Narrative:

On approach to burbank '4 stacks visual' to runway 15 the approach controller requested we square out our approach for traffic -- the first officer was flying and did square it out which put us behind another aircraft on an approximately path similar to our approach. The controller called a cherokee traffic at 2-3 O'clock and we had a TCASII target closing in at 10 O'clock and we were trying to visually acquire these targets as well as general traffic. The controller thanked us for squaring our base and told us to contact tower. I made 3 calls to tower and was checking to be sure I had the correct frequency. The first officer was staying above 3000 ft until on final. We realized we were lined up at van nuys when we saw burbank at the same time that tower called. We got caught in the trap of VFR traffic identify and following the traffic ahead to the wrong airport. Due to visual conditions and looking outside, we neglected to fully utilize the information available through the FMC, which obviously would have shown us we were not lined up with burbank. Other contributing factors: tower would not respond which required attention and trying to verify frequencys. Pilot fatigue -- 4-DAY trip with approximately 4 hour break in the middle of each and short nightly layovers, early get ups, east coast to west. It did not allow for enough sleep and exercise.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF MLG HEADED TOWARD WRONG ARPT WHEN FOLLOWING ASSIGNED TFC THAT WAS GOING TO ANOTHER ARPT.

Narrative: ON APCH TO BURBANK '4 STACKS VISUAL' TO RWY 15 THE APCH CTLR REQUESTED WE SQUARE OUT OUR APCH FOR TFC -- THE FO WAS FLYING AND DID SQUARE IT OUT WHICH PUT US BEHIND ANOTHER ACFT ON AN APPROX PATH SIMILAR TO OUR APCH. THE CTLR CALLED A CHEROKEE TFC AT 2-3 O'CLOCK AND WE HAD A TCASII TARGET CLOSING IN AT 10 O'CLOCK AND WE WERE TRYING TO VISUALLY ACQUIRE THESE TARGETS AS WELL AS GENERAL TFC. THE CTLR THANKED US FOR SQUARING OUR BASE AND TOLD US TO CONTACT TWR. I MADE 3 CALLS TO TWR AND WAS CHKING TO BE SURE I HAD THE CORRECT FREQ. THE FO WAS STAYING ABOVE 3000 FT UNTIL ON FINAL. WE REALIZED WE WERE LINED UP AT VAN NUYS WHEN WE SAW BURBANK AT THE SAME TIME THAT TWR CALLED. WE GOT CAUGHT IN THE TRAP OF VFR TFC IDENT AND FOLLOWING THE TFC AHEAD TO THE WRONG ARPT. DUE TO VISUAL CONDITIONS AND LOOKING OUTSIDE, WE NEGLECTED TO FULLY UTILIZE THE INFO AVAILABLE THROUGH THE FMC, WHICH OBVIOUSLY WOULD HAVE SHOWN US WE WERE NOT LINED UP WITH BURBANK. OTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: TWR WOULD NOT RESPOND WHICH REQUIRED ATTN AND TRYING TO VERIFY FREQS. PLT FATIGUE -- 4-DAY TRIP WITH APPROX 4 HR BREAK IN THE MIDDLE OF EACH AND SHORT NIGHTLY LAYOVERS, EARLY GET UPS, E COAST TO W. IT DID NOT ALLOW FOR ENOUGH SLEEP AND EXERCISE.

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.