Narrative:

On jan/xa/99 I was the acting first officer on a scheduled part 121 flight from boston to presque isle, me, airport. The WX at presque isle was wind 160 degrees at 10 KTS, gusting to 16 KTS, 10 mi visibility, 6000 ft overcast, temperature 3 degrees C/-2 degrees C, altimeter 30.01. NOTAM was for patchy thin ice on runway 1/19. ATC was vectoring us for the presque isle airport. ATC reported the airport to us at 12 O'clock and 6 mi. We saw the beacon and called the field in sight. We were then cleared for the visual approach. We then completed a normal visual approach and landing to runway 19. On the ground we realized we were not at presque isle airport. Realizing we were at caribou airport, we attempted without success to contact company operations, ATC, and unicom via radio. We were also unable to locate an open facility on the field. After consideration of WX, performance, aircraft weight and runway length it was determined by the PIC that a takeoff with flaps 17 degrees could safely be made. We taxied onto runway 19 and departed. Once airborne, we contacted ATC and received vectors for the localizer at presque isle airport. We made an uneventful approach and landing to the presque isle airport. I think the cause here was pilot induced error. I think ATC may also be to blame for the inability to ensure the crew had the proper airport in sight. To prevent a recurrence there must be increased pilot awareness of multiple airport locations in an area and increased ATC awareness and possibly new procedures for ensuring aircraft (IFR and VFR) are vectored to and identify the correct airport. In this case, ATC did not warn us of the location of another airport in the proximity of presque isle. An examination of ATC procedures and operations may be appropriate. Additionally, it was dark, the airport layouts look very similar and the relative position of the town to the airport is the same. These and other factors, I think, are important to consider. As a pilot, it is obvious to me that this and other similar occurrences deserve special attention.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE199 FLC MISTAKES CARIBOU MUNI ARPT FOR PQI AND PERFORMS A VISUAL APCH AND LNDG DURING A NIGHT OP. ZBW, HAD GIVEN THE CREW A VECTOR AND AN ARPT ADVISORY.

Narrative: ON JAN/XA/99 I WAS THE ACTING FO ON A SCHEDULED PART 121 FLT FROM BOSTON TO PRESQUE ISLE, ME, ARPT. THE WX AT PRESQUE ISLE WAS WIND 160 DEGS AT 10 KTS, GUSTING TO 16 KTS, 10 MI VISIBILITY, 6000 FT OVCST, TEMP 3 DEGS C/-2 DEGS C, ALTIMETER 30.01. NOTAM WAS FOR PATCHY THIN ICE ON RWY 1/19. ATC WAS VECTORING US FOR THE PRESQUE ISLE ARPT. ATC RPTED THE ARPT TO US AT 12 O'CLOCK AND 6 MI. WE SAW THE BEACON AND CALLED THE FIELD IN SIGHT. WE WERE THEN CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH. WE THEN COMPLETED A NORMAL VISUAL APCH AND LNDG TO RWY 19. ON THE GND WE REALIZED WE WERE NOT AT PRESQUE ISLE ARPT. REALIZING WE WERE AT CARIBOU ARPT, WE ATTEMPTED WITHOUT SUCCESS TO CONTACT COMPANY OPS, ATC, AND UNICOM VIA RADIO. WE WERE ALSO UNABLE TO LOCATE AN OPEN FACILITY ON THE FIELD. AFTER CONSIDERATION OF WX, PERFORMANCE, ACFT WT AND RWY LENGTH IT WAS DETERMINED BY THE PIC THAT A TKOF WITH FLAPS 17 DEGS COULD SAFELY BE MADE. WE TAXIED ONTO RWY 19 AND DEPARTED. ONCE AIRBORNE, WE CONTACTED ATC AND RECEIVED VECTORS FOR THE LOC AT PRESQUE ISLE ARPT. WE MADE AN UNEVENTFUL APCH AND LNDG TO THE PRESQUE ISLE ARPT. I THINK THE CAUSE HERE WAS PLT INDUCED ERROR. I THINK ATC MAY ALSO BE TO BLAME FOR THE INABILITY TO ENSURE THE CREW HAD THE PROPER ARPT IN SIGHT. TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE THERE MUST BE INCREASED PLT AWARENESS OF MULTIPLE ARPT LOCATIONS IN AN AREA AND INCREASED ATC AWARENESS AND POSSIBLY NEW PROCS FOR ENSURING ACFT (IFR AND VFR) ARE VECTORED TO AND IDENT THE CORRECT ARPT. IN THIS CASE, ATC DID NOT WARN US OF THE LOCATION OF ANOTHER ARPT IN THE PROX OF PRESQUE ISLE. AN EXAM OF ATC PROCS AND OPS MAY BE APPROPRIATE. ADDITIONALLY, IT WAS DARK, THE ARPT LAYOUTS LOOK VERY SIMILAR AND THE RELATIVE POS OF THE TOWN TO THE ARPT IS THE SAME. THESE AND OTHER FACTORS, I THINK, ARE IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER. AS A PLT, IT IS OBVIOUS TO ME THAT THIS AND OTHER SIMILAR OCCURRENCES DESERVE SPECIAL ATTN.

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.