Approach to wrong airport.

Attributes
ACN	241945
Time
Date	199305
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bfi airport : rnt
State Reference	WA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1500 msl bound upper : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sea
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 250
ASRS Report	241945
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 5700 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	241864
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

First officer saw airport and reported to ATC. He directed a turn towards airport with captain flying. Upon rolling out and seeing the airport, captain noticed it was the wrong airport, renton 2-3 mi east. Runway was 20 degrees off boeing field. A missed approach was executed and vectors were given to the correct airport, boeing field, with normal approach and landing. Tower had given us clearance to land but we recognized the wrong field. Our FMC also didn't agree. Coming in from the east without utilizing your instruments as a backup, especially at night, one could easily mistake renton for boeing (same direction runway 33 versus runway 31 and reils flashing) and at 1500 ft, the hill that separates renton from boeing, hides boeing field. It was a 'great experience' and shows importance of using instruments to backup approach, especially visual approachs!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: APCH TO WRONG ARPT.

Narrative: FO SAW ARPT AND RPTED TO ATC. HE DIRECTED A TURN TOWARDS ARPT WITH CAPT FLYING. UPON ROLLING OUT AND SEEING THE ARPT, CAPT NOTICED IT WAS THE WRONG ARPT, RENTON 2-3 MI E. RWY WAS 20 DEGS OFF BOEING FIELD. A MISSED APCH WAS EXECUTED AND VECTORS WERE GIVEN TO THE CORRECT ARPT, BOEING FIELD, WITH NORMAL APCH AND LNDG. TWR HAD GIVEN US CLRNC TO LAND BUT WE RECOGNIZED THE WRONG FIELD. OUR FMC ALSO DIDN'T AGREE. COMING IN FROM THE E WITHOUT UTILIZING YOUR INSTS AS A BACKUP, ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT, ONE COULD EASILY MISTAKE RENTON FOR BOEING (SAME DIRECTION RWY 33 VERSUS RWY 31 AND REILS FLASHING) AND AT 1500 FT, THE HILL THAT SEPARATES RENTON FROM BOEING, HIDES BOEING FIELD. IT WAS A 'GREAT EXPERIENCE' AND SHOWS IMPORTANCE OF USING INSTS TO BACKUP APCH, ESPECIALLY VISUAL APCHS!

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.