Visual approach to wrong runway.

Attributes
ACN	295378
Time
Date	199502
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ind
State Reference	IN
Altitude	agl bound lower : 500 agl bound upper : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : ind
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 16000 flight time type : 2800
ASRS Report	295378
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Morning, weak storm approaching, no precipitation. Arrival from east, had field in sight, cleared visual approach runway 5L at ind on left downwind with first officer flying. Recalling sequence of events, I realize that throughout the approach I was looking at the new unfinished runway northwest of runway 5L. We both had the runway 5L ILS tuned and idented. First officer rolled out on final on runway I'd been looking at. First officer went low on GS (for runway 5L) while watching visual 'picture.' I commented on this fact and then saw immediately that the CDI's were full scale right. I commanded a go around and the first officer complied. We flew a normal visual approach after that and landed on runway 5L. As we passed the new runway threshold I could see a yellow 'X,' half obscured by snow. I also observed trucks parked on the unfinished runway. Misident of the runway was probably caused by my (our) failure to study the airport diagram before arrival. This oversight was probably caused by a feeling of familiarity (complacency). The misident was facilitated by snow covering entire airport. Recommendations: 1) at airports with runways paved but not open, when snow covered, keep X's cleared and/or mark with red lights. 2) with runways paved but not open and no work in progress, do not park equipment on runway, just in case.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: VISUAL APCH TO WRONG RWY.

Narrative: MORNING, WEAK STORM APCHING, NO PRECIPITATION. ARR FROM E, HAD FIELD IN SIGHT, CLRED VISUAL APCH RWY 5L AT IND ON L DOWNWIND WITH FO FLYING. RECALLING SEQUENCE OF EVENTS, I REALIZE THAT THROUGHOUT THE APCH I WAS LOOKING AT THE NEW UNFINISHED RWY NW OF RWY 5L. WE BOTH HAD THE RWY 5L ILS TUNED AND IDENTED. FO ROLLED OUT ON FINAL ON RWY I'D BEEN LOOKING AT. FO WENT LOW ON GS (FOR RWY 5L) WHILE WATCHING VISUAL 'PICTURE.' I COMMENTED ON THIS FACT AND THEN SAW IMMEDIATELY THAT THE CDI'S WERE FULL SCALE R. I COMMANDED A GAR AND THE FO COMPLIED. WE FLEW A NORMAL VISUAL APCH AFTER THAT AND LANDED ON RWY 5L. AS WE PASSED THE NEW RWY THRESHOLD I COULD SEE A YELLOW 'X,' HALF OBSCURED BY SNOW. I ALSO OBSERVED TRUCKS PARKED ON THE UNFINISHED RWY. MISIDENT OF THE RWY WAS PROBABLY CAUSED BY MY (OUR) FAILURE TO STUDY THE ARPT DIAGRAM BEFORE ARR. THIS OVERSIGHT WAS PROBABLY CAUSED BY A FEELING OF FAMILIARITY (COMPLACENCY). THE MISIDENT WAS FACILITATED BY SNOW COVERING ENTIRE ARPT. RECOMMENDATIONS: 1) AT ARPTS WITH RWYS PAVED BUT NOT OPEN, WHEN SNOW COVERED, KEEP X'S CLRED AND/OR MARK WITH RED LIGHTS. 2) WITH RWYS PAVED BUT NOT OPEN AND NO WORK IN PROGRESS, DO NOT PARK EQUIP ON RWY, JUST IN CASE.

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.