Narrative:

Approaching mdt, approximately 10-12 mi out, the approach controller said 'mdt airport 11 O'clock 12 mi report in sight.' directly between our aircraft position and mdt is another airport located 3-4 mi from mdt. From our position the lights of this airport are much more prominent than those of our destination (mdt). We mistakenly reported 'field in sight' and were cleared for the visual approach. We were switched to tower frequency and cleared to land. As we turned base the tower asked if we were making a midfield entry. We replied no, we were on base and he immediately concluded we were looking at the wrong airport, informed us so and told us to turn right to 180 degrees. By the time we started the turn we idented the correct airport, were reclred to land and made an uneventful landing. The vigilant tower controller was obviously a great help in correcting this error in a timely manner. Hopefully we would have idented the error ourselves upon turning final since we had the ILS tuned in and I always verify that it agrees with our position. I would suggest that a caution be given for visual approachs at night when airports are in such close proximity!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LTT ADVISED APCH CTLR HAD THE MDT ARPT IN SIGHT. CLRED FOR VISUAL APCH AND CHANGE TO TWR. TWR QUESTIONED IF THEY WERE ENTERING DOWNWIND AND THEY ADVISED ON BASE. TWR SAID YOU ARE AT THE WRONG ARPT AND VECTORED THE ACFT TO MDT FOR VISUAL LNDG.

Narrative: APCHING MDT, APPROX 10-12 MI OUT, THE APCH CTLR SAID 'MDT ARPT 11 O'CLOCK 12 MI RPT IN SIGHT.' DIRECTLY BTWN OUR ACFT POS AND MDT IS ANOTHER ARPT LOCATED 3-4 MI FROM MDT. FROM OUR POS THE LIGHTS OF THIS ARPT ARE MUCH MORE PROMINENT THAN THOSE OF OUR DEST (MDT). WE MISTAKENLY RPTED 'FIELD IN SIGHT' AND WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH. WE WERE SWITCHED TO TWR FREQ AND CLRED TO LAND. AS WE TURNED BASE THE TWR ASKED IF WE WERE MAKING A MIDFIELD ENTRY. WE REPLIED NO, WE WERE ON BASE AND HE IMMEDIATELY CONCLUDED WE WERE LOOKING AT THE WRONG ARPT, INFORMED US SO AND TOLD US TO TURN R TO 180 DEGS. BY THE TIME WE STARTED THE TURN WE IDENTED THE CORRECT ARPT, WERE RECLRED TO LAND AND MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. THE VIGILANT TWR CTLR WAS OBVIOUSLY A GREAT HELP IN CORRECTING THIS ERROR IN A TIMELY MANNER. HOPEFULLY WE WOULD HAVE IDENTED THE ERROR OURSELVES UPON TURNING FINAL SINCE WE HAD THE ILS TUNED IN AND I ALWAYS VERIFY THAT IT AGREES WITH OUR POS. I WOULD SUGGEST THAT A CAUTION BE GIVEN FOR VISUAL APCHS AT NIGHT WHEN ARPTS ARE IN SUCH CLOSE PROX!

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.