A corp C500 flight crew mistakenly began a visual approach to the wrong airport. After the aircraft ...

Attributes
ACN	334481
Time
Date	199604
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : tpa airport : lal
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1600 msl bound upper : 1600
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : tpa
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Citation I
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Operating Under FAR Part	other : unknown
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 750 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	334481
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 35 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	334490
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Approaching lal from the north, I queried ATC as to which approach to expect into lal. Initially, the controller said it was VFR, then 'no, it's 1800 ft broken, expect ILS runway 5.' we reached VMC when leveled at 1600 ft after being vectored. Looking out his left window, the captain had me report airport in sight and get a visual approach. I had not seen the airport and assumed it was out of my view as we were turning northward toward the airport. ATC asked, 'where are you going?' and gave us a vector to lal and handed us off to tower. A turn was given for helicopter traffic by approach control prior to the handoff. Normal landing was made and no further mention of the conflict was made by ATC. In retrospect, I believe the captain mistakenly idented plant city's runway 9 and runway 27 as lal's runway 9 and runway 27 as the airport for our initial wrong approach. Having had the localizer lal ILS runway 5 tuned, it may have been best to track it in as we were only 200 ft below the cloud layer for positive identify of the airport at a relatively low altitude. Supplemental information from acn 334490: I visually had an airport in sight at my 7-8 O'clock position and told the copilot to request a visual. The clearance was given and I began a left turn back towards the airport. After a few mi on this heading the controller asked where we were going. I glanced at the GPS and realized we were turning back to the wrong airport.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CORP C500 FLC MISTAKENLY BEGAN A VISUAL APCH TO THE WRONG ARPT. AFTER THE ACFT HAD PROCEEDED A FEW MI ON A NEW COURSE TO THE ARPT SIGHTED, THE CTLR INTERVENED AND ISSUED A VECTOR AND ALT TO THE FLC FOR TFC AND DIRECTION TO THE DEST.

Narrative: APCHING LAL FROM THE N, I QUERIED ATC AS TO WHICH APCH TO EXPECT INTO LAL. INITIALLY, THE CTLR SAID IT WAS VFR, THEN 'NO, IT'S 1800 FT BROKEN, EXPECT ILS RWY 5.' WE REACHED VMC WHEN LEVELED AT 1600 FT AFTER BEING VECTORED. LOOKING OUT HIS L WINDOW, THE CAPT HAD ME RPT ARPT IN SIGHT AND GET A VISUAL APCH. I HAD NOT SEEN THE ARPT AND ASSUMED IT WAS OUT OF MY VIEW AS WE WERE TURNING NORTHWARD TOWARD THE ARPT. ATC ASKED, 'WHERE ARE YOU GOING?' AND GAVE US A VECTOR TO LAL AND HANDED US OFF TO TWR. A TURN WAS GIVEN FOR HELI TFC BY APCH CTL PRIOR TO THE HDOF. NORMAL LNDG WAS MADE AND NO FURTHER MENTION OF THE CONFLICT WAS MADE BY ATC. IN RETROSPECT, I BELIEVE THE CAPT MISTAKENLY IDENTED PLANT CITY'S RWY 9 AND RWY 27 AS LAL'S RWY 9 AND RWY 27 AS THE ARPT FOR OUR INITIAL WRONG APCH. HAVING HAD THE LOC LAL ILS RWY 5 TUNED, IT MAY HAVE BEEN BEST TO TRACK IT IN AS WE WERE ONLY 200 FT BELOW THE CLOUD LAYER FOR POSITIVE IDENT OF THE ARPT AT A RELATIVELY LOW ALT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 334490: I VISUALLY HAD AN ARPT IN SIGHT AT MY 7-8 O'CLOCK POS AND TOLD THE COPLT TO REQUEST A VISUAL. THE CLRNC WAS GIVEN AND I BEGAN A L TURN BACK TOWARDS THE ARPT. AFTER A FEW MI ON THIS HDG THE CTLR ASKED WHERE WE WERE GOING. I GLANCED AT THE GPS AND REALIZED WE WERE TURNING BACK TO THE WRONG 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.

A corp C500 flight crew mistakenly began a visual approach to the wrong airport. After the aircraft had proceeded a few mi on a new course to the airport sighted, the controller intervened and issued a vector and altitude to the flight crew for traffic and direction to the destination.