Narrative:

Our flight was approaching lit for landing WX was cavu. ATIS reported landing on runways 22L and 22R, runway 22R ILS-OTS. Both pilots were unfamiliar with lit. Center ATC handed us to approach control. Approach controller was also responsible for departure, tower and ground control. He was quite busy with multiple frequencys. We indented a civilian beacon but, did not have the runway in sight. Approach ATC asked us if we had the field in sight - we said no, since the runway was not visible. ATC said, that he would turn the lights up bright on runway 22R. Moments later we observed a properly aligned runway dead ahead with runway lights at full intensity, in conjunction with the beacon previously idented. We called runway in sight. ATC cleared us for the visual approach and landing on runway 22R. As we continued the descent through approximately 2500 ft MSL, it appeared to me (PF) that the runway lights were bright on runway 22L and the lights on runway 22R were actually off. Did the controller turn up the wrong runway lights? And, did he turn down the lights on the other runway (22R) for better identify? I asked the captain to confirm with ATC that he turned up the proper lights. This was easier said than done, because ATC was very busy. When he finally was able to ask - ATC misunderstood our request - (I think) he thought we wanted to land on runway 22L. So, he cleared us to land on runway 22L. By now things were happening faster - we were getting closer to the ground. It was at approximately 1800 ft MSL, configured to flaps 15 , gear down and my mental alarm bells ringing - saying something was wrong with this picture. At 1000 ft AGL, I initiated a go around and began a left turn. The captain announced a missed approach. ATC's response was very telling 'what do you mean you're going around.' he had no idea where we were. During this left turn I observed lit off my right side, approximately 4 mi. I had made a visual approach to north little rock airport - runway 23. Landing at lit was accomplished without incident. Chain of events: unfamiliar with local area. Misidented beacon. ILS 22R-OTS. Too busy controller with multiple frequencys and areas of responsibility. Controller unaware of our position. Runway lights at full intensity - they were properly aligned at an airport 6 NM nnw of lit and on the line of flight for our direction of travel. Human performance: observing a brightly lit runway where we had previously idented a beacon, confirmed to us that we were in the right place. Human performance broke down with flight crew and ATC. We found the wrong airport, ATC was too busy to properly accomplish all of his tasks and help us, or understand our request for clarification. But, human performance saved a landing at the wrong airport. Instinct and judgement together, overcame the perception that we were at the correct airport.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MAKES APCH TO WRONG ARPT.

Narrative: OUR FLT WAS APCHING LIT FOR LNDG WX WAS CAVU. ATIS RPTED LNDG ON RWYS 22L AND 22R, RWY 22R ILS-OTS. BOTH PLTS WERE UNFAMILIAR WITH LIT. CTR ATC HANDED US TO APCH CTL. APCH CTLR WAS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR DEP, TWR AND GND CTL. HE WAS QUITE BUSY WITH MULTIPLE FREQS. WE INDENTED A CIVILIAN BEACON BUT, DID NOT HAVE THE RWY IN SIGHT. APCH ATC ASKED US IF WE HAD THE FIELD IN SIGHT - WE SAID NO, SINCE THE RWY WAS NOT VISIBLE. ATC SAID, THAT HE WOULD TURN THE LIGHTS UP BRIGHT ON RWY 22R. MOMENTS LATER WE OBSERVED A PROPERLY ALIGNED RWY DEAD AHEAD WITH RWY LIGHTS AT FULL INTENSITY, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE BEACON PREVIOUSLY IDENTED. WE CALLED RWY IN SIGHT. ATC CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL APCH AND LNDG ON RWY 22R. AS WE CONTINUED THE DSCNT THROUGH APPROX 2500 FT MSL, IT APPEARED TO ME (PF) THAT THE RWY LIGHTS WERE BRIGHT ON RWY 22L AND THE LIGHTS ON RWY 22R WERE ACTUALLY OFF. DID THE CTLR TURN UP THE WRONG RWY LIGHTS? AND, DID HE TURN DOWN THE LIGHTS ON THE OTHER RWY (22R) FOR BETTER IDENT? I ASKED THE CAPT TO CONFIRM WITH ATC THAT HE TURNED UP THE PROPER LIGHTS. THIS WAS EASIER SAID THAN DONE, BECAUSE ATC WAS VERY BUSY. WHEN HE FINALLY WAS ABLE TO ASK - ATC MISUNDERSTOOD OUR REQUEST - (I THINK) HE THOUGHT WE WANTED TO LAND ON RWY 22L. SO, HE CLRED US TO LAND ON RWY 22L. BY NOW THINGS WERE HAPPENING FASTER - WE WERE GETTING CLOSER TO THE GND. IT WAS AT APPROX 1800 FT MSL, CONFIGURED TO FLAPS 15 , GEAR DOWN AND MY MENTAL ALARM BELLS RINGING - SAYING SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE. AT 1000 FT AGL, I INITIATED A GAR AND BEGAN A L TURN. THE CAPT ANNOUNCED A MISSED APCH. ATC'S RESPONSE WAS VERY TELLING 'WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU'RE GOING AROUND.' HE HAD NO IDEA WHERE WE WERE. DURING THIS L TURN I OBSERVED LIT OFF MY R SIDE, APPROX 4 MI. I HAD MADE A VISUAL APCH TO N LITTLE ROCK ARPT - RWY 23. LNDG AT LIT WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITHOUT INCIDENT. CHAIN OF EVENTS: UNFAMILIAR WITH LCL AREA. MISIDENTED BEACON. ILS 22R-OTS. TOO BUSY CTLR WITH MULTIPLE FREQS AND AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY. CTLR UNAWARE OF OUR POS. RWY LIGHTS AT FULL INTENSITY - THEY WERE PROPERLY ALIGNED AT AN ARPT 6 NM NNW OF LIT AND ON THE LINE OF FLT FOR OUR DIRECTION OF TRAVEL. HUMAN PERFORMANCE: OBSERVING A BRIGHTLY LIT RWY WHERE WE HAD PREVIOUSLY IDENTED A BEACON, CONFIRMED TO US THAT WE WERE IN THE RIGHT PLACE. HUMAN PERFORMANCE BROKE DOWN WITH FLC AND ATC. WE FOUND THE WRONG ARPT, ATC WAS TOO BUSY TO PROPERLY ACCOMPLISH ALL OF HIS TASKS AND HELP US, OR UNDERSTAND OUR REQUEST FOR CLARIFICATION. BUT, HUMAN PERFORMANCE SAVED A LNDG AT THE WRONG ARPT. INSTINCT AND JUDGEMENT TOGETHER, OVERCAME THE PERCEPTION THAT WE WERE AT THE CORRECT ARPT.

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.