Narrative:

On a clear night approach into tus airport (from denver), we were given clearance for a visual to runway 29R. As PF, I'd briefed the visual to runway 29R backed up by the localizer DME (back course) runway 29R approach. I had the localizer frequency dialed in, as well as the front course on the HSI. Coming over the last few hills (from the east), about 18 mi from the airport, I started asking the other crew members if they saw the airport. The captain said he did. I did not, even though I kept querying him 'where is it?' I kept to a 3:1 GS based on the DME, and began configuring the aircraft based on distance/altitude. The captain accepted a visual approach even though I'd said I didn't see the runway or airport, yet. He said 'you're looking good' and pointed out a runway at my 10 O'clock. It was not in the location I'd thought it would be, but I looked at the localizer guidance and it began to center, so I turned to intercept final. The VASI was not the lighting I'd remembered, nor were the approach lights or runway lights. And normally, runway 29L is also illuminated (it was not). 'Something isn't right' was said at the same time the captain asked 'is your localizer centered?' it was swinging left to right and I said 'no.' 'this isn't right.' I said one final time before I said 'I'm going around.' we were at about 2000 ft AGL. I initiated a go around and the captain made a VHF transmission to that effect when the so and I heard tower (we believed it was on VHF) say, 'it's straight ahead.' I wavered, mentally, for a moment on my go around decision, but continued. Then the captain spotted the real runway 29 at our 9 O'clock position. He said I could just enter a right downwind (tower ok'd this) and I did. An uneventful landing followed. We'd made a nice visual approach to davis-monthan AFB! We self-critiqued afterwards and the captain graciously took the blame for fixating on the wrong airport. But, the so had agreed with him, so the saving grace was lighting differences and NAVAID backup. Barely! A real humbling experience. (Never accept a visual approach if: as the PF you don't see it! And, if there's an adjacent airport with similar runways!) I also, learned that, despite knowing the AFB was there, no one thought to check out the green/white/white tower light.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727 MAKES A NIGHT VISUAL APCH TO THE WRONG ARPT NEAR TUS, AZ.

Narrative: ON A CLR NIGHT APCH INTO TUS ARPT (FROM DENVER), WE WERE GIVEN CLRNC FOR A VISUAL TO RWY 29R. AS PF, I'D BRIEFED THE VISUAL TO RWY 29R BACKED UP BY THE LOC DME (BACK COURSE) RWY 29R APCH. I HAD THE LOC FREQ DIALED IN, AS WELL AS THE FRONT COURSE ON THE HSI. COMING OVER THE LAST FEW HILLS (FROM THE E), ABOUT 18 MI FROM THE ARPT, I STARTED ASKING THE OTHER CREW MEMBERS IF THEY SAW THE ARPT. THE CAPT SAID HE DID. I DID NOT, EVEN THOUGH I KEPT QUERYING HIM 'WHERE IS IT?' I KEPT TO A 3:1 GS BASED ON THE DME, AND BEGAN CONFIGURING THE ACFT BASED ON DISTANCE/ALT. THE CAPT ACCEPTED A VISUAL APCH EVEN THOUGH I'D SAID I DIDN'T SEE THE RWY OR ARPT, YET. HE SAID 'YOU'RE LOOKING GOOD' AND POINTED OUT A RWY AT MY 10 O'CLOCK. IT WAS NOT IN THE LOCATION I'D THOUGHT IT WOULD BE, BUT I LOOKED AT THE LOC GUIDANCE AND IT BEGAN TO CTR, SO I TURNED TO INTERCEPT FINAL. THE VASI WAS NOT THE LIGHTING I'D REMEMBERED, NOR WERE THE APCH LIGHTS OR RWY LIGHTS. AND NORMALLY, RWY 29L IS ALSO ILLUMINATED (IT WAS NOT). 'SOMETHING ISN'T RIGHT' WAS SAID AT THE SAME TIME THE CAPT ASKED 'IS YOUR LOC CTRED?' IT WAS SWINGING L TO R AND I SAID 'NO.' 'THIS ISN'T RIGHT.' I SAID ONE FINAL TIME BEFORE I SAID 'I'M GOING AROUND.' WE WERE AT ABOUT 2000 FT AGL. I INITIATED A GAR AND THE CAPT MADE A VHF XMISSION TO THAT EFFECT WHEN THE SO AND I HEARD TWR (WE BELIEVED IT WAS ON VHF) SAY, 'IT'S STRAIGHT AHEAD.' I WAVERED, MENTALLY, FOR A MOMENT ON MY GAR DECISION, BUT CONTINUED. THEN THE CAPT SPOTTED THE REAL RWY 29 AT OUR 9 O'CLOCK POS. HE SAID I COULD JUST ENTER A R DOWNWIND (TWR OK'D THIS) AND I DID. AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG FOLLOWED. WE'D MADE A NICE VISUAL APCH TO DAVIS-MONTHAN AFB! WE SELF-CRITIQUED AFTERWARDS AND THE CAPT GRACIOUSLY TOOK THE BLAME FOR FIXATING ON THE WRONG ARPT. BUT, THE SO HAD AGREED WITH HIM, SO THE SAVING GRACE WAS LIGHTING DIFFERENCES AND NAVAID BACKUP. BARELY! A REAL HUMBLING EXPERIENCE. (NEVER ACCEPT A VISUAL APCH IF: AS THE PF YOU DON'T SEE IT! AND, IF THERE'S AN ADJACENT ARPT WITH SIMILAR RWYS!) I ALSO, LEARNED THAT, DESPITE KNOWING THE AFB WAS THERE, NO ONE THOUGHT TO CHK OUT THE GREEN/WHITE/WHITE TWR LIGHT.

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.