Narrative:

We were on an IFR flight to marion, il. We were cleared from 5000 ft to 2300 ft and a visual approach once we had the airfield in sight. In the start of the descent, the captain said I have a beacon in sight, at which time I acknowledge and said I have the airfield. We then proceeded VFR to the locator OM for the approach (ILS runway 20). While descended and flying toward the locator OM, we could see a runway line up approximately 200 degrees. When we got to 2000 ft I leveled the aircraft and began a turn from a modified right base to final inside the locator OM and called for the localizer to be tuned and idented. While on final the captain was unable to tune and identify, however, we had a good visual on the runway. We had no reason to believe we were aligned wrong and that we were going to this uncontrolled airfield because we were heading about 200 degrees and everything looked good. It wasn't until short-short final that we saw 18 on the runway and realized we were landing at the wrong airport. The airports are only about 10 mi apart with their main runways both running in the same basic direction. From the direction we were approaching from (west) the first runway we saw appeared correct. Both the captain and I were unfamiliar with the closeness of the 2 airports. Supplemental information from acn 241388: the marion WX was reported as 10000 ft overcast, 10 mi visibility with light rain. The first officer now had a good visual of the runway out his right side window. We continued the approach and I tuned navigation #1 to the runway 20 local and as before could not hear the localizer identify. We continued in our approach, I again listened for the localizer identify on both navigation receivers and at this point concluded that the localizer ground station was off the air. Captain had not flown to this area destination previous to that morning. First officer relatively new to company with 2 previous night trips to the marion area. Facilities -- descending into an uncontrolled facility (no tower after 8 pm). No ATIS information. WX -- departed columbia at dusk descending in to night at destination with light rain and thunderstorms in area. Complacency -- captain probably relied too heavily on the first officer's ability to recognize and proceed to correct airport in marion area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FREIGHT HAULER IN A NIGHT OP MAKES WRONG ARPT APCH LNDG.

Narrative: WE WERE ON AN IFR FLT TO MARION, IL. WE WERE CLRED FROM 5000 FT TO 2300 FT AND A VISUAL APCH ONCE WE HAD THE AIRFIELD IN SIGHT. IN THE START OF THE DSCNT, THE CAPT SAID I HAVE A BEACON IN SIGHT, AT WHICH TIME I ACKNOWLEDGE AND SAID I HAVE THE AIRFIELD. WE THEN PROCEEDED VFR TO THE LOCATOR OM FOR THE APCH (ILS RWY 20). WHILE DSNDED AND FLYING TOWARD THE LOCATOR OM, WE COULD SEE A RWY LINE UP APPROX 200 DEGS. WHEN WE GOT TO 2000 FT I LEVELED THE ACFT AND BEGAN A TURN FROM A MODIFIED R BASE TO FINAL INSIDE THE LOCATOR OM AND CALLED FOR THE LOC TO BE TUNED AND IDENTED. WHILE ON FINAL THE CAPT WAS UNABLE TO TUNE AND IDENT, HOWEVER, WE HAD A GOOD VISUAL ON THE RWY. WE HAD NO REASON TO BELIEVE WE WERE ALIGNED WRONG AND THAT WE WERE GOING TO THIS UNCTLED AIRFIELD BECAUSE WE WERE HDG ABOUT 200 DEGS AND EVERYTHING LOOKED GOOD. IT WASN'T UNTIL SHORT-SHORT FINAL THAT WE SAW 18 ON THE RWY AND REALIZED WE WERE LNDG AT THE WRONG ARPT. THE ARPTS ARE ONLY ABOUT 10 MI APART WITH THEIR MAIN RWYS BOTH RUNNING IN THE SAME BASIC DIRECTION. FROM THE DIRECTION WE WERE APCHING FROM (W) THE FIRST RWY WE SAW APPEARED CORRECT. BOTH THE CAPT AND I WERE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE CLOSENESS OF THE 2 ARPTS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 241388: THE MARION WX WAS RPTED AS 10000 FT OVCST, 10 MI VISIBILITY WITH LIGHT RAIN. THE FO NOW HAD A GOOD VISUAL OF THE RWY OUT HIS R SIDE WINDOW. WE CONTINUED THE APCH AND I TUNED NAV #1 TO THE RWY 20 LCL AND AS BEFORE COULD NOT HEAR THE LOC IDENT. WE CONTINUED IN OUR APCH, I AGAIN LISTENED FOR THE LOC IDENT ON BOTH NAV RECEIVERS AND AT THIS POINT CONCLUDED THAT THE LOC GND STATION WAS OFF THE AIR. CAPT HAD NOT FLOWN TO THIS AREA DEST PREVIOUS TO THAT MORNING. FO RELATIVELY NEW TO COMPANY WITH 2 PREVIOUS NIGHT TRIPS TO THE MARION AREA. FACILITIES -- DSNDING INTO AN UNCTLED FACILITY (NO TWR AFTER 8 PM). NO ATIS INFO. WX -- DEPARTED COLUMBIA AT DUSK DSNDING IN TO NIGHT AT DEST WITH LIGHT RAIN AND TSTMS IN AREA. COMPLACENCY -- CAPT PROBABLY RELIED TOO HEAVILY ON THE FO'S ABILITY TO RECOGNIZE AND PROCEED TO CORRECT ARPT IN MARION AREA.

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.