Narrative:

First officer was flying and we had been issued a visual approach to san jose airport on a left downwind leg about abeam moffett federal airfield. Flight visibility was actually quite good, at least 10 mi. However, a slight haze had started to form in the darkness just enough to confuse some of the ground light patterns. Both the first officer and myself have operated in and out of this airport for yrs and are familiar with this approach and airport. Unfortunately, on accepting a visual approach clearance, I believe we mistook moffett airfield for the san jose airport causing an early turn. Our instructions from approach control were to intercept final at or above 2000 ft MSL. We had clearance to land from the tower. A quick check of VOR and localizer information indicated our position was off and just where was the real airport? Situation was sorted out quickly, but base leg tighter than normal and intercept of final over city about 1000 ft MSL, lower than we should have been. I do not feel safety was an issue as no unusual maneuvering was required but we were lower and closer in than normal. Lesson: beware familiarity, night and the end of a long day. It can all add up to a 'gotcha.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD SUPER 80 FLC INITIATED A VISUAL APCH TO THE WRONG ARPT AND DISCOVERED FROM THE VOR LOC THAT THEY WERE NOT TURNING BASE TO THEIR DEST ARPT.

Narrative: FO WAS FLYING AND WE HAD BEEN ISSUED A VISUAL APCH TO SAN JOSE ARPT ON A L DOWNWIND LEG ABOUT ABEAM MOFFETT FEDERAL AIRFIELD. FLT VISIBILITY WAS ACTUALLY QUITE GOOD, AT LEAST 10 MI. HOWEVER, A SLIGHT HAZE HAD STARTED TO FORM IN THE DARKNESS JUST ENOUGH TO CONFUSE SOME OF THE GND LIGHT PATTERNS. BOTH THE FO AND MYSELF HAVE OPERATED IN AND OUT OF THIS ARPT FOR YRS AND ARE FAMILIAR WITH THIS APCH AND ARPT. UNFORTUNATELY, ON ACCEPTING A VISUAL APCH CLRNC, I BELIEVE WE MISTOOK MOFFETT AIRFIELD FOR THE SAN JOSE ARPT CAUSING AN EARLY TURN. OUR INSTRUCTIONS FROM APCH CTL WERE TO INTERCEPT FINAL AT OR ABOVE 2000 FT MSL. WE HAD CLRNC TO LAND FROM THE TWR. A QUICK CHK OF VOR AND LOC INFO INDICATED OUR POS WAS OFF AND JUST WHERE WAS THE REAL ARPT? SIT WAS SORTED OUT QUICKLY, BUT BASE LEG TIGHTER THAN NORMAL AND INTERCEPT OF FINAL OVER CITY ABOUT 1000 FT MSL, LOWER THAN WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN. I DO NOT FEEL SAFETY WAS AN ISSUE AS NO UNUSUAL MANEUVERING WAS REQUIRED BUT WE WERE LOWER AND CLOSER IN THAN NORMAL. LESSON: BEWARE FAMILIARITY, NIGHT AND THE END OF A LONG DAY. IT CAN ALL ADD UP TO A 'GOTCHA.'

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.