Narrative:

The flight was from ZZZ, us, to columbia, sc, (cae), at night. About 15 NM north of the columbia VOR we leveled off at 10000 ft to slow to 250 KIAS. At that point columbia approach had cleared us down to 2000 ft. Our heading was about 150 degrees proceeding direct the VOR (cae), time XA30 eastern. At this point we had 2 airport beacons in sight, that of our destination cae, columbia metropolitan and that of a 2ND airport columbia owens downtown. I asked approach to verify the location of cae, 'is it at 12 or 2 O'clock position' I asked. Approach answered at 12 O'clock position, at which point we proceeded to a right downwind leg at that airport, which turned out to be columbia owens downtown. Turning base leg columbia tower asked us if we had turned yet (apparently he didn't have us in sight), which I acknowledged. He asked us if we had the airport in sight now at about 2 O'clock position 8 mi, of which I answered that it looked more like 4 mi. At this point we had the gear down and intermediate flap setting and were at about 1500 ft MSL. Tower realized we were at the wrong airport and told us to climb to 1700 ft fly a 200 degree heading and look for the right airport, cae. We initiated a missed approach and landed without incident at cae. 2 factors contributed to this: 1) approach control's incorrect pointing out of the airport and 2) unfamiliarity of both pilots with the airports and failure to locate columbia owens downtown on the approach plate.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC9-32 CREW MADE A NIGHT APCH TO THE WRONG ARPT AT CAE.

Narrative: THE FLT WAS FROM ZZZ, US, TO COLUMBIA, SC, (CAE), AT NIGHT. ABOUT 15 NM N OF THE COLUMBIA VOR WE LEVELED OFF AT 10000 FT TO SLOW TO 250 KIAS. AT THAT POINT COLUMBIA APCH HAD CLRED US DOWN TO 2000 FT. OUR HEADING WAS ABOUT 150 DEGS PROCEEDING DIRECT THE VOR (CAE), TIME XA30 EASTERN. AT THIS POINT WE HAD 2 ARPT BEACONS IN SIGHT, THAT OF OUR DEST CAE, COLUMBIA METRO AND THAT OF A 2ND ARPT COLUMBIA OWENS DOWNTOWN. I ASKED APCH TO VERIFY THE LOCATION OF CAE, 'IS IT AT 12 OR 2 O'CLOCK POS' I ASKED. APCH ANSWERED AT 12 O'CLOCK POS, AT WHICH POINT WE PROCEEDED TO A R DOWNWIND LEG AT THAT ARPT, WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE COLUMBIA OWENS DOWNTOWN. TURNING BASE LEG COLUMBIA TWR ASKED US IF WE HAD TURNED YET (APPARENTLY HE DIDN'T HAVE US IN SIGHT), WHICH I ACKNOWLEDGED. HE ASKED US IF WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT NOW AT ABOUT 2 O'CLOCK POS 8 MI, OF WHICH I ANSWERED THAT IT LOOKED MORE LIKE 4 MI. AT THIS POINT WE HAD THE GEAR DOWN AND INTERMEDIATE FLAP SETTING AND WERE AT ABOUT 1500 FT MSL. TWR REALIZED WE WERE AT THE WRONG ARPT AND TOLD US TO CLB TO 1700 FT FLY A 200 DEG HDG AND LOOK FOR THE RIGHT ARPT, CAE. WE INITIATED A MISSED APCH AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT AT CAE. 2 FACTORS CONTRIBUTED TO THIS: 1) APCH CTL'S INCORRECT POINTING OUT OF THE ARPT AND 2) UNFAMILIARITY OF BOTH PLTS WITH THE ARPTS AND FAILURE TO LOCATE COLUMBIA OWENS DOWNTOWN ON THE APCH PLATE.

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.