CL60 crew made a visual approach to the wrong airport, when the nct approach controller asked if they had the mry airport in sight.

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Attributes
ACN	599022
Time
Date	200311
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : oar.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Weather Elements	other
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : nct.tracon
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Challenger CL600
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual arrival : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 5500 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	599022
Person 2
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter other non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued alert controller : issued new clearance flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : returned to intended or assigned course flight crew : returned to original clearance
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While on approach to mry, we were about 7 mi out. ATC asked if we had a visual. I told my first officer I did not see the airport. My first officer then pointed to an airport, stated he had mry and directed me to it. I had the airport he showed me and we were cleared for a visual to mry. However, around 4 mi out, we were lined up for oar -- a few mi north of mry. When we realized our error, ATC noticed and directed us to mry. We always back ourselves up -- in this case we had the localizer set up and when I didn't correspond to the inbound course, I knew there was a problem. However, with lower visibility coming in from the north, oar is the first airport you see and they look similar. The runway lengths are not similar, but the direction of the runways are similar. In hindsight, we should have lined up for the approach to reduce the chance of lining up to the wrong airport to zero.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CL60 CREW MADE A VISUAL APCH TO THE WRONG ARPT, WHEN THE NCT APCH CTLR ASKED IF THEY HAD THE MRY ARPT IN SIGHT.

Narrative: WHILE ON APCH TO MRY, WE WERE ABOUT 7 MI OUT. ATC ASKED IF WE HAD A VISUAL. I TOLD MY FO I DID NOT SEE THE ARPT. MY FO THEN POINTED TO AN ARPT, STATED HE HAD MRY AND DIRECTED ME TO IT. I HAD THE ARPT HE SHOWED ME AND WE WERE CLRED FOR A VISUAL TO MRY. HOWEVER, AROUND 4 MI OUT, WE WERE LINED UP FOR OAR -- A FEW MI N OF MRY. WHEN WE REALIZED OUR ERROR, ATC NOTICED AND DIRECTED US TO MRY. WE ALWAYS BACK OURSELVES UP -- IN THIS CASE WE HAD THE LOC SET UP AND WHEN I DIDN'T CORRESPOND TO THE INBOUND COURSE, I KNEW THERE WAS A PROB. HOWEVER, WITH LOWER VISIBILITY COMING IN FROM THE N, OAR IS THE FIRST ARPT YOU SEE AND THEY LOOK SIMILAR. THE RWY LENGTHS ARE NOT SIMILAR, BUT THE DIRECTION OF THE RWYS ARE SIMILAR. IN HINDSIGHT, WE SHOULD HAVE LINED UP FOR THE APCH TO REDUCE THE CHANCE OF LINING UP TO THE WRONG ARPT TO ZERO.

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.