Narrative:

This was a scheduled flight from aex to gtr. ZME gave us a descent from FL210 to 2000 ft and asked us to report the field in sight. The first officer (who was flying) and I both used the navaids available, initially an off-airport VOR and eventually localizer back course to confirm identify of airport. Passing through about 5000 ft we called the airport in sight to ZME and they terminated radar service and told us to switch to advisory. On approach, I pointed out to the first officer the similarities between the airport we were approaching and what turned out to be the actual gtr airport. On short final, I reported to ZME that landing was assured, please close flight plan. They told us that columbus approach was open and to contact them for clearance out of gtr and atl. First officer continued with landing and I took control at end of landing rollout. After turning on to taxiway, I realized that we were at the wrong airport. Shut down and called flight control -- they made arrangements to bus passenger to gtr. Human factors: if this had been at night (approach lights) on in IMC (instrument approach) this incident probably would not have happened. Gtr is 1 of 4 runways similar in length and alignment all located within 5-10 mi of each other and all uncontrolled. The first officer and I both saw what we wanted to see and didn't get any information to convince us otherwise. ZME did not tell us we were aiming for the wrong airport and when I checked the localizer on final, it was lined up. (I can honestly not tell you whether I saw or did not see an off flag.) one thing that might have helped would have been ZME calling the airport at 10 O'clock position and 15 mi -- that might have given us a clue. Supplemental information from acn 358822: we were talking with ZME because columbus approach was inoperative, and they said, 'the airport was 11-12 O'clock and 10 mi.' a runway, which looked like gtr, hangars on the correct side, and correct runway alignment was in that position. I have been to gtr before about 4 times, but it has been a couple of months since I was last there. My captain also had been to gtr, but she thought it had only been at night. Again we were high, maybe 6000 ft MSL so I attributed this to the fact I may have again not been aggressive enough in the descent. We were cleared for the visual approach early and were probably below ZME radar coverage on the approach. And by identing the localizer back course we could have been sure that it was working properly.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WRONG ARPT APCH AND LNDG IN AN EMB120. NAV ERROR, HDG TRACK POS DEV.

Narrative: THIS WAS A SCHEDULED FLT FROM AEX TO GTR. ZME GAVE US A DSCNT FROM FL210 TO 2000 FT AND ASKED US TO RPT THE FIELD IN SIGHT. THE FO (WHO WAS FLYING) AND I BOTH USED THE NAVAIDS AVAILABLE, INITIALLY AN OFF-ARPT VOR AND EVENTUALLY LOC BACK COURSE TO CONFIRM IDENT OF ARPT. PASSING THROUGH ABOUT 5000 FT WE CALLED THE ARPT IN SIGHT TO ZME AND THEY TERMINATED RADAR SVC AND TOLD US TO SWITCH TO ADVISORY. ON APCH, I POINTED OUT TO THE FO THE SIMILARITIES BTWN THE ARPT WE WERE APCHING AND WHAT TURNED OUT TO BE THE ACTUAL GTR ARPT. ON SHORT FINAL, I RPTED TO ZME THAT LNDG WAS ASSURED, PLEASE CLOSE FLT PLAN. THEY TOLD US THAT COLUMBUS APCH WAS OPEN AND TO CONTACT THEM FOR CLRNC OUT OF GTR AND ATL. FO CONTINUED WITH LNDG AND I TOOK CTL AT END OF LNDG ROLLOUT. AFTER TURNING ON TO TXWY, I REALIZED THAT WE WERE AT THE WRONG ARPT. SHUT DOWN AND CALLED FLT CTL -- THEY MADE ARRANGEMENTS TO BUS PAX TO GTR. HUMAN FACTORS: IF THIS HAD BEEN AT NIGHT (APCH LIGHTS) ON IN IMC (INST APCH) THIS INCIDENT PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. GTR IS 1 OF 4 RWYS SIMILAR IN LENGTH AND ALIGNMENT ALL LOCATED WITHIN 5-10 MI OF EACH OTHER AND ALL UNCTLED. THE FO AND I BOTH SAW WHAT WE WANTED TO SEE AND DIDN'T GET ANY INFO TO CONVINCE US OTHERWISE. ZME DID NOT TELL US WE WERE AIMING FOR THE WRONG ARPT AND WHEN I CHKED THE LOC ON FINAL, IT WAS LINED UP. (I CAN HONESTLY NOT TELL YOU WHETHER I SAW OR DID NOT SEE AN OFF FLAG.) ONE THING THAT MIGHT HAVE HELPED WOULD HAVE BEEN ZME CALLING THE ARPT AT 10 O'CLOCK POS AND 15 MI -- THAT MIGHT HAVE GIVEN US A CLUE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 358822: WE WERE TALKING WITH ZME BECAUSE COLUMBUS APCH WAS INOP, AND THEY SAID, 'THE ARPT WAS 11-12 O'CLOCK AND 10 MI.' A RWY, WHICH LOOKED LIKE GTR, HANGARS ON THE CORRECT SIDE, AND CORRECT RWY ALIGNMENT WAS IN THAT POS. I HAVE BEEN TO GTR BEFORE ABOUT 4 TIMES, BUT IT HAS BEEN A COUPLE OF MONTHS SINCE I WAS LAST THERE. MY CAPT ALSO HAD BEEN TO GTR, BUT SHE THOUGHT IT HAD ONLY BEEN AT NIGHT. AGAIN WE WERE HIGH, MAYBE 6000 FT MSL SO I ATTRIBUTED THIS TO THE FACT I MAY HAVE AGAIN NOT BEEN AGGRESSIVE ENOUGH IN THE DSCNT. WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH EARLY AND WERE PROBABLY BELOW ZME RADAR COVERAGE ON THE APCH. AND BY IDENTING THE LOC BACK COURSE WE COULD HAVE BEEN SURE THAT IT WAS WORKING PROPERLY.

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.