Narrative:

It was a relaxed sun afternoon 1 leg flight to msp. No significant WX. Scattered to broken clouds at destination. The crew worked well together each seeming relaxed and confident in the others. There was a crew member jumpseater behind the captain. All crew members had been into msp previously. Descending into msp through a scattered to broken layer approximately 8000 ft MSL visibility was 10-15 mi. We had tuned the ILS and briefed the approach. Over the yrs I've not found msp approach to be particularly creative or flexible so I was surprised when they ask if we had the airport visually when we were 10-15 mi out, implying that they would grant a visual approach. Having not expected that but wanting to cooperate I glanced hurriedly up, saw an airport on a river at some distance ahead and called that we had the airport in sight. Each crew member saw the same airport. It was apparently st paul airport. We were cleared visual to 29L to turn final at least 4 mi out for noise abatement. As we descended and began to configure, we were VFR and all eyes were outside, I heard approach control say to another aircraft 'that for some reason (our flight) was going through the runway extended centerline.' when I heard that I looked at 9 O'clock and saw msp airport runways 29L and right about 6-8 mi out. We were crossing the centerline of 29L. I turned immediately to line up with 29L but we did cross the extended centerline of 29R. As I turned approach called and we told him we were turning to 25L. No traffic had been called to us either before or after but I did hear approach give a level off to another aircraft apparently approaching 29R from farther out. There was apparently no real conflict because as soon as we turned in, even though we were still on the centerline of 29R correcting back the other aircraft was cleared to continue his descent. We landed without further comment or problems. Nothing more was said by either approach, tower, or us. All 3 crew members and the jumpseater had all been looking at the wrong airport. Obviously, we should have backed up the approach by checking the ILS that we had tuned and briefed. I have 'always' made it a policy to back up any visual approach with electronic aids if available. Why I didn't in this case is still a mystery to me. But I don't believe that I'll make that mistake again. We were all apologetic to each other and amazed that we had allowed that to happen. Everyone accepted some individual responsibility for the oversight as we all knew that we should have noticed the ILS. We were confident that we had the correct airport and were looking outside as is required and prudent when VFR.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NON ADHERENCE TO ATC CLRNC INSTRUCTION IN HDG TRACK DEV DURING VISUAL APCH TO WRONG ARPT.

Narrative: IT WAS A RELAXED SUN AFTERNOON 1 LEG FLT TO MSP. NO SIGNIFICANT WX. SCATTERED TO BROKEN CLOUDS AT DEST. THE CREW WORKED WELL TOGETHER EACH SEEMING RELAXED AND CONFIDENT IN THE OTHERS. THERE WAS A CREW MEMBER JUMPSEATER BEHIND THE CAPT. ALL CREW MEMBERS HAD BEEN INTO MSP PREVIOUSLY. DSNDING INTO MSP THROUGH A SCATTERED TO BROKEN LAYER APPROX 8000 FT MSL VISIBILITY WAS 10-15 MI. WE HAD TUNED THE ILS AND BRIEFED THE APCH. OVER THE YRS I'VE NOT FOUND MSP APCH TO BE PARTICULARLY CREATIVE OR FLEXIBLE SO I WAS SURPRISED WHEN THEY ASK IF WE HAD THE ARPT VISUALLY WHEN WE WERE 10-15 MI OUT, IMPLYING THAT THEY WOULD GRANT A VISUAL APCH. HAVING NOT EXPECTED THAT BUT WANTING TO COOPERATE I GLANCED HURRIEDLY UP, SAW AN ARPT ON A RIVER AT SOME DISTANCE AHEAD AND CALLED THAT WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT. EACH CREW MEMBER SAW THE SAME ARPT. IT WAS APPARENTLY ST PAUL ARPT. WE WERE CLRED VISUAL TO 29L TO TURN FINAL AT LEAST 4 MI OUT FOR NOISE ABATEMENT. AS WE DSNDED AND BEGAN TO CONFIGURE, WE WERE VFR AND ALL EYES WERE OUTSIDE, I HEARD APCH CTL SAY TO ANOTHER ACFT 'THAT FOR SOME REASON (OUR FLT) WAS GOING THROUGH THE RWY EXTENDED CTRLINE.' WHEN I HEARD THAT I LOOKED AT 9 O'CLOCK AND SAW MSP ARPT RWYS 29L AND R ABOUT 6-8 MI OUT. WE WERE XING THE CTRLINE OF 29L. I TURNED IMMEDIATELY TO LINE UP WITH 29L BUT WE DID CROSS THE EXTENDED CTRLINE OF 29R. AS I TURNED APCH CALLED AND WE TOLD HIM WE WERE TURNING TO 25L. NO TFC HAD BEEN CALLED TO US EITHER BEFORE OR AFTER BUT I DID HEAR APCH GIVE A LEVEL OFF TO ANOTHER ACFT APPARENTLY APCHING 29R FROM FARTHER OUT. THERE WAS APPARENTLY NO REAL CONFLICT BECAUSE AS SOON AS WE TURNED IN, EVEN THOUGH WE WERE STILL ON THE CTRLINE OF 29R CORRECTING BACK THE OTHER ACFT WAS CLRED TO CONTINUE HIS DSCNT. WE LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER COMMENT OR PROBS. NOTHING MORE WAS SAID BY EITHER APCH, TWR, OR US. ALL 3 CREW MEMBERS AND THE JUMPSEATER HAD ALL BEEN LOOKING AT THE WRONG ARPT. OBVIOUSLY, WE SHOULD HAVE BACKED UP THE APCH BY CHKING THE ILS THAT WE HAD TUNED AND BRIEFED. I HAVE 'ALWAYS' MADE IT A POLICY TO BACK UP ANY VISUAL APCH WITH ELECTRONIC AIDS IF AVAILABLE. WHY I DIDN'T IN THIS CASE IS STILL A MYSTERY TO ME. BUT I DON'T BELIEVE THAT I'LL MAKE THAT MISTAKE AGAIN. WE WERE ALL APOLOGETIC TO EACH OTHER AND AMAZED THAT WE HAD ALLOWED THAT TO HAPPEN. EVERYONE ACCEPTED SOME INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE OVERSIGHT AS WE ALL KNEW THAT WE SHOULD HAVE NOTICED THE ILS. WE WERE CONFIDENT THAT WE HAD THE CORRECT ARPT AND WERE LOOKING OUTSIDE AS IS REQUIRED AND PRUDENT WHEN VFR.

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.