Narrative:

Descending into alb from the wsw, we were being radar vectored by approach control for a visual approach to runway 19 at alb. West of the field we descended through a solid layer of clouds and broke out at approximately 3500 ft MSL observing, at our 10:30 position at approximately 3 mi, what appeared to both the copilot and myself to be alb airport based the runway configns. At the same time, approach control asked if we had albany in sight and gave its relative position from ours but I could not hear what it was because the copilot interrupted. The copilot answered in the affirmative and approach control cleared us for a visual approach to runway 19 with a right base and instructed us to contact the tower. Since we were passing south of the airport heading east, I asked the copilot to confirm with the tower a right traffic pattern because our position made a left pattern seem more reasonable. The copilot misdialed the tower frequency several times so I made a descending turn to the northwest to maneuver for a right base to final. Upon finally contacting the tower, the controller asked our heading and stated that we were maneuvering for schenectady county airport, issued a climb to 2500 ft MSL and gave additional vectors to final at alb. Several things contributed to the problem. First, upon receiving radar vectors for the approach, I tuned the #1 VOR to the ILS for runway 19 immediately without checking my position with respect to alb. Secondly, but related to the first, I did not hear approach control's statement concerning our position with respect to alb due to communication within the cockpit. I should have directed the copilot to have that part of the transmission repeated. Thirdly, I should not have accepted the visual approach clearance as quickly as I did but should have allowed approach control to vector the aircraft further which would have brought us closer to alb. Finally, although I was aware that schenectady airport was northwest of alb airport, the copilot was not aware of it and I should have included this in our approach briefing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG IS CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO ALB BUT BEGINS APCH TO SCH INSTEAD.

Narrative: DSNDING INTO ALB FROM THE WSW, WE WERE BEING RADAR VECTORED BY APCH CTL FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 19 AT ALB. W OF THE FIELD WE DSNDED THROUGH A SOLID LAYER OF CLOUDS AND BROKE OUT AT APPROX 3500 FT MSL OBSERVING, AT OUR 10:30 POS AT APPROX 3 MI, WHAT APPEARED TO BOTH THE COPLT AND MYSELF TO BE ALB ARPT BASED THE RWY CONFIGNS. AT THE SAME TIME, APCH CTL ASKED IF WE HAD ALBANY IN SIGHT AND GAVE ITS RELATIVE POS FROM OURS BUT I COULD NOT HEAR WHAT IT WAS BECAUSE THE COPLT INTERRUPTED. THE COPLT ANSWERED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE AND APCH CTL CLRED US FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 19 WITH A R BASE AND INSTRUCTED US TO CONTACT THE TWR. SINCE WE WERE PASSING S OF THE ARPT HDG E, I ASKED THE COPLT TO CONFIRM WITH THE TWR A R TFC PATTERN BECAUSE OUR POS MADE A L PATTERN SEEM MORE REASONABLE. THE COPLT MISDIALED THE TWR FREQ SEVERAL TIMES SO I MADE A DSNDING TURN TO THE NW TO MANEUVER FOR A R BASE TO FINAL. UPON FINALLY CONTACTING THE TWR, THE CTLR ASKED OUR HDG AND STATED THAT WE WERE MANEUVERING FOR SCHENECTADY COUNTY ARPT, ISSUED A CLB TO 2500 FT MSL AND GAVE ADDITIONAL VECTORS TO FINAL AT ALB. SEVERAL THINGS CONTRIBUTED TO THE PROB. FIRST, UPON RECEIVING RADAR VECTORS FOR THE APCH, I TUNED THE #1 VOR TO THE ILS FOR RWY 19 IMMEDIATELY WITHOUT CHKING MY POS WITH RESPECT TO ALB. SECONDLY, BUT RELATED TO THE FIRST, I DID NOT HEAR APCH CTL'S STATEMENT CONCERNING OUR POS WITH RESPECT TO ALB DUE TO COM WITHIN THE COCKPIT. I SHOULD HAVE DIRECTED THE COPLT TO HAVE THAT PART OF THE XMISSION REPEATED. THIRDLY, I SHOULD NOT HAVE ACCEPTED THE VISUAL APCH CLRNC AS QUICKLY AS I DID BUT SHOULD HAVE ALLOWED APCH CTL TO VECTOR THE ACFT FURTHER WHICH WOULD HAVE BROUGHT US CLOSER TO ALB. FINALLY, ALTHOUGH I WAS AWARE THAT SCHENECTADY ARPT WAS NW OF ALB ARPT, THE COPLT WAS NOT AWARE OF IT AND I SHOULD HAVE INCLUDED THIS IN OUR APCH BRIEFING.

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.