Narrative:

On a clear night I was flying and the captain was performing the PNF duties. It was my first trip to rno and the captain had been there a couple of times. We were the only aircraft talking to reno approach. The ATIS advised that runway 16R was closed and they were running visuals to runway 16L. There is no approach to runway 16L. Close in to the airport, approaching from the southwest, the controller asked if we could make it down from our location for runway 34R. We did not have the airport in site at that time. The captain advised ATC that we were new to the airport and would like vectors for runway 16L. We were instructed to continue direct to fmg, maintain 9000 ft and then depart heading 340 degrees. Crossing fmg we were cleared to 7200 ft. I was using the autoplt and slowed to about 200 KTS with flaps 5 degrees to aid the descent. We were looking at an airport at our 10-11 O'clock position, when the controller asked us how long a final we would like. I said 5 mi which the captain told ATC. The controller had us turn left to 250 degrees and asked us to verify we had reno in sight at 10-11 O'clock position, which we affirmed. We appeared to be very high when he cleared us for the visual approach. I put out the gear and called for more flaps. I noticed that my map display was indicating that the course I had built for runway 16L was now behind us. I had the NDB tuned and displayed, but had been focused outside and did not notice where the needle was pointing. I called the captain's attention to my map display. He had set his EFIS to VOR mode and it seemed to make sense. We continued descending to set up for the left base to final turn as the controller asked us to confirm we were in a left turn. I had just rolled out onto the base leg. The controller advised that we did not appear to be heading for reno and that we were heading for high terrain. We could see clearly, but it was dark. I had my EFIS display set for terr and was not yet picking up any returns, but we had no doubt that something wasn't right. We followed ATC's instructions to climb back to 8000 ft and turn right to intercept runway 16R localizer which we did after completing a right turn of approximately 260 degrees. We then landed uneventfully on runway 16L. Supplemental information from acn 594809: the problem was that we called a visual on reno stead airport which had a single runway illuminated, brightly illuminated.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-700 FLT CREW ACCEPTS A VISUAL APCH TO RNO, BUT LINES UP ON 4SD INSTEAD DUE TO BEING UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA.

Narrative: ON A CLR NIGHT I WAS FLYING AND THE CAPT WAS PERFORMING THE PNF DUTIES. IT WAS MY FIRST TRIP TO RNO AND THE CAPT HAD BEEN THERE A COUPLE OF TIMES. WE WERE THE ONLY ACFT TALKING TO RENO APCH. THE ATIS ADVISED THAT RWY 16R WAS CLOSED AND THEY WERE RUNNING VISUALS TO RWY 16L. THERE IS NO APCH TO RWY 16L. CLOSE IN TO THE ARPT, APCHING FROM THE SW, THE CTLR ASKED IF WE COULD MAKE IT DOWN FROM OUR LOCATION FOR RWY 34R. WE DID NOT HAVE THE ARPT IN SITE AT THAT TIME. THE CAPT ADVISED ATC THAT WE WERE NEW TO THE ARPT AND WOULD LIKE VECTORS FOR RWY 16L. WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO CONTINUE DIRECT TO FMG, MAINTAIN 9000 FT AND THEN DEPART HEADING 340 DEGS. XING FMG WE WERE CLRED TO 7200 FT. I WAS USING THE AUTOPLT AND SLOWED TO ABOUT 200 KTS WITH FLAPS 5 DEGS TO AID THE DSCNT. WE WERE LOOKING AT AN ARPT AT OUR 10-11 O'CLOCK POS, WHEN THE CTLR ASKED US HOW LONG A FINAL WE WOULD LIKE. I SAID 5 MI WHICH THE CAPT TOLD ATC. THE CTLR HAD US TURN L TO 250 DEGS AND ASKED US TO VERIFY WE HAD RENO IN SIGHT AT 10-11 O'CLOCK POS, WHICH WE AFFIRMED. WE APPEARED TO BE VERY HIGH WHEN HE CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL APCH. I PUT OUT THE GEAR AND CALLED FOR MORE FLAPS. I NOTICED THAT MY MAP DISPLAY WAS INDICATING THAT THE COURSE I HAD BUILT FOR RWY 16L WAS NOW BEHIND US. I HAD THE NDB TUNED AND DISPLAYED, BUT HAD BEEN FOCUSED OUTSIDE AND DID NOT NOTICE WHERE THE NEEDLE WAS POINTING. I CALLED THE CAPT'S ATTN TO MY MAP DISPLAY. HE HAD SET HIS EFIS TO VOR MODE AND IT SEEMED TO MAKE SENSE. WE CONTINUED DSNDING TO SET UP FOR THE L BASE TO FINAL TURN AS THE CTLR ASKED US TO CONFIRM WE WERE IN A L TURN. I HAD JUST ROLLED OUT ONTO THE BASE LEG. THE CTLR ADVISED THAT WE DID NOT APPEAR TO BE HEADING FOR RENO AND THAT WE WERE HEADING FOR HIGH TERRAIN. WE COULD SEE CLRLY, BUT IT WAS DARK. I HAD MY EFIS DISPLAY SET FOR TERR AND WAS NOT YET PICKING UP ANY RETURNS, BUT WE HAD NO DOUBT THAT SOMETHING WASN'T RIGHT. WE FOLLOWED ATC'S INSTRUCTIONS TO CLB BACK TO 8000 FT AND TURN R TO INTERCEPT RWY 16R LOC WHICH WE DID AFTER COMPLETING A R TURN OF APPROX 260 DEGS. WE THEN LANDED UNEVENTFULLY ON RWY 16L. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 594809: THE PROB WAS THAT WE CALLED A VISUAL ON RENO STEAD ARPT WHICH HAD A SINGLE RWY ILLUMINATED, BRIGHTLY ILLUMINATED.

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.