Narrative:

I was PIC for flight to sce, PA. Familiarizing myself with the airport, I figured I would be cleared to psb and vectored to the airport. Instead, my clearance was to ton (tyrone), then direct sce. I was the PNF for this leg. After reaching ton, ZNY advised us to expect the visual approach into runway 6 and to fly direct to the airport. I informed ZNY that we were unfamiliar with the routing and asked if our heading looked good for state college. Was informed the airport was 12 O'clock position ahead. Shortly thereafter, an airport was in view between 11-12 O'clock position with a similar layout. I asked center to confirm the airport at approximately 11 - 11:30 O'clock position ahead was indeed state college. I was informed the state college was at 11 O'clock position (later informed from ATC that they had told me it was also 20 NM out but I apparently missed that in the confirmation at the time.) at this same time, I was navigating, communicating and visually searching outside the aircraft for the airport while my first officer was the PF. The first officer had turned the autoplt off and was hand flying, at which time I noticed that she had begun to descend to the airport ahead leaving the last assigned altitude of 5000 ft. I quickly stated to the first officer that we hadn't been cleared for the approach, but seeing that we were still well above MSA, I immediately radioed center if cleared for the visual, which ATC stated cleared for the visual and frequency change approved. At the ht and present angle to the airport, I could see that the runway ahead was a runway 6 with an intersecting runway mid field (as per state college's layout) but the complete airport layout view was obscured. I made all the standard CTAF calls while the first officer made the approach and landing. Immediately after touchdown the airport layout made it clear that it didn't match the layout for state college. I taxied clear of the runway and radioed center that we had landed at the wrong airport and that I was going to be in touch with my company dispatch and would be back in contact with them shortly. I have been a PIC now for just over a few months and have learned a valuable lesson. Even though the WX was VFR, I must keep an ever close eye on what my first officer is doing and the aircraft position as assigned. And when at an unfamiliar airport, shooting a visual approach to landing with no instrument approach facility to identify, don't land until I can 100% visually identify the airport and not rely merely on same runway numbers and generic reported airport location ahead from ATC. As PIC, the responsibility is mine and as an ATP rated pilot I should not have allowed these events to develop and will be keeping a close eye so they will not occur again in the future.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SF-34 CREW LANDED AT THE WRONG ARPT IN VMC.

Narrative: I WAS PIC FOR FLT TO SCE, PA. FAMILIARIZING MYSELF WITH THE ARPT, I FIGURED I WOULD BE CLRED TO PSB AND VECTORED TO THE ARPT. INSTEAD, MY CLRNC WAS TO TON (TYRONE), THEN DIRECT SCE. I WAS THE PNF FOR THIS LEG. AFTER REACHING TON, ZNY ADVISED US TO EXPECT THE VISUAL APCH INTO RWY 6 AND TO FLY DIRECT TO THE ARPT. I INFORMED ZNY THAT WE WERE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE ROUTING AND ASKED IF OUR HDG LOOKED GOOD FOR STATE COLLEGE. WAS INFORMED THE ARPT WAS 12 O'CLOCK POS AHEAD. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, AN ARPT WAS IN VIEW BTWN 11-12 O'CLOCK POS WITH A SIMILAR LAYOUT. I ASKED CTR TO CONFIRM THE ARPT AT APPROX 11 - 11:30 O'CLOCK POS AHEAD WAS INDEED STATE COLLEGE. I WAS INFORMED THE STATE COLLEGE WAS AT 11 O'CLOCK POS (LATER INFORMED FROM ATC THAT THEY HAD TOLD ME IT WAS ALSO 20 NM OUT BUT I APPARENTLY MISSED THAT IN THE CONFIRMATION AT THE TIME.) AT THIS SAME TIME, I WAS NAVING, COMMUNICATING AND VISUALLY SEARCHING OUTSIDE THE ACFT FOR THE ARPT WHILE MY FO WAS THE PF. THE FO HAD TURNED THE AUTOPLT OFF AND WAS HAND FLYING, AT WHICH TIME I NOTICED THAT SHE HAD BEGUN TO DSND TO THE ARPT AHEAD LEAVING THE LAST ASSIGNED ALT OF 5000 FT. I QUICKLY STATED TO THE FO THAT WE HADN'T BEEN CLRED FOR THE APCH, BUT SEEING THAT WE WERE STILL WELL ABOVE MSA, I IMMEDIATELY RADIOED CTR IF CLRED FOR THE VISUAL, WHICH ATC STATED CLRED FOR THE VISUAL AND FREQ CHANGE APPROVED. AT THE HT AND PRESENT ANGLE TO THE ARPT, I COULD SEE THAT THE RWY AHEAD WAS A RWY 6 WITH AN INTERSECTING RWY MID FIELD (AS PER STATE COLLEGE'S LAYOUT) BUT THE COMPLETE ARPT LAYOUT VIEW WAS OBSCURED. I MADE ALL THE STANDARD CTAF CALLS WHILE THE FO MADE THE APCH AND LNDG. IMMEDIATELY AFTER TOUCHDOWN THE ARPT LAYOUT MADE IT CLR THAT IT DIDN'T MATCH THE LAYOUT FOR STATE COLLEGE. I TAXIED CLR OF THE RWY AND RADIOED CTR THAT WE HAD LANDED AT THE WRONG ARPT AND THAT I WAS GOING TO BE IN TOUCH WITH MY COMPANY DISPATCH AND WOULD BE BACK IN CONTACT WITH THEM SHORTLY. I HAVE BEEN A PIC NOW FOR JUST OVER A FEW MONTHS AND HAVE LEARNED A VALUABLE LESSON. EVEN THOUGH THE WX WAS VFR, I MUST KEEP AN EVER CLOSE EYE ON WHAT MY FO IS DOING AND THE ACFT POS AS ASSIGNED. AND WHEN AT AN UNFAMILIAR ARPT, SHOOTING A VISUAL APCH TO LNDG WITH NO INST APCH FACILITY TO IDENT, DON'T LAND UNTIL I CAN 100% VISUALLY IDENT THE ARPT AND NOT RELY MERELY ON SAME RWY NUMBERS AND GENERIC RPTED ARPT LOCATION AHEAD FROM ATC. AS PIC, THE RESPONSIBILITY IS MINE AND AS AN ATP RATED PLT I SHOULD NOT HAVE ALLOWED THESE EVENTS TO DEVELOP AND WILL BE KEEPING A CLOSE EYE SO THEY WILL NOT OCCUR AGAIN IN THE FUTURE.

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.