Narrative:

During a late night flight over the short segment from lax to ont we became disoriented and temporarily confused about the positive identify of our destination airport. We ultimately idented ont and landed successfully, but only after tentatively misidenting both brackett and cable airports -- 9 NM west and 5 NM west, respectively -- as ontario international airport. Numerous unrelated elements contributed to making this situation happen: the scheduled shift started at XA15 and ended at XO02, 13 hours and 47 mins on duty, including 6 hours and 35 mins on the ground at ont. The dreaded stand-up overnight! This schedule encourages most crews to take a short cut (with ATC approval) reducing the takeoff to landing distance from 80 NM over the filed route to about 45 NM via an off-airway direct route. Successful completion of the shorter route allows a crew 10 extra mins at the hotel, a total of 6 hours if we really hustle. The only on airport NAVAID is the ILS DME runway 26L or runway 26R. The short cut procedure involves landing on runway 08L or runway 08R (rarely a problem due to prevailing calm wind condition). The associated NDB is 12 NM east and the nearest VOR is 9 NM southeast. This leaves us with a lack of navaids to verify the airport, always a good idea when approaching visually. The DME display of 10 mi, while about 3 mi out from the first wrongly idented airport, was our first clue that we were in the wrong place. The haze made close landmarks appear to be more distant, disrupting our interpretation of the constellation of airport beacons in an otherwise monotonous landscape of yellow sodium vapor street lights.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC COMMENCES APCH TO 2 WRONG ARPTS.

Narrative: DURING A LATE NIGHT FLT OVER THE SHORT SEGMENT FROM LAX TO ONT WE BECAME DISORIENTED AND TEMPORARILY CONFUSED ABOUT THE POSITIVE IDENT OF OUR DEST ARPT. WE ULTIMATELY IDENTED ONT AND LANDED SUCCESSFULLY, BUT ONLY AFTER TENTATIVELY MISIDENTING BOTH BRACKETT AND CABLE ARPTS -- 9 NM W AND 5 NM W, RESPECTIVELY -- AS ONTARIO INTL ARPT. NUMEROUS UNRELATED ELEMENTS CONTRIBUTED TO MAKING THIS SIT HAPPEN: THE SCHEDULED SHIFT STARTED AT XA15 AND ENDED AT XO02, 13 HRS AND 47 MINS ON DUTY, INCLUDING 6 HRS AND 35 MINS ON THE GND AT ONT. THE DREADED STAND-UP OVERNIGHT! THIS SCHEDULE ENCOURAGES MOST CREWS TO TAKE A SHORT CUT (WITH ATC APPROVAL) REDUCING THE TKOF TO LNDG DISTANCE FROM 80 NM OVER THE FILED RTE TO ABOUT 45 NM VIA AN OFF-AIRWAY DIRECT RTE. SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE SHORTER RTE ALLOWS A CREW 10 EXTRA MINS AT THE HOTEL, A TOTAL OF 6 HRS IF WE REALLY HUSTLE. THE ONLY ON ARPT NAVAID IS THE ILS DME RWY 26L OR RWY 26R. THE SHORT CUT PROC INVOLVES LNDG ON RWY 08L OR RWY 08R (RARELY A PROB DUE TO PREVAILING CALM WIND CONDITION). THE ASSOCIATED NDB IS 12 NM E AND THE NEAREST VOR IS 9 NM SE. THIS LEAVES US WITH A LACK OF NAVAIDS TO VERIFY THE ARPT, ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA WHEN APCHING VISUALLY. THE DME DISPLAY OF 10 MI, WHILE ABOUT 3 MI OUT FROM THE FIRST WRONGLY IDENTED ARPT, WAS OUR FIRST CLUE THAT WE WERE IN THE WRONG PLACE. THE HAZE MADE CLOSE LANDMARKS APPEAR TO BE MORE DISTANT, DISRUPTING OUR INTERP OF THE CONSTELLATION OF ARPT BEACONS IN AN OTHERWISE MONOTONOUS LANDSCAPE OF YELLOW SODIUM VAPOR STREET LIGHTS.

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.