Narrative:

I was hand flying the aircraft for a visual approach to runway 05L at ind. We were cleared for the visual and I lined up on final with what I thought was runway 05L. We were transferred then to ind tower. At the time I noticed my localizer wasn't centered (it was being used to back up the visual approach) another aircraft reported a problem receiving the localizer. I therefore assumed at that point that it must be the signal and continued. Over the next few mins the combination of the off-center localizer, GS warnings, blowing snow on the 'runway' and hearing tower clear an aircraft for takeoff from runway 05L told me that I wasn't lined up on runway 05L. The blowing snow on the 'runway' kept any 'runway' markings from being seen. I also never saw another aircraft takeoff from my 'runway.' I asked the captain, who was the PNF 3 times to verify that I was indeed lined up on runway 05L. He said 'yes, you're fine' all 3 times. I asked him to query ATC about the ILS signal. At that time, I was low enough to see the debris on what was a runway newly constructed (not open), and was about to call for a go around, when ind tower realized where we were lined up and they called for us to go around. We performed the go around procedure and circled back around to runway 05L and landed without incident. I feel the problem was a combination of the snow on the ground 'masking' the grayer runway 05L from the blacker closed area, the other aircraft reporting a problem with the localizer, the blowing snow covering any closed markings, and also pilot (both crewmembers) fatigue. We were operating on a continuous duty trip and had only had approximately 5 hours sleep the night before.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: VISUAL APCH TO WRONG RWY.

Narrative: I WAS HAND FLYING THE ACFT FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 05L AT IND. WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL AND I LINED UP ON FINAL WITH WHAT I THOUGHT WAS RWY 05L. WE WERE TRANSFERRED THEN TO IND TWR. AT THE TIME I NOTICED MY LOC WASN'T CTRED (IT WAS BEING USED TO BACK UP THE VISUAL APCH) ANOTHER ACFT RPTED A PROB RECEIVING THE LOC. I THEREFORE ASSUMED AT THAT POINT THAT IT MUST BE THE SIGNAL AND CONTINUED. OVER THE NEXT FEW MINS THE COMBINATION OF THE OFF-CTR LOC, GS WARNINGS, BLOWING SNOW ON THE 'RWY' AND HEARING TWR CLR AN ACFT FOR TKOF FROM RWY 05L TOLD ME THAT I WASN'T LINED UP ON RWY 05L. THE BLOWING SNOW ON THE 'RWY' KEPT ANY 'RWY' MARKINGS FROM BEING SEEN. I ALSO NEVER SAW ANOTHER ACFT TKOF FROM MY 'RWY.' I ASKED THE CAPT, WHO WAS THE PNF 3 TIMES TO VERIFY THAT I WAS INDEED LINED UP ON RWY 05L. HE SAID 'YES, YOU'RE FINE' ALL 3 TIMES. I ASKED HIM TO QUERY ATC ABOUT THE ILS SIGNAL. AT THAT TIME, I WAS LOW ENOUGH TO SEE THE DEBRIS ON WHAT WAS A RWY NEWLY CONSTRUCTED (NOT OPEN), AND WAS ABOUT TO CALL FOR A GAR, WHEN IND TWR REALIZED WHERE WE WERE LINED UP AND THEY CALLED FOR US TO GAR. WE PERFORMED THE GAR PROC AND CIRCLED BACK AROUND TO RWY 05L AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. I FEEL THE PROB WAS A COMBINATION OF THE SNOW ON THE GND 'MASKING' THE GRAYER RWY 05L FROM THE BLACKER CLOSED AREA, THE OTHER ACFT RPTING A PROB WITH THE LOC, THE BLOWING SNOW COVERING ANY CLOSED MARKINGS, AND ALSO PLT (BOTH CREWMEMBERS) FATIGUE. WE WERE OPERATING ON A CONTINUOUS DUTY TRIP AND HAD ONLY HAD APPROX 5 HRS SLEEP THE NIGHT BEFORE.

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.