Narrative:

ZFW switched us to shreveport approach control passing through 17000 ft. We reported in with ATIS and altitude cleared to, and we received clearance at some point to descend at pilot's discretion to 3000 ft. Our flight plan route from this point was eic direct shv. I advised the first officer I would be off radio to contact our operations to give ETA and receive gate assignment. When I joined the first officer back into the 'loop' we were close to eic VOR. He asked me what we were expected to do once we crossed the VOR. (We had not received any heading after eic for vectors to runway 14 approach course). I asked approach for instructions and he came back with 'maintain present heading.' I was a little behind in regaining my position awareness from being off frequency. (There is no NAVAID with azimuth or DME close to or on the field). We had briefed the runway 14 ILS approach and had ILS frequency and ADF tuned and idented. First officer had not been to shv before and had picked out a rotating beacon he believed to be shv airport. We both picked up the rotating beacon and now saw the runway lights. He asked if that was the airport. The ADF bearing needle was pointing to the right place for what I perceived to be the OM for runway 14, the lineup at the runway looked appropriate, and the CDI was off-scale to the right with no flags. It looked right. I reported to approach that we 'had the airport' and he cleared us for the visual. We were at 3000 ft MSL. The first officer called for flaps and gear to get down on a proper GS for the runway we saw, and started a left turn to line up. As we lined up on the runway the CDI was still displaced to right. I realized we had misidented the airport. We were at approximately 1800 ft MSL. I told shv local of our error and he cleared us to climb to 2000 ft and turn to 210 degrees, which we did. We entered a left base for runway 14 at shv and made an uneventful landing. The approach controller's procedures in not stating heading for vectors and releasing us from his control when we were approximately 15 mi from airport, at 3000 ft MSL, contributed. There was no possible way we could have seen the proper airport. My non familiarity with the airport (I had been there on two other occasions, both in daylight) also was a factor. We debriefed and critiqued our actions. We will be much more insistent about getting proper ATC handling in the future. On an earlier trip to shv I was cleared for a visual approach without my telling ATC that we 'had the airport.' I asked for a point-out to the airport and instead received a lecture about how the visibility was 7 mi and I should be able to see the airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE FLC OF AN MLG BEGAN A VISUAL APCH TO THE WRONG ARPT AT NIGHT. WHEN THEY DID NOT INTERCEPT THE LOC WHILE ON FINAL, THEY REALIZED THAT IT WAS THE WRONG ARPT AND THEN OBTAINED THE APCH CTLR'S ASSISTANCE TO THE DEST.

Narrative: ZFW SWITCHED US TO SHREVEPORT APCH CTL PASSING THROUGH 17000 FT. WE RPTED IN WITH ATIS AND ALT CLRED TO, AND WE RECEIVED CLRNC AT SOME POINT TO DSND AT PLT'S DISCRETION TO 3000 FT. OUR FLT PLAN RTE FROM THIS POINT WAS EIC DIRECT SHV. I ADVISED THE FO I WOULD BE OFF RADIO TO CONTACT OUR OPS TO GIVE ETA AND RECEIVE GATE ASSIGNMENT. WHEN I JOINED THE FO BACK INTO THE 'LOOP' WE WERE CLOSE TO EIC VOR. HE ASKED ME WHAT WE WERE EXPECTED TO DO ONCE WE CROSSED THE VOR. (WE HAD NOT RECEIVED ANY HDG AFTER EIC FOR VECTORS TO RWY 14 APCH COURSE). I ASKED APCH FOR INSTRUCTIONS AND HE CAME BACK WITH 'MAINTAIN PRESENT HDG.' I WAS A LITTLE BEHIND IN REGAINING MY POS AWARENESS FROM BEING OFF FREQ. (THERE IS NO NAVAID WITH AZIMUTH OR DME CLOSE TO OR ON THE FIELD). WE HAD BRIEFED THE RWY 14 ILS APCH AND HAD ILS FREQ AND ADF TUNED AND IDENTED. FO HAD NOT BEEN TO SHV BEFORE AND HAD PICKED OUT A ROTATING BEACON HE BELIEVED TO BE SHV ARPT. WE BOTH PICKED UP THE ROTATING BEACON AND NOW SAW THE RWY LIGHTS. HE ASKED IF THAT WAS THE ARPT. THE ADF BEARING NEEDLE WAS POINTING TO THE RIGHT PLACE FOR WHAT I PERCEIVED TO BE THE OM FOR RWY 14, THE LINEUP AT THE RWY LOOKED APPROPRIATE, AND THE CDI WAS OFF-SCALE TO THE R WITH NO FLAGS. IT LOOKED RIGHT. I RPTED TO APCH THAT WE 'HAD THE ARPT' AND HE CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL. WE WERE AT 3000 FT MSL. THE FO CALLED FOR FLAPS AND GEAR TO GET DOWN ON A PROPER GS FOR THE RWY WE SAW, AND STARTED A L TURN TO LINE UP. AS WE LINED UP ON THE RWY THE CDI WAS STILL DISPLACED TO R. I REALIZED WE HAD MISIDENTED THE ARPT. WE WERE AT APPROX 1800 FT MSL. I TOLD SHV LCL OF OUR ERROR AND HE CLRED US TO CLB TO 2000 FT AND TURN TO 210 DEGS, WHICH WE DID. WE ENTERED A L BASE FOR RWY 14 AT SHV AND MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. THE APCH CTLR'S PROCS IN NOT STATING HDG FOR VECTORS AND RELEASING US FROM HIS CTL WHEN WE WERE APPROX 15 MI FROM ARPT, AT 3000 FT MSL, CONTRIBUTED. THERE WAS NO POSSIBLE WAY WE COULD HAVE SEEN THE PROPER ARPT. MY NON FAMILIARITY WITH THE ARPT (I HAD BEEN THERE ON TWO OTHER OCCASIONS, BOTH IN DAYLIGHT) ALSO WAS A FACTOR. WE DEBRIEFED AND CRITIQUED OUR ACTIONS. WE WILL BE MUCH MORE INSISTENT ABOUT GETTING PROPER ATC HANDLING IN THE FUTURE. ON AN EARLIER TRIP TO SHV I WAS CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH WITHOUT MY TELLING ATC THAT WE 'HAD THE ARPT.' I ASKED FOR A POINT-OUT TO THE ARPT AND INSTEAD RECEIVED A LECTURE ABOUT HOW THE VISIBILITY WAS 7 MI AND I SHOULD BE ABLE TO SEE THE 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.