Narrative:

En route to alb at 3000 ft with approach, cleared for visual to runway 19 at alb. At this point, we were 3-4 NM west of sch airport. Both airports have north/south and east/west runways and situation close to the river. Some initial confusion as to whether or not we were looking at alb airport. I actually started a turn to a downwind and began a slow descent. I told the first officer to switch back to alb VOR. We realized immediately that this was sch, not alb. Stopped descent at 2500 ft about the time approach said we might be looking at sch. We were on about a 120 degree heading at the time. We told him we had alb in sight and he told us to maintain our heading as it looked good for a base to alb runway 19. We asked if this situation had ever come up before. He said 'it happens all the time.' suggest a 10-7 page entry in our commercial charts to advise crews when arriving from the west of the similarity and close proximity of sch to alb. The fact that the approach plates show it does not draw enough attention to it. When visual at 3000 ft, west of sch and cleared for a visual runway 19 at alb without DME orientation, it's easy to see how someone could conceivably end up at the wrong airport.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A DC9-30 BECAME DISORIENTED AND DSNDED ON VISUAL APCH INTO CLASS D AIRSPACE OF THE WRONG ARPT. ALB APCH CTLR RECOGNIZED THEIR ERROR AND VECTORED THEM TO THE INTENDED ARPT.

Narrative: ENRTE TO ALB AT 3000 FT WITH APCH, CLRED FOR VISUAL TO RWY 19 AT ALB. AT THIS POINT, WE WERE 3-4 NM W OF SCH ARPT. BOTH ARPTS HAVE N/S AND E/W RWYS AND SIT CLOSE TO THE RIVER. SOME INITIAL CONFUSION AS TO WHETHER OR NOT WE WERE LOOKING AT ALB ARPT. I ACTUALLY STARTED A TURN TO A DOWNWIND AND BEGAN A SLOW DSCNT. I TOLD THE FO TO SWITCH BACK TO ALB VOR. WE REALIZED IMMEDIATELY THAT THIS WAS SCH, NOT ALB. STOPPED DSCNT AT 2500 FT ABOUT THE TIME APCH SAID WE MIGHT BE LOOKING AT SCH. WE WERE ON ABOUT A 120 DEG HDG AT THE TIME. WE TOLD HIM WE HAD ALB IN SIGHT AND HE TOLD US TO MAINTAIN OUR HDG AS IT LOOKED GOOD FOR A BASE TO ALB RWY 19. WE ASKED IF THIS SIT HAD EVER COME UP BEFORE. HE SAID 'IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME.' SUGGEST A 10-7 PAGE ENTRY IN OUR COMMERCIAL CHARTS TO ADVISE CREWS WHEN ARRIVING FROM THE W OF THE SIMILARITY AND CLOSE PROX OF SCH TO ALB. THE FACT THAT THE APCH PLATES SHOW IT DOES NOT DRAW ENOUGH ATTN TO IT. WHEN VISUAL AT 3000 FT, W OF SCH AND CLRED FOR A VISUAL RWY 19 AT ALB WITHOUT DME ORIENTATION, IT'S EASY TO SEE HOW SOMEONE COULD CONCEIVABLY END UP AT THE 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.