Wrong airport approach in a night operation.

Attributes
ACN	320415
Time
Date	199511
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : dtn airport : shv
State Reference	LA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1700 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : shv
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-9 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other landing : go around
Route In Use	approach : visual enroute : on vectors enroute other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 13500 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	320415
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented other other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On a night descent to terminal area I was on a heading (150 degrees) direct to shv under ATC radar service. When changed over to approach control, the controller said our heading was good for our destination airport. We were cleared to 3000 ft. Being aware of proximity of barksdale AFB and having it in sight to my left I began looking for visual contact with shv. We were on a heading of approximately 150 degrees. The first officer called out that he had the airport beacon in sight and pointed it out to me. I got it in sight and kept it in sight as we proceeded inbound on a downwind heading. When closer abeam I could determine the airport runway layout and confirmed the layout with the airport diagram for shv regional airport. We told approach control we had airport in sight and were cleared for a visual approach, but not told to switch to tower frequency. As we rolled out on final I observed our instrument comparator lights both (captain/first officer) came on and that our NDB bearing was about 40 degrees left. It should have been indicating dead ahead, if we had been on approach to runway 32. The NDB is on the approach course for runway 14 at shv. I realized we were lined up on a runway at the wrong airport. Shreveport downtown has an identical runway layout as regional. I was just initiating a go around when approach control told us we were lined up on runway 32 at downtown and gave us vectors to turn left and enter downwind for landing runway 32 regional.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WRONG ARPT APCH IN A NIGHT OP.

Narrative: ON A NIGHT DSCNT TO TERMINAL AREA I WAS ON A HDG (150 DEGS) DIRECT TO SHV UNDER ATC RADAR SVC. WHEN CHANGED OVER TO APCH CTL, THE CTLR SAID OUR HDG WAS GOOD FOR OUR DEST ARPT. WE WERE CLRED TO 3000 FT. BEING AWARE OF PROX OF BARKSDALE AFB AND HAVING IT IN SIGHT TO MY L I BEGAN LOOKING FOR VISUAL CONTACT WITH SHV. WE WERE ON A HDG OF APPROX 150 DEGS. THE FO CALLED OUT THAT HE HAD THE ARPT BEACON IN SIGHT AND POINTED IT OUT TO ME. I GOT IT IN SIGHT AND KEPT IT IN SIGHT AS WE PROCEEDED INBOUND ON A DOWNWIND HDG. WHEN CLOSER ABEAM I COULD DETERMINE THE ARPT RWY LAYOUT AND CONFIRMED THE LAYOUT WITH THE ARPT DIAGRAM FOR SHV REGIONAL ARPT. WE TOLD APCH CTL WE HAD ARPT IN SIGHT AND WERE CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH, BUT NOT TOLD TO SWITCH TO TWR FREQ. AS WE ROLLED OUT ON FINAL I OBSERVED OUR INST COMPARATOR LIGHTS BOTH (CAPT/FO) CAME ON AND THAT OUR NDB BEARING WAS ABOUT 40 DEGS L. IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN INDICATING DEAD AHEAD, IF WE HAD BEEN ON APCH TO RWY 32. THE NDB IS ON THE APCH COURSE FOR RWY 14 AT SHV. I REALIZED WE WERE LINED UP ON A RWY AT THE WRONG ARPT. SHREVEPORT DOWNTOWN HAS AN IDENTICAL RWY LAYOUT AS REGIONAL. I WAS JUST INITIATING A GAR WHEN APCH CTL TOLD US WE WERE LINED UP ON RWY 32 AT DOWNTOWN AND GAVE US VECTORS TO TURN L AND ENTER DOWNWIND FOR LNDG RWY 32 REGIONAL.

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.