Narrative:

We were approaching spokane from the east. Approximately 10 mi from phort LOM, the airport was pointed out to us by ATC and we called it 'in sight' and were cleared for the visual. I turned onto final just inside of phort, primarily navigating by visual reference to the runway. While xrefing my ADI, I noticed the localizer needle well to the left, although I was slightly left of centerline. After checking the ILS frequency, and some discussion in the cockpit, we found that we were lined up for fairchild AFB and not spokane. Spokane tower then pointed out the airport to us again. We confirmed it was in sight and requested a left 360 degree turn to rejoin final, as we were now too high for a safe, stabilized approach and landing. Tower issued us instructions and we were reclred to land. We landed without incident. No rules were broken, and the safety of the flight was not compromised at any time. However, it was embarrassing to make such a mistake. A much more serious error was avoided though by 'backing up' the visual by tuning in the ILS. Unfortunately, we didn't xchk the electronic attitude direction indicator earlier in the approach. Possible contributors to the confusion were the following: 1) my low time in the airplane still demands more attention than usual be paid to flying the plane. 2) I had never been into spokane before, the captain hadn't been there in quite some time. 3) we had discussed the close proximity of spokane to fairchild during the cruise portion of flight, although this was apparently not on either of our minds during the approach and landing phase. 4) the electronic attitude direction indicator should have been crosschecked when turning onto final, instead of later on into the visual approach.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG ACFT CLRED FOR VISUAL APCH LINED UP ON ANOTHER ARPT CLOSE BY UNTIL FLC SAW NAV INSTS NOT AGREEING WITH THE VISUAL PICTURE. TWR CTLR VECTORED FLC FOR APCH.

Narrative: WE WERE APCHING SPOKANE FROM THE E. APPROX 10 MI FROM PHORT LOM, THE ARPT WAS POINTED OUT TO US BY ATC AND WE CALLED IT 'IN SIGHT' AND WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL. I TURNED ONTO FINAL JUST INSIDE OF PHORT, PRIMARILY NAVING BY VISUAL REF TO THE RWY. WHILE XREFING MY ADI, I NOTICED THE LOC NEEDLE WELL TO THE L, ALTHOUGH I WAS SLIGHTLY L OF CTRLINE. AFTER CHKING THE ILS FREQ, AND SOME DISCUSSION IN THE COCKPIT, WE FOUND THAT WE WERE LINED UP FOR FAIRCHILD AFB AND NOT SPOKANE. SPOKANE TWR THEN POINTED OUT THE ARPT TO US AGAIN. WE CONFIRMED IT WAS IN SIGHT AND REQUESTED A L 360 DEG TURN TO REJOIN FINAL, AS WE WERE NOW TOO HIGH FOR A SAFE, STABILIZED APCH AND LNDG. TWR ISSUED US INSTRUCTIONS AND WE WERE RECLRED TO LAND. WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. NO RULES WERE BROKEN, AND THE SAFETY OF THE FLT WAS NOT COMPROMISED AT ANY TIME. HOWEVER, IT WAS EMBARRASSING TO MAKE SUCH A MISTAKE. A MUCH MORE SERIOUS ERROR WAS AVOIDED THOUGH BY 'BACKING UP' THE VISUAL BY TUNING IN THE ILS. UNFORTUNATELY, WE DIDN'T XCHK THE ELECTRONIC ATTITUDE DIRECTION INDICATOR EARLIER IN THE APCH. POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTORS TO THE CONFUSION WERE THE FOLLOWING: 1) MY LOW TIME IN THE AIRPLANE STILL DEMANDS MORE ATTN THAN USUAL BE PAID TO FLYING THE PLANE. 2) I HAD NEVER BEEN INTO SPOKANE BEFORE, THE CAPT HADN'T BEEN THERE IN QUITE SOME TIME. 3) WE HAD DISCUSSED THE CLOSE PROX OF SPOKANE TO FAIRCHILD DURING THE CRUISE PORTION OF FLT, ALTHOUGH THIS WAS APPARENTLY NOT ON EITHER OF OUR MINDS DURING THE APCH AND LNDG PHASE. 4) THE ELECTRONIC ATTITUDE DIRECTION INDICATOR SHOULD HAVE BEEN XCHKED WHEN TURNING ONTO FINAL, INSTEAD OF LATER ON INTO THE VISUAL APCH.

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.