Narrative:

During a night four stacks visual approach into bur, the first officer and I momentarily lost sight of the bur airport in the myriad of lights that make up the burbank area. As we searched to reacquire the airport, our eyes were initially attracted to whp, which is on the ground track of the approach, but slightly closer than bur. Thinking whp was bur, we began maneuvering toward it, but quickly saw that it was not, since the runway alignment was not correct, the VASI configuration was different, and it was too close to be bur. The bur tower controller could see us and provided assistance in locating bur visually, and we continued the approach to an uneventful landing on runway 15 at bur. I discussed our experience with the bur tower supervisor by phone after landing. He indicated that a number of other aircraft have experienced the same initial confusion between whp and bur during night four stack visual apches. Although they normally keep the bur runway lights at full bright to help the situation, the bright lights in the vicinity of bur tend to outshine the bur runway lights and make the airport difficult to pick out. In addition, he noted that the bur REIL's have been out of commission for nearly two yrs (with no plan for repair in the near future). In contrast, whp is somewhat removed from the highest density of lights. Since it's closer, whp is easier to pick up visually than bur under these conditions. If WX and runway availability permit, I prefer the four stacks visual to stay away from the high density general aviation traffic around vny airport and in the valley in general. I haven't landed at bur in quite a while at night from the four stacks visual, but I don't recall experiencing the confusion in previous apches that we experienced this time. I'm wondering if the lack of REIL's at bur made the difference this time. This seems to present a situation with a high probability for an inadvertent landing at the wrong airport. I think it may be prudent to look at fixing the REIL's if it would prevent such an event from occurring.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 CREW HAD AN ARPT VISUAL ID PROB ON THE FOUR STACKS VISUAL APCH TO BUR.

Narrative: DURING A NIGHT FOUR STACKS VISUAL APCH INTO BUR, THE FO AND I MOMENTARILY LOST SIGHT OF THE BUR ARPT IN THE MYRIAD OF LIGHTS THAT MAKE UP THE BURBANK AREA. AS WE SEARCHED TO REACQUIRE THE ARPT, OUR EYES WERE INITIALLY ATTRACTED TO WHP, WHICH IS ON THE GND TRACK OF THE APCH, BUT SLIGHTLY CLOSER THAN BUR. THINKING WHP WAS BUR, WE BEGAN MANEUVERING TOWARD IT, BUT QUICKLY SAW THAT IT WAS NOT, SINCE THE RWY ALIGNMENT WAS NOT CORRECT, THE VASI CONFIG WAS DIFFERENT, AND IT WAS TOO CLOSE TO BE BUR. THE BUR TWR CTLR COULD SEE US AND PROVIDED ASSISTANCE IN LOCATING BUR VISUALLY, AND WE CONTINUED THE APCH TO AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG ON RWY 15 AT BUR. I DISCUSSED OUR EXPERIENCE WITH THE BUR TWR SUPERVISOR BY PHONE AFTER LNDG. HE INDICATED THAT A NUMBER OF OTHER ACFT HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME INITIAL CONFUSION BTWN WHP AND BUR DURING NIGHT FOUR STACK VISUAL APCHES. ALTHOUGH THEY NORMALLY KEEP THE BUR RWY LIGHTS AT FULL BRIGHT TO HELP THE SIT, THE BRIGHT LIGHTS IN THE VICINITY OF BUR TEND TO OUTSHINE THE BUR RWY LIGHTS AND MAKE THE ARPT DIFFICULT TO PICK OUT. IN ADDITION, HE NOTED THAT THE BUR REIL'S HAVE BEEN OUT OF COMMISSION FOR NEARLY TWO YRS (WITH NO PLAN FOR REPAIR IN THE NEAR FUTURE). IN CONTRAST, WHP IS SOMEWHAT REMOVED FROM THE HIGHEST DENSITY OF LIGHTS. SINCE IT'S CLOSER, WHP IS EASIER TO PICK UP VISUALLY THAN BUR UNDER THESE CONDITIONS. IF WX AND RWY AVAILABILITY PERMIT, I PREFER THE FOUR STACKS VISUAL TO STAY AWAY FROM THE HIGH DENSITY GENERAL AVIATION TFC AROUND VNY ARPT AND IN THE VALLEY IN GENERAL. I HAVEN'T LANDED AT BUR IN QUITE A WHILE AT NIGHT FROM THE FOUR STACKS VISUAL, BUT I DON'T RECALL EXPERIENCING THE CONFUSION IN PREVIOUS APCHES THAT WE EXPERIENCED THIS TIME. I'M WONDERING IF THE LACK OF REIL'S AT BUR MADE THE DIFFERENCE THIS TIME. THIS SEEMS TO PRESENT A SIT WITH A HIGH PROBABILITY FOR AN INADVERTENT LNDG AT THE WRONG ARPT. I THINK IT MAY BE PRUDENT TO LOOK AT FIXING THE REIL'S IF IT WOULD PREVENT SUCH AN EVENT FROM OCCURRING.

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.