Narrative:

We were vectored to the downwind to runway 24 at rsw. Originally planned runway 6. Navaids were set up for the VOR runway 24 at rsw. PF called airport in sight and I (pm) called the airport in sight to approach. They cleared us for the visual approach and sent us to tower. I contacted rsw tower and they cleared us to land runway 24. Until rolling out on final I did not have the airport or runway in sight and was relying on the PF's identify. As we turned final I was occupied with configuring the aircraft, contacting tower and looking for the field. Once on final I concentrated on verifying a normal glidepath (using DME), and completing the landing checklist. However, I failed to verify any other navaids to determine the proper final approach was being flown. Light haze and heading toward the sun made identify of airport features more difficult. After about 30 seconds on final rsw tower directed a go around and advised us that we had flown final to the wrong airport (page municipal) and vectored us to rsw. After landing, I contacted rsw approach/tower and they said there would be no problem with ATC/FAA and that this was a common occurrence. Supplemental information from acn 622277: we were cleared to 3000 ft and an easterly heading in anticipation of a visual approach to rsw. Approach control called the airport at our 3 O'clock position. As we descended below the clouds, I saw an airport at our 3 O'clock position and called the field in sight. Approach cleared us for the visual. He told us to contact tower. I thought we were kind of 'high and tight,' but did not remark about it. We began to slow and configure on speed in anticipation of the base leg turn. The visual approach was coming along nicely as to visual approach standards. The tower cleared us to land with a wind check. At 1200 ft she advised us that we were approaching the wrong airport and assigned us a heading of 120 degrees and an altitude of 1500 ft. I added power and called for flaps 15 degrees as we turned to the southeast. She immediately reclred us to land on runway 24. She told/asked us that we were 'touring downtown' as an explanation for our deviation. Our diagram page contains no information regarding the other airport (page 'fmy'). I was pretty shaken as to what could have happened and was very glad to have had an understanding, helpful controller.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WRONG ARPT APCH TO FMY, PAGE FIELD, AFTER AN MD80 IS GIVEN A VISUAL CLRNC TO RWY 24 AT RSW, FL.

Narrative: WE WERE VECTORED TO THE DOWNWIND TO RWY 24 AT RSW. ORIGINALLY PLANNED RWY 6. NAVAIDS WERE SET UP FOR THE VOR RWY 24 AT RSW. PF CALLED ARPT IN SIGHT AND I (PM) CALLED THE ARPT IN SIGHT TO APCH. THEY CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL APCH AND SENT US TO TWR. I CONTACTED RSW TWR AND THEY CLRED US TO LAND RWY 24. UNTIL ROLLING OUT ON FINAL I DID NOT HAVE THE ARPT OR RWY IN SIGHT AND WAS RELYING ON THE PF'S IDENT. AS WE TURNED FINAL I WAS OCCUPIED WITH CONFIGURING THE ACFT, CONTACTING TWR AND LOOKING FOR THE FIELD. ONCE ON FINAL I CONCENTRATED ON VERIFYING A NORMAL GLIDEPATH (USING DME), AND COMPLETING THE LNDG CHKLIST. HOWEVER, I FAILED TO VERIFY ANY OTHER NAVAIDS TO DETERMINE THE PROPER FINAL APCH WAS BEING FLOWN. LIGHT HAZE AND HDG TOWARD THE SUN MADE IDENT OF ARPT FEATURES MORE DIFFICULT. AFTER ABOUT 30 SECONDS ON FINAL RSW TWR DIRECTED A GAR AND ADVISED US THAT WE HAD FLOWN FINAL TO THE WRONG ARPT (PAGE MUNI) AND VECTORED US TO RSW. AFTER LNDG, I CONTACTED RSW APCH/TWR AND THEY SAID THERE WOULD BE NO PROB WITH ATC/FAA AND THAT THIS WAS A COMMON OCCURRENCE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 622277: WE WERE CLRED TO 3000 FT AND AN EASTERLY HDG IN ANTICIPATION OF A VISUAL APCH TO RSW. APCH CTL CALLED THE ARPT AT OUR 3 O'CLOCK POS. AS WE DSNDED BELOW THE CLOUDS, I SAW AN ARPT AT OUR 3 O'CLOCK POS AND CALLED THE FIELD IN SIGHT. APCH CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL. HE TOLD US TO CONTACT TWR. I THOUGHT WE WERE KIND OF 'HIGH AND TIGHT,' BUT DID NOT REMARK ABOUT IT. WE BEGAN TO SLOW AND CONFIGURE ON SPD IN ANTICIPATION OF THE BASE LEG TURN. THE VISUAL APCH WAS COMING ALONG NICELY AS TO VISUAL APCH STANDARDS. THE TWR CLRED US TO LAND WITH A WIND CHK. AT 1200 FT SHE ADVISED US THAT WE WERE APCHING THE WRONG ARPT AND ASSIGNED US A HDG OF 120 DEGS AND AN ALT OF 1500 FT. I ADDED PWR AND CALLED FOR FLAPS 15 DEGS AS WE TURNED TO THE SE. SHE IMMEDIATELY RECLRED US TO LAND ON RWY 24. SHE TOLD/ASKED US THAT WE WERE 'TOURING DOWNTOWN' AS AN EXPLANATION FOR OUR DEV. OUR DIAGRAM PAGE CONTAINS NO INFO REGARDING THE OTHER ARPT (PAGE 'FMY'). I WAS PRETTY SHAKEN AS TO WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED AND WAS VERY GLAD TO HAVE HAD AN UNDERSTANDING, HELPFUL CTLR.

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.