B737 makes approach to bif when elp was intended destination.

Attributes
ACN	458565
Time
Date	199912
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : elp.airport
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl single value : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : elp.tower tower : bdl.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : go around
Route In Use	approach : traffic pattern approach : visual arrival : vfr
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : multi engine pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 22000 flight time type : 18000
ASRS Report	458565
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : executed go around
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance Airspace Structure
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Cleared for the visual approach to runway 4 in el paso. In accordance with approved FAA/company procedures, I was in the right seat with my captain-qualified first officer flying the approach from the left seat. Since el paso rarely uses runway 4 for arrival, neither of us noticed we were lined up on runway 3 at biggs aaf, just west of el paso airport. When it became obvious to the tower controller we could not move over to elp runway 4, he directed a go around with a right downwind pattern for elp runway 26L. We accomplished this approach uneventfully. Contributing factors included the fact that both of us were sitting in seats we weren't real familiar with, and the fact that neither of us had landed on runway 4 in elp in several yrs.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 MAKES APCH TO BIF WHEN ELP WAS INTENDED DEST.

Narrative: CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 4 IN EL PASO. IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPROVED FAA/COMPANY PROCS, I WAS IN THE R SEAT WITH MY CAPT-QUALIFIED FO FLYING THE APCH FROM THE L SEAT. SINCE EL PASO RARELY USES RWY 4 FOR ARR, NEITHER OF US NOTICED WE WERE LINED UP ON RWY 3 AT BIGGS AAF, JUST W OF EL PASO ARPT. WHEN IT BECAME OBVIOUS TO THE TWR CTLR WE COULD NOT MOVE OVER TO ELP RWY 4, HE DIRECTED A GAR WITH A R DOWNWIND PATTERN FOR ELP RWY 26L. WE ACCOMPLISHED THIS APCH UNEVENTFULLY. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS INCLUDED THE FACT THAT BOTH OF US WERE SITTING IN SEATS WE WEREN'T REAL FAMILIAR WITH, AND THE FACT THAT NEITHER OF US HAD LANDED ON RWY 4 IN ELP IN SEVERAL YRS.

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.