Narrative:

In sum: on dec/mon/95, reporter was acting PIC on a citation south/11 for X corporation with 4 passenger on board. Their destination was rwi. After briefing his first officer thoroughly for the approach and while inbound on the ILS runway 4, visibility good, the approach controller advised 'airport at 12 O'clock, switch to advisory is approved, advise cancellation on this frequency or on the ground.' as reporter looked outside, he saw a single runway at 12 O'clock and VASI showing red over white, the HSI was centered and he said, 'I got the runway and VASI. You see it?' when his first officer also agreed, they canceled the IFR flight plan. After landing, they noticed more runways than expected and wondered then if they were at the right airport. Reporter stopped on the taxiway and noted that the localizer needle was within a DOT of center and said, 'this has to be the place.' then they saw 'wilson' on the pavement and reporter said, 'that settles it, then, it says 'wilson' on the pavement, the localizer is centered, we idented it, we're here.' they both felt relieved. After parking, reporter asked the ground marshaller if they were at rocky mount, nc, and he said yes, they were. Reporter then added, 'and the identify is rwi?' marshaller said, 'oh no. We're W03, rwi is 5 mi to the northeast.' reporter called, got a release from his dispatch, loaded on the passenger and had a very short flight to rwi. Reporter stated his tentative conclusions about the causes and factors involved in this incident: his failure to xchk the GS on final. His failure to include in his approach briefing a warning about mistaking W03 for rwi, even if aligned with the localizer. When the approach controller called the field at 12 O'clock, it bolstered his confidence that he had the right field in sight (situational awareness). Failure to xchk DME's off other radios. With a VASI in sight he didn't feel he needed the electronic GS. He used the high altitude chart which didn't depict W03 for planning and never looked at the low altitude chart. When you are on approach to runway 3 at W03, a tree line obscures the other runways from view, only runway 3 is visible.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC LANDED AT WRONG ARPT. THOUGH, ON THE FINAL APCH COURSE, IT IS 5 MI SHORT OF THE DEST ARPT.

Narrative: IN SUM: ON DEC/MON/95, RPTR WAS ACTING PIC ON A CITATION S/11 FOR X CORPORATION WITH 4 PAX ON BOARD. THEIR DEST WAS RWI. AFTER BRIEFING HIS FO THOROUGHLY FOR THE APCH AND WHILE INBOUND ON THE ILS RWY 4, VISIBILITY GOOD, THE APCH CTLR ADVISED 'ARPT AT 12 O'CLOCK, SWITCH TO ADVISORY IS APPROVED, ADVISE CANCELLATION ON THIS FREQ OR ON THE GND.' AS RPTR LOOKED OUTSIDE, HE SAW A SINGLE RWY AT 12 O'CLOCK AND VASI SHOWING RED OVER WHITE, THE HSI WAS CTRED AND HE SAID, 'I GOT THE RWY AND VASI. YOU SEE IT?' WHEN HIS FO ALSO AGREED, THEY CANCELED THE IFR FLT PLAN. AFTER LNDG, THEY NOTICED MORE RWYS THAN EXPECTED AND WONDERED THEN IF THEY WERE AT THE RIGHT ARPT. RPTR STOPPED ON THE TXWY AND NOTED THAT THE LOC NEEDLE WAS WITHIN A DOT OF CTR AND SAID, 'THIS HAS TO BE THE PLACE.' THEN THEY SAW 'WILSON' ON THE PAVEMENT AND RPTR SAID, 'THAT SETTLES IT, THEN, IT SAYS 'WILSON' ON THE PAVEMENT, THE LOC IS CTRED, WE IDENTED IT, WE'RE HERE.' THEY BOTH FELT RELIEVED. AFTER PARKING, RPTR ASKED THE GND MARSHALLER IF THEY WERE AT ROCKY MOUNT, NC, AND HE SAID YES, THEY WERE. RPTR THEN ADDED, 'AND THE IDENT IS RWI?' MARSHALLER SAID, 'OH NO. WE'RE W03, RWI IS 5 MI TO THE NE.' RPTR CALLED, GOT A RELEASE FROM HIS DISPATCH, LOADED ON THE PAX AND HAD A VERY SHORT FLT TO RWI. RPTR STATED HIS TENTATIVE CONCLUSIONS ABOUT THE CAUSES AND FACTORS INVOLVED IN THIS INCIDENT: HIS FAILURE TO XCHK THE GS ON FINAL. HIS FAILURE TO INCLUDE IN HIS APCH BRIEFING A WARNING ABOUT MISTAKING W03 FOR RWI, EVEN IF ALIGNED WITH THE LOC. WHEN THE APCH CTLR CALLED THE FIELD AT 12 O'CLOCK, IT BOLSTERED HIS CONFIDENCE THAT HE HAD THE RIGHT FIELD IN SIGHT (SITUATIONAL AWARENESS). FAILURE TO XCHK DME'S OFF OTHER RADIOS. WITH A VASI IN SIGHT HE DIDN'T FEEL HE NEEDED THE ELECTRONIC GS. HE USED THE HIGH ALT CHART WHICH DIDN'T DEPICT W03 FOR PLANNING AND NEVER LOOKED AT THE LOW ALT CHART. WHEN YOU ARE ON APCH TO RWY 3 AT W03, A TREE LINE OBSCURES THE OTHER RWYS FROM VIEW, ONLY RWY 3 IS VISIBLE.

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.