B737 first officer lined up on the wrong airport after breaking out visually.

Attributes
ACN	533204
Time
Date	200112
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sjc.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 2000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : o90.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	533204
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude inflight encounter : weather non adherence : company policies non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued alert controller : issued new clearance none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Weather
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Potential ATC violation. During approach to sjc the copilot momentarily lined up for moffett NAS instead of sjc. He went visual when he should have stayed on instruments. We realized the mistake at the same time approach was calling. He violated his altitude by about 300 ft. I had looked away for just a few seconds and it took me a moment to realize he had turned short of our intended path. I talked with him about the necessity of staying on the instruments in marginal conditions.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FO LINED UP ON THE WRONG ARPT AFTER BREAKING OUT VISUALLY.

Narrative: POTENTIAL ATC VIOLATION. DURING APCH TO SJC THE COPLT MOMENTARILY LINED UP FOR MOFFETT NAS INSTEAD OF SJC. HE WENT VISUAL WHEN HE SHOULD HAVE STAYED ON INSTS. WE REALIZED THE MISTAKE AT THE SAME TIME APCH WAS CALLING. HE VIOLATED HIS ALT BY ABOUT 300 FT. I HAD LOOKED AWAY FOR JUST A FEW SECONDS AND IT TOOK ME A MOMENT TO REALIZE HE HAD TURNED SHORT OF OUR INTENDED PATH. I TALKED WITH HIM ABOUT THE NECESSITY OF STAYING ON THE INSTS IN MARGINAL CONDITIONS.

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.