Narrative:

IFR flight dtw to kalamazoo, mi, battle creek international airport, kalamazoo VOR tuned and proceeding direct to kalamazoo. We were held at 12000 ft 28 mi from the airport at 25 mi. We were cleared to 9000 ft, had an airport in sight that looked like kalamazoo battle creek international. Controller asked if we had the airport at 12:30 - 1 O'clock position. We looked and said we did. Cleared us to 3000 ft. Now 15 mi from airport at 9000 ft, pulled speed brakes to get the aircraft down. In our haste to get the aircraft down and into the airport pattern we had picked out battle creek michigan kellogg airport. Approach had cleared us for a visual approach. I had the ILS set on my side, the first officer had the kalamazoo VOR tuned and we were showing 9 mi from the airport, turning a long downwind base to final approach for runway 35 kalamazoo. At this time ATC called and said make an immediate right turn you are at the battle creek michigan kellogg airport, maintain 3000 ft, turn right and he then proceeded to give us radar vectors to the kalamazoo michigan battle creek international airport. We landed without further problem. All I can say is we had the kalamazoo VOR tuned and in our haste to get down and slow down and not overfly the airport, we forgot to look at the VOR needles and see which way they were pointing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN MLG ACR ACFT WERE MAKING A VISUAL APCH TO THE WRONG ARPT UNTIL ATC CTLR INTERVENED.

Narrative: IFR FLT DTW TO KALAMAZOO, MI, BATTLE CREEK INTL ARPT, KALAMAZOO VOR TUNED AND PROCEEDING DIRECT TO KALAMAZOO. WE WERE HELD AT 12000 FT 28 MI FROM THE ARPT AT 25 MI. WE WERE CLRED TO 9000 FT, HAD AN ARPT IN SIGHT THAT LOOKED LIKE KALAMAZOO BATTLE CREEK INTL. CTLR ASKED IF WE HAD THE ARPT AT 12:30 - 1 O'CLOCK POS. WE LOOKED AND SAID WE DID. CLRED US TO 3000 FT. NOW 15 MI FROM ARPT AT 9000 FT, PULLED SPD BRAKES TO GET THE ACFT DOWN. IN OUR HASTE TO GET THE ACFT DOWN AND INTO THE ARPT PATTERN WE HAD PICKED OUT BATTLE CREEK MICHIGAN KELLOGG ARPT. APCH HAD CLRED US FOR A VISUAL APCH. I HAD THE ILS SET ON MY SIDE, THE FO HAD THE KALAMAZOO VOR TUNED AND WE WERE SHOWING 9 MI FROM THE ARPT, TURNING A LONG DOWNWIND BASE TO FINAL APCH FOR RWY 35 KALAMAZOO. AT THIS TIME ATC CALLED AND SAID MAKE AN IMMEDIATE R TURN YOU ARE AT THE BATTLE CREEK MICHIGAN KELLOGG ARPT, MAINTAIN 3000 FT, TURN R AND HE THEN PROCEEDED TO GIVE US RADAR VECTORS TO THE KALAMAZOO MICHIGAN BATTLE CREEK INTL ARPT. WE LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER PROB. ALL I CAN SAY IS WE HAD THE KALAMAZOO VOR TUNED AND IN OUR HASTE TO GET DOWN AND SLOW DOWN AND NOT OVERFLY THE ARPT, WE FORGOT TO LOOK AT THE VOR NEEDLES AND SEE WHICH WAY THEY WERE POINTING.

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.