Narrative:

On feb/sat/93 my wife and I filed an IFR flight plan to fly over for a visit from vero beach. The WX briefer said we would have good WX with scattered clouds at 3000 at tampa and headwinds of 33 KTS at 9000 ft and, as we approached tampa, they would be 25 KTS from 320 at 3000 ft. Tampa approach vectored us around for a landing on localizer (back course) runway 36R. As we descended through 4000 ft, we entered a solid cloud layer and ATIS said the ceiling was 2300 ft. The controller cleared us for the localizer (back course) runway 36R approach and mentioned several times to not descend below 2600 ft until crossing whing intersection. I was level at 2600 ft and flying towards the localizer when my wife exclaimed that she saw the airport. My mind went into overload at this point. I had also taken a quick look down and saw a runway. If this was tampa international, I knew I had really screwed up. Just as I was going to call approach control and ask to be vectored around again, the controller called me and asked what my heading was? I responded 030. Then he asked if I would take a 'visual' approach to 36R. By then we did have the 'real' airport in sight so I elected the 'visual' approach. The rest was routine. Several things came to light as a result of this experience. I let my wife's exclamation of an airport below us distract me to the point where the approach was totally screwed up! The runway we saw was mac dill air force base.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA ALMOST MADE AN APCH TO MAC DILL AIR FORCE BASE WHILE ON A BACK COURSE APCH TO TPA.

Narrative: ON FEB/SAT/93 MY WIFE AND I FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN TO FLY OVER FOR A VISIT FROM VERO BEACH. THE WX BRIEFER SAID WE WOULD HAVE GOOD WX WITH SCATTERED CLOUDS AT 3000 AT TAMPA AND HEADWINDS OF 33 KTS AT 9000 FT AND, AS WE APCHED TAMPA, THEY WOULD BE 25 KTS FROM 320 AT 3000 FT. TAMPA APCH VECTORED US AROUND FOR A LNDG ON LOC (BACK COURSE) RWY 36R. AS WE DSNDED THROUGH 4000 FT, WE ENTERED A SOLID CLOUD LAYER AND ATIS SAID THE CEILING WAS 2300 FT. THE CTLR CLRED US FOR THE LOC (BACK COURSE) RWY 36R APCH AND MENTIONED SEVERAL TIMES TO NOT DSND BELOW 2600 FT UNTIL XING WHING INTXN. I WAS LEVEL AT 2600 FT AND FLYING TOWARDS THE LOC WHEN MY WIFE EXCLAIMED THAT SHE SAW THE ARPT. MY MIND WENT INTO OVERLOAD AT THIS POINT. I HAD ALSO TAKEN A QUICK LOOK DOWN AND SAW A RWY. IF THIS WAS TAMPA INTL, I KNEW I HAD REALLY SCREWED UP. JUST AS I WAS GOING TO CALL APCH CTL AND ASK TO BE VECTORED AROUND AGAIN, THE CTLR CALLED ME AND ASKED WHAT MY HDG WAS? I RESPONDED 030. THEN HE ASKED IF I WOULD TAKE A 'VISUAL' APCH TO 36R. BY THEN WE DID HAVE THE 'REAL' ARPT IN SIGHT SO I ELECTED THE 'VISUAL' APCH. THE REST WAS ROUTINE. SEVERAL THINGS CAME TO LIGHT AS A RESULT OF THIS EXPERIENCE. I LET MY WIFE'S EXCLAMATION OF AN ARPT BELOW US DISTRACT ME TO THE POINT WHERE THE APCH WAS TOTALLY SCREWED UP! THE RWY WE SAW WAS MAC DILL AIR FORCE BASE.

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.