Narrative:

IFR flight dca-mia. Re-routed west for WX, arriving mia from west via cypress 3 arrival. Winds from the south, landing runway 27R/27L at mia. I was PNF, with first officer flying. Flew arrival to worpp then received a 100 degree heading vector for visual runway 27R. At about 20 mi we saw what we thought was mia at 12 O'clock position. Idented field by runway layout east/west areas (dark), north/south sides of terminal areas in center of field. (Dark areas assumed to be runways with lights not visible yet.) also saw, at about 10 NM, a northeast/southwest runway that was lighted. Navaids tuned to mia ILS runway 27R (ILS/DME) and mi (keyes 248 LOM, runway 27L FAF) asked approach control how long a final to expect. They replied 'you'll go right in.' 180 degree heading was taking us straight to field and we, first officer and I, commented that it was a lousy vector for a visual. Actually, it was taking us over opf and 6-7 NM north of mia. 2 mi east of airport (opf) approach control or tower asked if we still had field, we said no but we knew where it was (we just passed over it -- wrong airport). We were cleared for a visual approach runway 27R and cleared to land. We started a (80 degree left/260 degree right) course reversal for visual approach to runway 27R. While turning back to the field tower told us to fly 100 degree heading. We did, called field in sight again (opf) and were reclred visual runway 27R lined up on runway 27R (runway 27 at opf) and descended for 2700 ft MSL. DME said about 9 DME. (Runway 27R DME mia) we looked high, VASI said we were high but no runway lights on runway. (?? Maybe they were on low we rationalized.) localizer had intermittent off flags (good aural identify) and unreliable signal. (?? Cleared for the visual not the ILS? Maybe the ILS was OTS I rationalized.) tower asked if we had the field. I said yes. We configured and descended to about 1500 ft to 1800 ft MSL. First officer, so and I all said this 'just doesn't look right.' at this time mia tower directed a 180 degree heading and climb to 3000 ft. We immediately complied, climbed to 2500 ft immediately recognized exactly what had happened, confirmed with tower that mia was 2 O'clock position and 6 mi, he said yes and cleared us visual runway 27R and cleared to land runway 27R. Remainder of approach and landing at mia was uneventful. What happened -- I screwed up. Flew visual approach to wrong airport. All month previously had come in from northeast of field and flown visual approachs to east runways. Approach vector 100 degree pointed us directly at close airport with very similar runway layouts. No VOR on field at mia. I should have used VOR/DME from dhp for situational awareness instead of the runway 27R ILS/DME for DME into and runway 27L LOM for azimuth to field, should have had approach verify field direction/distance before accepting visual approach. If he said 2 mi directly behind you cleared visual, I would have been ok with that, but he would have said 4 O'clock position 7 mi and that would have told me I was planning my approach to wrong airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727 CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO MIA STARTS HIS VISUAL APCH TO OPF ARPT, 8 MI N OF MIA.

Narrative: IFR FLT DCA-MIA. RE-ROUTED W FOR WX, ARRIVING MIA FROM W VIA CYPRESS 3 ARR. WINDS FROM THE S, LNDG RWY 27R/27L AT MIA. I WAS PNF, WITH FO FLYING. FLEW ARR TO WORPP THEN RECEIVED A 100 DEG HDG VECTOR FOR VISUAL RWY 27R. AT ABOUT 20 MI WE SAW WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS MIA AT 12 O'CLOCK POS. IDENTED FIELD BY RWY LAYOUT E/W AREAS (DARK), N/S SIDES OF TERMINAL AREAS IN CTR OF FIELD. (DARK AREAS ASSUMED TO BE RWYS WITH LIGHTS NOT VISIBLE YET.) ALSO SAW, AT ABOUT 10 NM, A NE/SW RWY THAT WAS LIGHTED. NAVAIDS TUNED TO MIA ILS RWY 27R (ILS/DME) AND MI (KEYES 248 LOM, RWY 27L FAF) ASKED APCH CTL HOW LONG A FINAL TO EXPECT. THEY REPLIED 'YOU'LL GO RIGHT IN.' 180 DEG HDG WAS TAKING US STRAIGHT TO FIELD AND WE, FO AND I, COMMENTED THAT IT WAS A LOUSY VECTOR FOR A VISUAL. ACTUALLY, IT WAS TAKING US OVER OPF AND 6-7 NM N OF MIA. 2 MI E OF ARPT (OPF) APCH CTL OR TWR ASKED IF WE STILL HAD FIELD, WE SAID NO BUT WE KNEW WHERE IT WAS (WE JUST PASSED OVER IT -- WRONG ARPT). WE WERE CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH RWY 27R AND CLRED TO LAND. WE STARTED A (80 DEG L/260 DEG R) COURSE REVERSAL FOR VISUAL APCH TO RWY 27R. WHILE TURNING BACK TO THE FIELD TWR TOLD US TO FLY 100 DEG HDG. WE DID, CALLED FIELD IN SIGHT AGAIN (OPF) AND WERE RECLRED VISUAL RWY 27R LINED UP ON RWY 27R (RWY 27 AT OPF) AND DSNDED FOR 2700 FT MSL. DME SAID ABOUT 9 DME. (RWY 27R DME MIA) WE LOOKED HIGH, VASI SAID WE WERE HIGH BUT NO RWY LIGHTS ON RWY. (?? MAYBE THEY WERE ON LOW WE RATIONALIZED.) LOC HAD INTERMITTENT OFF FLAGS (GOOD AURAL IDENT) AND UNRELIABLE SIGNAL. (?? CLRED FOR THE VISUAL NOT THE ILS? MAYBE THE ILS WAS OTS I RATIONALIZED.) TWR ASKED IF WE HAD THE FIELD. I SAID YES. WE CONFIGURED AND DSNDED TO ABOUT 1500 FT TO 1800 FT MSL. FO, SO AND I ALL SAID THIS 'JUST DOESN'T LOOK RIGHT.' AT THIS TIME MIA TWR DIRECTED A 180 DEG HDG AND CLB TO 3000 FT. WE IMMEDIATELY COMPLIED, CLBED TO 2500 FT IMMEDIATELY RECOGNIZED EXACTLY WHAT HAD HAPPENED, CONFIRMED WITH TWR THAT MIA WAS 2 O'CLOCK POS AND 6 MI, HE SAID YES AND CLRED US VISUAL RWY 27R AND CLRED TO LAND RWY 27R. REMAINDER OF APCH AND LNDG AT MIA WAS UNEVENTFUL. WHAT HAPPENED -- I SCREWED UP. FLEW VISUAL APCH TO WRONG ARPT. ALL MONTH PREVIOUSLY HAD COME IN FROM NE OF FIELD AND FLOWN VISUAL APCHS TO E RWYS. APCH VECTOR 100 DEG POINTED US DIRECTLY AT CLOSE ARPT WITH VERY SIMILAR RWY LAYOUTS. NO VOR ON FIELD AT MIA. I SHOULD HAVE USED VOR/DME FROM DHP FOR SITUATIONAL AWARENESS INSTEAD OF THE RWY 27R ILS/DME FOR DME INTO AND RWY 27L LOM FOR AZIMUTH TO FIELD, SHOULD HAVE HAD APCH VERIFY FIELD DIRECTION/DISTANCE BEFORE ACCEPTING VISUAL APCH. IF HE SAID 2 MI DIRECTLY BEHIND YOU CLRED VISUAL, I WOULD HAVE BEEN OK WITH THAT, BUT HE WOULD HAVE SAID 4 O'CLOCK POS 7 MI AND THAT WOULD HAVE TOLD ME I WAS PLANNING MY APCH TO WRONG 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.