Narrative:

We were at FL280 en route to gsp when I requested a lower altitude due to our need to begin descent to make the runway. Center then cleared us down to FL240. We began descent and requested lower as we were high for our approach. ZTL then switched us over to another frequency and we were cleared down to 13000 ft. After another frequency change we were told that the airfield was at 12 O'clock position. We noted 2 beacons -- one to the right at approximately 2 O'clock position and one at 12 O'clock position. There was no ATIS available and the tower was closed. I had entered the runway for runway 22 at gsp in the FMS and noted to the captain that we didn't have GS information even though the FMS displayed the field at 12 O'clock position, at the approximately distance expected. We began to see a VASI indication which showed us high and a runway threshold. There was no other runway in our 12 O'clock position sight, just ground lights. When I questioned ATC the runway was confirmed again at 12 O'clock position. This information was what we expected to see since our FMS also indicated the runway at 12 O'clock position, at the 20 mi scale. I did not bring up the lights with the use of the radio since we had the runway in sight and confirmed by ATC. I was unsuccessful at speaking with anyone on the ground since all of the facilities were closed and there was no operating tower. At approximately 3500 ft ZTL terminated our radar coverage. During our final approach both the captain and I noted that there were runway lights, VASI and that the terminal lights were on the left side of the field as expected. Neither of us had ever been to gsp at night, having only flown in there once on the previous day. We completed the checklist and once again noted that even though the FMS showed the runway at 12 O'clock position, we had no GS information but discussed the fact that it may be off or switched to runway 4. Due to ATC having kept us high (we were still asking for lower when only 10 mi out) the captain made 3 s-turns to decrease altitude and used the speed brakes along with the gear and some flaps. He stabilized the approach and with the checklist completed, we continued to a normal touchdown. It very quickly became apparent to both of us that we were not at gsp after we had a chance to look around. We had landed at donaldson airport. The tower and ground control was also closed even though the runway lights were operating and on bright. I called ATC and told them what had happened and that we wanted to file VFR to gsp. After we took off, we immediately saw gsp with the runway lights on along with the lead-in lights for runway 4. ATC confirmed the runway at 12 O'clock position, when I queried them. Again there was no one to talk to on the ground at gsp. The captain elected to fly a visual approach of upwind, crosswind, downwind, base and final while I completed the checklist and make radio calls on the unicom frequencys to announce our intentions. We now had GS information as a backup and the approach and landing was uneventful. The airport manager at gsp told that he had watched us fly over during our approach to donaldson and that at that time the runway lights at gsp had been completely turned off. That's why we never saw gsp from the air. It should be noted that during the captain's discussion with ATC it was learned that atl had been concerned about this very problem and had been attempting to convince gsp to remain open 24/7 to prevent what had just occurred from happening. Unless a crew is ultimately familiar with the area this situation may be repeated again. I feel that this would not have occurred had we been aware of the fact that donaldson was so close to gsp and that both operate during the same approximately hours. We should have taken more time to include everyone in the loop, including dispatch, and not been in such a hurry to get the passenger home. Although I feel that everything was done safely it was certainly not done well.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLT CREW, ON A NIGHT VISUAL APCH, OVERFLIES THE UNLIT DEST ARPT AND LANDS AT ANOTHER ARPT, WITH RWY LIGHTS ILLUMINATED, 6 MI FROM THEIR INTENDED DEST.

