Narrative:

We were on an extended left downwind for runway 23 at clt. Since I situation in the right seat and the airport was to our left, I didn't have the airport in sight. While on approximately 5 mi downwind, the captain told the approach controller that we had the airport in sight. While I couldn't actually see the airport from where I was sitting, I was quite sure I would be able to pick up the airport visually once we turned in towards the airport. I turned in, I couldn't pick out the airport as easily as I figured and the captain gave me a heading to fly. The visibility on this particular evening was exceptional, and on these occasions airport lights are often hard to pick up because the surrounding city lights appear so bright. I flew the 300 degree heading but still had no luck seeing the airport as we descended. The captain suddenly told me to quickly turn to a 230 degree heading and initiate a go around at about 2500 ft MSL. I briefly saw the airport pass directly underneath us as we flew down the runway 23 centerline. Tower handed us off to departure and we circled and landed uneventfully on runway 18R. The captain had all along been looking at other lights off in the distance, and hadn't seen the airport until we went around. There were no traffic conflicts, as our go around took us directly down the centerline of runway 23. There has always been sort of an unwritten law that says you don't call the airport in sight until both crew members can see it. When the controller initially asked us if we had the airport in sight, he inferred that if we couldn't take a visual approach from our present position, he would have to take us further out to sequence us behind other traffic. In the future I will try to dissuade capts from calling the field in sight when I can't or don't see it yet. I will not accept visual approachs unless the PF also sees the airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MLG MADE AN APCH TO SOMETHING THAT LOOKED LIKE CLT ARPT.

Narrative: WE WERE ON AN EXTENDED L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 23 AT CLT. SINCE I SIT IN THE R SEAT AND THE ARPT WAS TO OUR L, I DIDN'T HAVE THE ARPT IN SIGHT. WHILE ON APPROX 5 MI DOWNWIND, THE CAPT TOLD THE APCH CTLR THAT WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT. WHILE I COULDN'T ACTUALLY SEE THE ARPT FROM WHERE I WAS SITTING, I WAS QUITE SURE I WOULD BE ABLE TO PICK UP THE ARPT VISUALLY ONCE WE TURNED IN TOWARDS THE ARPT. I TURNED IN, I COULDN'T PICK OUT THE ARPT AS EASILY AS I FIGURED AND THE CAPT GAVE ME A HDG TO FLY. THE VISIBILITY ON THIS PARTICULAR EVENING WAS EXCEPTIONAL, AND ON THESE OCCASIONS ARPT LIGHTS ARE OFTEN HARD TO PICK UP BECAUSE THE SURROUNDING CITY LIGHTS APPEAR SO BRIGHT. I FLEW THE 300 DEG HDG BUT STILL HAD NO LUCK SEEING THE ARPT AS WE DSNDED. THE CAPT SUDDENLY TOLD ME TO QUICKLY TURN TO A 230 DEG HDG AND INITIATE A GAR AT ABOUT 2500 FT MSL. I BRIEFLY SAW THE ARPT PASS DIRECTLY UNDERNEATH US AS WE FLEW DOWN THE RWY 23 CTRLINE. TWR HANDED US OFF TO DEP AND WE CIRCLED AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY ON RWY 18R. THE CAPT HAD ALL ALONG BEEN LOOKING AT OTHER LIGHTS OFF IN THE DISTANCE, AND HADN'T SEEN THE ARPT UNTIL WE WENT AROUND. THERE WERE NO TFC CONFLICTS, AS OUR GAR TOOK US DIRECTLY DOWN THE CTRLINE OF RWY 23. THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN SORT OF AN UNWRITTEN LAW THAT SAYS YOU DON'T CALL THE ARPT IN SIGHT UNTIL BOTH CREW MEMBERS CAN SEE IT. WHEN THE CTLR INITIALLY ASKED US IF WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT, HE INFERRED THAT IF WE COULDN'T TAKE A VISUAL APCH FROM OUR PRESENT POS, HE WOULD HAVE TO TAKE US FURTHER OUT TO SEQUENCE US BEHIND OTHER TFC. IN THE FUTURE I WILL TRY TO DISSUADE CAPTS FROM CALLING THE FIELD IN SIGHT WHEN I CAN'T OR DON'T SEE IT YET. I WILL NOT ACCEPT VISUAL APCHS UNLESS THE PF ALSO SEES THE 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.