Narrative:

On a daylight VFR descent into rapid city, sd, regional airport (copilot flying) my flight (air carrier medium large transport aircraft) was given a visual approach clearance by ellsworth AFB approach control. The area was blanketed with snow. We had 'ranch NDB' the LOM for runway 32 and the ILS for runway 32 tuned and idented. We were angling from the east to final. At a point approximately 5 mi from the runway, we realized we were lining up for runway 31 at ellsworth. At that same time, rap tower advised us of the same. I told tower we were making a left turn back towards rap. (We leveled at 1100 ft AGL.) we were reissued a visual approach to runway 32 and we landed. I feel the lesson for me is to be more conservative on visual approachs when ground/flight conditions are less than perfect. This particularly so when 2 airports are in close proximity with the runways aligned. Also, my copilot did not have the field in sight when I felt I did. I was premature in calling 'field in sight' without his having it as well. We even discussed ellsworth being just north of rap and with a similar runway alignment, but still lined up on it. The snow covered ground conditions caused me to see ellsworth first and I became locked onto it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF ACR MLG ACFT INADVERTENTLY LINED UP WITH THE WRONG ARPT DURING A VISUAL APCH.

Narrative: ON A DAYLIGHT VFR DSCNT INTO RAPID CITY, SD, REGIONAL ARPT (COPLT FLYING) MY FLT (ACR MLG ACFT) WAS GIVEN A VISUAL APCH CLRNC BY ELLSWORTH AFB APCH CTL. THE AREA WAS BLANKETED WITH SNOW. WE HAD 'RANCH NDB' THE LOM FOR RWY 32 AND THE ILS FOR RWY 32 TUNED AND IDENTED. WE WERE ANGLING FROM THE E TO FINAL. AT A POINT APPROX 5 MI FROM THE RWY, WE REALIZED WE WERE LINING UP FOR RWY 31 AT ELLSWORTH. AT THAT SAME TIME, RAP TWR ADVISED US OF THE SAME. I TOLD TWR WE WERE MAKING A L TURN BACK TOWARDS RAP. (WE LEVELED AT 1100 FT AGL.) WE WERE REISSUED A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 32 AND WE LANDED. I FEEL THE LESSON FOR ME IS TO BE MORE CONSERVATIVE ON VISUAL APCHS WHEN GND/FLT CONDITIONS ARE LESS THAN PERFECT. THIS PARTICULARLY SO WHEN 2 ARPTS ARE IN CLOSE PROX WITH THE RWYS ALIGNED. ALSO, MY COPLT DID NOT HAVE THE FIELD IN SIGHT WHEN I FELT I DID. I WAS PREMATURE IN CALLING 'FIELD IN SIGHT' WITHOUT HIS HAVING IT AS WELL. WE EVEN DISCUSSED ELLSWORTH BEING JUST N OF RAP AND WITH A SIMILAR RWY ALIGNMENT, BUT STILL LINED UP ON IT. THE SNOW COVERED GND CONDITIONS CAUSED ME TO SEE ELLSWORTH FIRST AND I BECAME LOCKED ONTO IT.

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.