Crew confused by ground lights and thought they were runway lights.

Attributes
ACN	275161
Time
Date	199406
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : san
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 600 agl bound upper : 600
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : san
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	ils localizer & glide slope : iubr Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : go around
Route In Use	arrival other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 5500 flight time type : 250
ASRS Report	275161
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	275275
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude inflight encounter : weather non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other spatial deviation other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Navigational Facility
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

At MDA (localizer 27) and computed vdp apparent runway spotted 10 degrees left. Turned and descended from MDA. Crew concluded that it wasn't the runway and commenced missed approach as approach control gave a low altitude alert. During final stages of approach, the localizer swung 2 dots left and right of center, so crew was inclined to rely more on visual than the localizer guidance. Patchy fog in area obscured actual runway which was straight ahead and seen on the go around. Flight was after extended maintenance delay so that we arrived in san at about XX00 body time. Also WX was expected to be clear when we departed, so the complication of being tired and flying a non-precision in marginal WX contributed. Road and red lights to south of runway appear to be a runway in patchy fog when at the MDA. Perhaps need a caution in commercial approach plates. Should have requested high intensity lights, also could have asked for ILS 9 instead. However when extremely tired, options are difficult to come up with, and we weren't expecting minimum WX with reported 5 mi visibility.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CREW CONFUSED BY GND LIGHTS AND THOUGHT THEY WERE RWY LIGHTS.

Narrative: AT MDA (LOC 27) AND COMPUTED VDP APPARENT RWY SPOTTED 10 DEGS L. TURNED AND DSNDED FROM MDA. CREW CONCLUDED THAT IT WASN'T THE RWY AND COMMENCED MISSED APCH AS APCH CTL GAVE A LOW ALT ALERT. DURING FINAL STAGES OF APCH, THE LOC SWUNG 2 DOTS L AND R OF CTR, SO CREW WAS INCLINED TO RELY MORE ON VISUAL THAN THE LOC GUIDANCE. PATCHY FOG IN AREA OBSCURED ACTUAL RWY WHICH WAS STRAIGHT AHEAD AND SEEN ON THE GAR. FLT WAS AFTER EXTENDED MAINT DELAY SO THAT WE ARRIVED IN SAN AT ABOUT XX00 BODY TIME. ALSO WX WAS EXPECTED TO BE CLR WHEN WE DEPARTED, SO THE COMPLICATION OF BEING TIRED AND FLYING A NON-PRECISION IN MARGINAL WX CONTRIBUTED. ROAD AND RED LIGHTS TO S OF RWY APPEAR TO BE A RWY IN PATCHY FOG WHEN AT THE MDA. PERHAPS NEED A CAUTION IN COMMERCIAL APCH PLATES. SHOULD HAVE REQUESTED HIGH INTENSITY LIGHTS, ALSO COULD HAVE ASKED FOR ILS 9 INSTEAD. HOWEVER WHEN EXTREMELY TIRED, OPTIONS ARE DIFFICULT TO COME UP WITH, AND WE WEREN'T EXPECTING MINIMUM WX WITH RPTED 5 MI VISIBILITY.

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.