Narrative:

On visual approach into abe check pilot pointed out airport to me and asked me if I had it in sight. I said yes and we told approach control. They cleared us for the visual to runway 6. At 1500 ft AGL, with gear down on final, the approach controller asked us to confirm runway at 11 O'clock and 7 mi. At that time we realized we were lined up for runway 7 at queen city airport, just 6 mi s-sw of abe. The ILS and localizer were OTS at abe runway 6. I took for granted that the airport being pointed out to me was the correct one. I had not reviewed the approach plate (at an unfamiliar airport) to see if there were other airports in the approach path that could be confused. The EFIS map display was correct, but I took my eyes off of the display to go 'outside' to visually fly the approach. Our airline specific commercial chart pages for allentown should indicate that the 2 airports can be confused. Supplemental information from acn 335030: at the same time that I checked the EFIS, approach called and asked us to confirm the field in sight. We were at 2000-2500 ft AGL and we basically side-stepped over and lined up on runway 6 at abe to land. Having to rely on visual cues going into an airport that I haven't been into for several yrs was a factor. In addition, I was doing an IOE on a new captain and sometimes that requires a lot of double-checking on his work as well as your own. We were also distracted by two reports of traffic - - the last being 3 mi and below 400 ft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WHILE ON AN IOE FLT AN FK10 CAPT TRAINEE BEGAN A VISUAL APCH TO THE WRONG ARPT. THE CTLR INTERVENED WHEN THE ACFT WAS BTWN 2000 AND 2500 FT AGL. THE FLC THEN ALTERED THEIR APCH PATH TO LAND AT THEIR PLANNED DEST.

Narrative: ON VISUAL APCH INTO ABE CHK PLT POINTED OUT ARPT TO ME AND ASKED ME IF I HAD IT IN SIGHT. I SAID YES AND WE TOLD APCH CTL. THEY CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL TO RWY 6. AT 1500 FT AGL, WITH GEAR DOWN ON FINAL, THE APCH CTLR ASKED US TO CONFIRM RWY AT 11 O'CLOCK AND 7 MI. AT THAT TIME WE REALIZED WE WERE LINED UP FOR RWY 7 AT QUEEN CITY ARPT, JUST 6 MI S-SW OF ABE. THE ILS AND LOC WERE OTS AT ABE RWY 6. I TOOK FOR GRANTED THAT THE ARPT BEING POINTED OUT TO ME WAS THE CORRECT ONE. I HAD NOT REVIEWED THE APCH PLATE (AT AN UNFAMILIAR ARPT) TO SEE IF THERE WERE OTHER ARPTS IN THE APCH PATH THAT COULD BE CONFUSED. THE EFIS MAP DISPLAY WAS CORRECT, BUT I TOOK MY EYES OFF OF THE DISPLAY TO GO 'OUTSIDE' TO VISUALLY FLY THE APCH. OUR AIRLINE SPECIFIC COMMERCIAL CHART PAGES FOR ALLENTOWN SHOULD INDICATE THAT THE 2 ARPTS CAN BE CONFUSED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 335030: AT THE SAME TIME THAT I CHKED THE EFIS, APCH CALLED AND ASKED US TO CONFIRM THE FIELD IN SIGHT. WE WERE AT 2000-2500 FT AGL AND WE BASICALLY SIDE-STEPPED OVER AND LINED UP ON RWY 6 AT ABE TO LAND. HAVING TO RELY ON VISUAL CUES GOING INTO AN ARPT THAT I HAVEN'T BEEN INTO FOR SEVERAL YRS WAS A FACTOR. IN ADDITION, I WAS DOING AN IOE ON A NEW CAPT AND SOMETIMES THAT REQUIRES A LOT OF DOUBLE-CHKING ON HIS WORK AS WELL AS YOUR OWN. WE WERE ALSO DISTRACTED BY TWO RPTS OF TFC - - THE LAST BEING 3 MI AND BELOW 400 FT.

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.