Medium large transport flight crew broke out of overcast and sighted airport. Made approach to wrong...

Attributes
ACN	228577
Time
Date	199212
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sjc airport : nuq
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : oak
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 4850 flight time type : 140
ASRS Report	228577
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were being vectored from the southwest to the VOR 12R at sjc by bay approach. According to the instrument indications, the captain and I placed the aircraft on a wide right downwind to runway 12R at sjc. After receiving a clearance to descend, I informed the captain that I had the airport in sight (our vector put us to the west side of moffett NAS, what I thought was san jose was actually moffett NAS). We were then given another vector to the right to intercept the VOR 12R inbound course and cleared for the approach. The airport we were looking at had the same runway alignment as san jose, but we both agreed that something was not right. Just as we decided to go around, bay approach called and told us that we seemed to be lined up on moffett NAS. We told bay approach that we had realized the same thing and that we were already going around. We then proceeded to san jose without further incident. After parking the aircraft the captain and I discussed how we had fallen into a trap of not maintaining situational awareness. Since this was a repos flight we were in a hurry to land (minimize air time). Next time we will stay on the approach.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG FLC BROKE OUT OF OVCST AND SIGHTED ARPT. MADE APCH TO WRONG ARPT.

Narrative: WE WERE BEING VECTORED FROM THE SW TO THE VOR 12R AT SJC BY BAY APCH. ACCORDING TO THE INST INDICATIONS, THE CAPT AND I PLACED THE ACFT ON A WIDE R DOWNWIND TO RWY 12R AT SJC. AFTER RECEIVING A CLRNC TO DSND, I INFORMED THE CAPT THAT I HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT (OUR VECTOR PUT US TO THE W SIDE OF MOFFETT NAS, WHAT I THOUGHT WAS SAN JOSE WAS ACTUALLY MOFFETT NAS). WE WERE THEN GIVEN ANOTHER VECTOR TO THE R TO INTERCEPT THE VOR 12R INBOUND COURSE AND CLRED FOR THE APCH. THE ARPT WE WERE LOOKING AT HAD THE SAME RWY ALIGNMENT AS SAN JOSE, BUT WE BOTH AGREED THAT SOMETHING WAS NOT RIGHT. JUST AS WE DECIDED TO GAR, BAY APCH CALLED AND TOLD US THAT WE SEEMED TO BE LINED UP ON MOFFETT NAS. WE TOLD BAY APCH THAT WE HAD REALIZED THE SAME THING AND THAT WE WERE ALREADY GOING AROUND. WE THEN PROCEEDED TO SAN JOSE WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. AFTER PARKING THE ACFT THE CAPT AND I DISCUSSED HOW WE HAD FALLEN INTO A TRAP OF NOT MAINTAINING SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. SINCE THIS WAS A REPOS FLT WE WERE IN A HURRY TO LAND (MINIMIZE AIR TIME). NEXT TIME WE WILL STAY ON THE APCH.

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.

Medium large transport flight crew broke out of overcast and sighted airport. Made approach to wrong airport.