Narrative:

Flight XXX mem-dtw. The captain had been flying dtw out and backs all month, and it had been over 1 yr since my last flight to dtw. Within 20 mi of dtw, descending out of 7000 ft and on a vector of 040 degrees from dtw approach, expecting runway 22L at dtw. Sky conditions were night and clear. Captain said he had the field in sight. I did not at that moment. I had tuned and idented dtw VOR, with needles pointing to approximately 045 degrees (or 225 degree radial). I was uncertain at this point to call the field in sight and continued looking. The dtw VOR needles now pointing to 090 degree radial, I saw the field and told the captain. The captain asked me to call the field in sight, and because I was unfamiliar with the area, I felt uncomfortable with his request, so I asked him twice if he was sure he wanted to do that. He said 'yes, call the field,' and as soon as I did, the controller cleared us for the visual runway 22L at dtw. We then continued our descent to 3000 ft and turned to a 150 degree heading for the base leg and to intercept the localizer. Continued to 2700 ft and turned to 210 degrees to align with runway we had in sight. I mentioned that the localizer has not captured yet, so we turned back to approximately 180 degrees and to try and capture to within 10 mi at approximately 2700 ft. I asked ATC to switch to tower frequency. At this point, the captain and I knew something was not right, because we still had not intercepted the localizer (which was tuned and idented for runway 22L). The controller commented that it looked like we were aligning ourselves with willow run airport and did we want a vector to dtw. We said yes, and ATC vectored us for the visual runway 22L at dtw, without further event. I believe the problem arose due to the captain and I identing 2 different airports and not realizing it before we called the field in sight and were cleared for the visual approach. I believe the captain had dtw in sight, however, when he began configuring the jet and slowing, he took his eyes off of dtw, and relied on my initial heading to set him up on a base leg to join the runway at willow run. We recognized the problem when the localizer did not capture, and my call to ATC precipitated our corrective action. I have always chosen to fly on approach rather than accept a visual to avoid an event such as this one. After this experience, I fully intend on making every effort to improve my situational awareness and encourage the captain not to accept a visual approach -- at least not until capturing the localizer and all crew members have confirmed the correct airport is in sight.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WRONG ARPT APCH TO YIP ATTEMPTED BY A FLC OF A CARGO DC10 IN A NIGHT OP 10 MI NW OF DTW, MI.

Narrative: FLT XXX MEM-DTW. THE CAPT HAD BEEN FLYING DTW OUT AND BACKS ALL MONTH, AND IT HAD BEEN OVER 1 YR SINCE MY LAST FLT TO DTW. WITHIN 20 MI OF DTW, DSNDING OUT OF 7000 FT AND ON A VECTOR OF 040 DEGS FROM DTW APCH, EXPECTING RWY 22L AT DTW. SKY CONDITIONS WERE NIGHT AND CLR. CAPT SAID HE HAD THE FIELD IN SIGHT. I DID NOT AT THAT MOMENT. I HAD TUNED AND IDENTED DTW VOR, WITH NEEDLES POINTING TO APPROX 045 DEGS (OR 225 DEG RADIAL). I WAS UNCERTAIN AT THIS POINT TO CALL THE FIELD IN SIGHT AND CONTINUED LOOKING. THE DTW VOR NEEDLES NOW POINTING TO 090 DEG RADIAL, I SAW THE FIELD AND TOLD THE CAPT. THE CAPT ASKED ME TO CALL THE FIELD IN SIGHT, AND BECAUSE I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA, I FELT UNCOMFORTABLE WITH HIS REQUEST, SO I ASKED HIM TWICE IF HE WAS SURE HE WANTED TO DO THAT. HE SAID 'YES, CALL THE FIELD,' AND AS SOON AS I DID, THE CTLR CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL RWY 22L AT DTW. WE THEN CONTINUED OUR DSCNT TO 3000 FT AND TURNED TO A 150 DEG HDG FOR THE BASE LEG AND TO INTERCEPT THE LOC. CONTINUED TO 2700 FT AND TURNED TO 210 DEGS TO ALIGN WITH RWY WE HAD IN SIGHT. I MENTIONED THAT THE LOC HAS NOT CAPTURED YET, SO WE TURNED BACK TO APPROX 180 DEGS AND TO TRY AND CAPTURE TO WITHIN 10 MI AT APPROX 2700 FT. I ASKED ATC TO SWITCH TO TWR FREQ. AT THIS POINT, THE CAPT AND I KNEW SOMETHING WAS NOT RIGHT, BECAUSE WE STILL HAD NOT INTERCEPTED THE LOC (WHICH WAS TUNED AND IDENTED FOR RWY 22L). THE CTLR COMMENTED THAT IT LOOKED LIKE WE WERE ALIGNING OURSELVES WITH WILLOW RUN ARPT AND DID WE WANT A VECTOR TO DTW. WE SAID YES, AND ATC VECTORED US FOR THE VISUAL RWY 22L AT DTW, WITHOUT FURTHER EVENT. I BELIEVE THE PROB AROSE DUE TO THE CAPT AND I IDENTING 2 DIFFERENT ARPTS AND NOT REALIZING IT BEFORE WE CALLED THE FIELD IN SIGHT AND WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH. I BELIEVE THE CAPT HAD DTW IN SIGHT, HOWEVER, WHEN HE BEGAN CONFIGURING THE JET AND SLOWING, HE TOOK HIS EYES OFF OF DTW, AND RELIED ON MY INITIAL HDG TO SET HIM UP ON A BASE LEG TO JOIN THE RWY AT WILLOW RUN. WE RECOGNIZED THE PROB WHEN THE LOC DID NOT CAPTURE, AND MY CALL TO ATC PRECIPITATED OUR CORRECTIVE ACTION. I HAVE ALWAYS CHOSEN TO FLY ON APCH RATHER THAN ACCEPT A VISUAL TO AVOID AN EVENT SUCH AS THIS ONE. AFTER THIS EXPERIENCE, I FULLY INTEND ON MAKING EVERY EFFORT TO IMPROVE MY SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND ENCOURAGE THE CAPT NOT TO ACCEPT A VISUAL APCH -- AT LEAST NOT UNTIL CAPTURING THE LOC AND ALL CREW MEMBERS HAVE CONFIRMED THE CORRECT ARPT IS IN SIGHT.

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.