Narrative:

Flight originated at anc and had a through stop at bil en route to a planned termination at iln. The captain called the company while I communicated with center. It became apparent that we were going to be redispatched to sbn. While the captain took down the pertinent information from the company, I worked a new clearance direct sbn. By the time we turned the aircraft toward sbn and tuned the gij VOR, we were at FL330 and about 75 DME from gij. Center gave us a descent in steps down to 3000 ft and a vector to final for runway 27L at sbn. (We were expecting runway 09R since the WX we got from the company said winds were 170 KTS at about 7 mi.) by the time the captain got done with talking to the company, we were between 14000 ft and 12000 ft. The initial vector from center was 315 degrees, about 30-40 DME from gij. The captain ran the descent checklist and briefed the approach while we searched for the airport. We finally saw the north/south and east/west runways at what we thought was sbn. We called the airport in sight with center and were cleared for the visual approach and switched to CTAF. We realized we were too close to the airport and not lined up on final for runway 27, so we flew northbound till crossing the extended runway centerline and made a right 270 degree turn to final advising traffic on CTAF. We rolled out on final with no GS and erratic localizer information but had the runway and VASI's in sight. We maneuvered to align ourselves with the extended runway centerline and started a descent upon intercepting the VASI GS. The runway appeared to scale with the VASI's and we knew the north/south runway also existed. So we thought this was the correct airport. It was not until we taxied clear of the runway and the taxiway did not match our airport diagram that we realized we were at ekm. We were diverted en route to an airport neither pilot was familiar with. Both pilots were mission oriented and wanted to pick up the freight and get it to the hub as expeditiously as possible. Very similar airport layout when flying at night. Both pilots had been in the seat for over 6 hours with very little time to rest, eat, or even stretch at bil en route. I perceived that I had been vectored to the airport and not to final approach. So when I saw the airport which 'looked' like the airport I was looking for, I think I saw the airport I wanted to see.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR DC9-41 FREIGHTER CREW LANDED AT THE WRONG ARPT. ERROR ADMITTED.

Narrative: FLT ORIGINATED AT ANC AND HAD A THROUGH STOP AT BIL ENRTE TO A PLANNED TERMINATION AT ILN. THE CAPT CALLED THE COMPANY WHILE I COMMUNICATED WITH CTR. IT BECAME APPARENT THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE REDISPATCHED TO SBN. WHILE THE CAPT TOOK DOWN THE PERTINENT INFO FROM THE COMPANY, I WORKED A NEW CLRNC DIRECT SBN. BY THE TIME WE TURNED THE ACFT TOWARD SBN AND TUNED THE GIJ VOR, WE WERE AT FL330 AND ABOUT 75 DME FROM GIJ. CTR GAVE US A DSCNT IN STEPS DOWN TO 3000 FT AND A VECTOR TO FINAL FOR RWY 27L AT SBN. (WE WERE EXPECTING RWY 09R SINCE THE WX WE GOT FROM THE COMPANY SAID WINDS WERE 170 KTS AT ABOUT 7 MI.) BY THE TIME THE CAPT GOT DONE WITH TALKING TO THE COMPANY, WE WERE BTWN 14000 FT AND 12000 FT. THE INITIAL VECTOR FROM CTR WAS 315 DEGS, ABOUT 30-40 DME FROM GIJ. THE CAPT RAN THE DSCNT CHKLIST AND BRIEFED THE APCH WHILE WE SEARCHED FOR THE ARPT. WE FINALLY SAW THE N/S AND E/W RWYS AT WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS SBN. WE CALLED THE ARPT IN SIGHT WITH CTR AND WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH AND SWITCHED TO CTAF. WE REALIZED WE WERE TOO CLOSE TO THE ARPT AND NOT LINED UP ON FINAL FOR RWY 27, SO WE FLEW NBOUND TILL XING THE EXTENDED RWY CTRLINE AND MADE A R 270 DEG TURN TO FINAL ADVISING TFC ON CTAF. WE ROLLED OUT ON FINAL WITH NO GS AND ERRATIC LOC INFO BUT HAD THE RWY AND VASI'S IN SIGHT. WE MANEUVERED TO ALIGN OURSELVES WITH THE EXTENDED RWY CTRLINE AND STARTED A DSCNT UPON INTERCEPTING THE VASI GS. THE RWY APPEARED TO SCALE WITH THE VASI'S AND WE KNEW THE N/S RWY ALSO EXISTED. SO WE THOUGHT THIS WAS THE CORRECT ARPT. IT WAS NOT UNTIL WE TAXIED CLR OF THE RWY AND THE TXWY DID NOT MATCH OUR ARPT DIAGRAM THAT WE REALIZED WE WERE AT EKM. WE WERE DIVERTED ENRTE TO AN ARPT NEITHER PLT WAS FAMILIAR WITH. BOTH PLTS WERE MISSION ORIENTED AND WANTED TO PICK UP THE FREIGHT AND GET IT TO THE HUB AS EXPEDITIOUSLY AS POSSIBLE. VERY SIMILAR ARPT LAYOUT WHEN FLYING AT NIGHT. BOTH PLTS HAD BEEN IN THE SEAT FOR OVER 6 HRS WITH VERY LITTLE TIME TO REST, EAT, OR EVEN STRETCH AT BIL ENRTE. I PERCEIVED THAT I HAD BEEN VECTORED TO THE ARPT AND NOT TO FINAL APCH. SO WHEN I SAW THE ARPT WHICH 'LOOKED' LIKE THE ARPT I WAS LOOKING FOR, I THINK I SAW THE ARPT I WANTED TO SEE.

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.