Narrative:

We were en route from clt, nc, to tri, tn. We were at approximately 10000 and given airport at 1 O'clock and told we were being vectored for a visual approach to runway 5. At the time the controller called position of airport we looked out and just caught the end of runway below. We called airport in sight and was given clearance for a visual approach to runway 5 with a right base so I started to descend. I was positioning airplane for a right base, we had good ground contact at all times. At the time I was starting a turn for base leg the controller told us that he had a low altitude alert and to climb to 5300 ft, which we did. At that time we realized that we were starting the approach to the wrong airport. If we had continued when we turned base and saw airport, we would had known it was the wrong one, but it was behind us for the whole time we were on approach. We would have also known it was wrong when we turned base because we had localizer for 23 set in. We were never in any danger and would not have landed at wrong airport, but we should have been more aware of our position and the controller could have called us sooner. He should have noticed that I was flying a downwind to other airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN MLG ACR ACFT INADVERTENTLY STARTED A VISUAL APCH TO THE WRONG ARPT.

Narrative: WE WERE ENRTE FROM CLT, NC, TO TRI, TN. WE WERE AT APPROX 10000 AND GIVEN ARPT AT 1 O'CLOCK AND TOLD WE WERE BEING VECTORED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 5. AT THE TIME THE CTLR CALLED POS OF ARPT WE LOOKED OUT AND JUST CAUGHT THE END OF RWY BELOW. WE CALLED ARPT IN SIGHT AND WAS GIVEN CLRNC FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 5 WITH A R BASE SO I STARTED TO DSND. I WAS POSITIONING AIRPLANE FOR A R BASE, WE HAD GOOD GND CONTACT AT ALL TIMES. AT THE TIME I WAS STARTING A TURN FOR BASE LEG THE CTLR TOLD US THAT HE HAD A LOW ALT ALERT AND TO CLB TO 5300 FT, WHICH WE DID. AT THAT TIME WE REALIZED THAT WE WERE STARTING THE APCH TO THE WRONG ARPT. IF WE HAD CONTINUED WHEN WE TURNED BASE AND SAW ARPT, WE WOULD HAD KNOWN IT WAS THE WRONG ONE, BUT IT WAS BEHIND US FOR THE WHOLE TIME WE WERE ON APCH. WE WOULD HAVE ALSO KNOWN IT WAS WRONG WHEN WE TURNED BASE BECAUSE WE HAD LOC FOR 23 SET IN. WE WERE NEVER IN ANY DANGER AND WOULD NOT HAVE LANDED AT WRONG ARPT, BUT WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE AWARE OF OUR POS AND THE CTLR COULD HAVE CALLED US SOONER. HE SHOULD HAVE NOTICED THAT I WAS FLYING A DOWNWIND TO OTHER ARPT.

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.