Narrative: WE WERE AT FL280 ENRTE TO GSP WHEN I REQUESTED A LOWER ALT DUE TO OUR NEED TO BEGIN DSCNT TO MAKE THE RWY. CTR THEN CLRED US DOWN TO FL240. WE BEGAN DSCNT AND REQUESTED LOWER AS WE WERE HIGH FOR OUR APCH. ZTL THEN SWITCHED US OVER TO ANOTHER FREQ AND WE WERE CLRED DOWN TO 13000 FT. AFTER ANOTHER FREQ CHANGE WE WERE TOLD THAT THE AIRFIELD WAS AT 12 O'CLOCK POS. WE NOTED 2 BEACONS -- ONE TO THE R AT APPROX 2 O'CLOCK POS AND ONE AT 12 O'CLOCK POS. THERE WAS NO ATIS AVAILABLE AND THE TWR WAS CLOSED. I HAD ENTERED THE RWY FOR RWY 22 AT GSP IN THE FMS AND NOTED TO THE CAPT THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE GS INFO EVEN THOUGH THE FMS DISPLAYED THE FIELD AT 12 O'CLOCK POS, AT THE APPROX DISTANCE EXPECTED. WE BEGAN TO SEE A VASI INDICATION WHICH SHOWED US HIGH AND A RWY THRESHOLD. THERE WAS NO OTHER RWY IN OUR 12 O'CLOCK POS SIGHT, JUST GND LIGHTS. WHEN I QUESTIONED ATC THE RWY WAS CONFIRMED AGAIN AT 12 O'CLOCK POS. THIS INFO WAS WHAT WE EXPECTED TO SEE SINCE OUR FMS ALSO INDICATED THE RWY AT 12 O'CLOCK POS, AT THE 20 MI SCALE. I DID NOT BRING UP THE LIGHTS WITH THE USE OF THE RADIO SINCE WE HAD THE RWY IN SIGHT AND CONFIRMED BY ATC. I WAS UNSUCCESSFUL AT SPEAKING WITH ANYONE ON THE GND SINCE ALL OF THE FACILITIES WERE CLOSED AND THERE WAS NO OPERATING TWR. AT APPROX 3500 FT ZTL TERMINATED OUR RADAR COVERAGE. DURING OUR FINAL APCH BOTH THE CAPT AND I NOTED THAT THERE WERE RWY LIGHTS, VASI AND THAT THE TERMINAL LIGHTS WERE ON THE L SIDE OF THE FIELD AS EXPECTED. NEITHER OF US HAD EVER BEEN TO GSP AT NIGHT, HAVING ONLY FLOWN IN THERE ONCE ON THE PREVIOUS DAY. WE COMPLETED THE CHKLIST AND ONCE AGAIN NOTED THAT EVEN THOUGH THE FMS SHOWED THE RWY AT 12 O'CLOCK POS, WE HAD NO GS INFO BUT DISCUSSED THE FACT THAT IT MAY BE OFF OR SWITCHED TO RWY 4. DUE TO ATC HAVING KEPT US HIGH (WE WERE STILL ASKING FOR LOWER WHEN ONLY 10 MI OUT) THE CAPT MADE 3 S-TURNS TO DECREASE ALT AND USED THE SPD BRAKES ALONG WITH THE GEAR AND SOME FLAPS. HE STABILIZED THE APCH AND WITH THE CHKLIST COMPLETED, WE CONTINUED TO A NORMAL TOUCHDOWN. IT VERY QUICKLY BECAME APPARENT TO BOTH OF US THAT WE WERE NOT AT GSP AFTER WE HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AROUND. WE HAD LANDED AT DONALDSON ARPT. THE TWR AND GND CTL WAS ALSO CLOSED EVEN THOUGH THE RWY LIGHTS WERE OPERATING AND ON BRIGHT. I CALLED ATC AND TOLD THEM WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND THAT WE WANTED TO FILE VFR TO GSP. AFTER WE TOOK OFF, WE IMMEDIATELY SAW GSP WITH THE RWY LIGHTS ON ALONG WITH THE LEAD-IN LIGHTS FOR RWY 4. ATC CONFIRMED THE RWY AT 12 O'CLOCK POS, WHEN I QUERIED THEM. AGAIN THERE WAS NO ONE TO TALK TO ON THE GND AT GSP. THE CAPT ELECTED TO FLY A VISUAL APCH OF UPWIND, XWIND, DOWNWIND, BASE AND FINAL WHILE I COMPLETED THE CHKLIST AND MAKE RADIO CALLS ON THE UNICOM FREQS TO ANNOUNCE OUR INTENTIONS. WE NOW HAD GS INFO AS A BACKUP AND THE APCH AND LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. THE ARPT MGR AT GSP TOLD THAT HE HAD WATCHED US FLY OVER DURING OUR APCH TO DONALDSON AND THAT AT THAT TIME THE RWY LIGHTS AT GSP HAD BEEN COMPLETELY TURNED OFF. THAT'S WHY WE NEVER SAW GSP FROM THE AIR. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT DURING THE CAPT'S DISCUSSION WITH ATC IT WAS LEARNED THAT ATL HAD BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT THIS VERY PROB AND HAD BEEN ATTEMPTING TO CONVINCE GSP TO REMAIN OPEN 24/7 TO PREVENT WHAT HAD JUST OCCURRED FROM HAPPENING. UNLESS A CREW IS ULTIMATELY FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA THIS SIT MAY BE REPEATED AGAIN. I FEEL THAT THIS WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED HAD WE BEEN AWARE OF THE FACT THAT DONALDSON WAS SO CLOSE TO GSP AND THAT BOTH OPERATE DURING THE SAME APPROX HRS. WE SHOULD HAVE TAKEN MORE TIME TO INCLUDE EVERYONE IN THE LOOP, INCLUDING DISPATCH, AND NOT BEEN IN SUCH A HURRY TO GET THE PAX HOME. ALTHOUGH I FEEL THAT EVERYTHING WAS DONE SAFELY IT WAS CERTAINLY NOT DONE WELL.

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.