPONDED, YES. I INFORMED APCH WE HAD THE FIELD IN SIGHT AND THEY CLRED US FOR A VISUAL APCH TO 30 OF HOU. ON BASE LEG, I IDENTED THE CAPT'S RADIO FOR ILS 30L TO HOU AND JOINED HIM (MY RADIO) ON TURN TO FINAL. AFTER WE ROLLED OUT ON FINAL (TO 35 AT ELLINGTON), I REQUESTED TO SWITCH TWR AND HAD JUST COMPLETED OUR LNDG CHKLIST. AS I KEYED THE MIKE TO TALK TO TWR, I REMEMBER LOOKING AT THE ILS INDICATIONS (CONFUSED) AND THEN THE HSI AND SEEING A HDG OF 350 DEGS. I CONVEYED THIS TO THE CAPT IMMEDIATELY. I FEEL HE WAS AWARE SOMETHING WAS WRONG BECAUSE IT DIDN'T TAKE HIM LONG TO RESPOND 'I THINK WE HAVE THE WRONG ARPT.' INSTANTLY FEELING THE DENIAL THE STAGE I THOUGHT MAYBE WE HAD LINED UP FOR RWY 35 AT HOU. HOWEVER, IT WAS ONLY A COUPLE SECONDS LATER THAT I COULD SEE HE WAS RIGHT. AT THIS POINT THE CAPT INITIATED A LEVEL OFF AND R TURN AWAY FROM THE ARPT. I ADVISED TWR WE HAD THE WRONG ARPT AND REQUESTED TO SWITCH TO DEP. DEP GAVE US A 040 DEG HDG AND CLB TO 3000 FT. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. MY BACKGND IS 8 YRS IN THE NAVY FLYING BMB AND FGT. I WAS CHKED OUT AS COPLT ON THE ACFT IN JULY AND HAD A TOTAL OF 148 HRS. ON THE MLG PRIOR TO THIS TRIP, I WAS A FE FOR 1 YR PRIOR TO MY TRANSITION TO COPLT.

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.