Narrative:

This was a passenger flight. I was the PF; with the captain in the right seat. I am a captain in training. We had been cleared in a steep descent from cruise altitude to 3000 ft. The steep descent was due to slower traffic below us. Approach control cleared us for the descent to our destination of col. James jabara; aao. The FMS was programmed for the GPS runway 18. Approach assigned headings to position us on the left downwind. The surface winds were 190 degrees at 22 KTS gusting to 31 KTS. The approach controller stated 'airport at 10 O'clock position and 3 NM; advise airport in sight.' I checked the FMS and it was showing 3.2 NM and at 10 O'clock position. Both pilots were unfamiliar with the area. I verified an airport at 10 O'clock position with the captain who checked with ATC and then called airport in sight. The FMS was still showing the airport at 3 NM ahead. The controller asked to report canceling IFR in the air or on the ground. The captain canceled in the air then switched frequency to the aao's unicom 122.7. We then reported established on a left downwind for runway 18. We continued with the pattern reporting our position with no response. On landing; I realized that this was the wrong airport; at which time beech tower called us on unicom asking us to switch frequency to 126.8. Beech tower advised us of our mistake and asked us to back taxi and they would get us as soon as we had reached the end of the runway. Beech tower said aao was 3 NM north of them. We were cleared for takeoff and flew to aao and landed safely. After landing; the captain and I reviewed all the charts and found that bec and aao were almost directly aligned. Aao is 3.2 NM north of bec and .4 NM west. I think because of our steep and angle of our approach; the FMS showed aao at our 10 O'clock position and was unable to differentiate between bec and aao. The captain spoke to our director of operations and our safety officer and they all decided to instruct other pilots of the location and caution so this will not happen again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PIAGGIO P180 CREW LANDED UNINTENTIONALLY AT AN ARPT (3KM) 3 NM N OF BEC; THE FILED DEST.

Narrative: THIS WAS A PAX FLT. I WAS THE PF; WITH THE CAPT IN THE R SEAT. I AM A CAPT IN TRAINING. WE HAD BEEN CLRED IN A STEEP DSCNT FROM CRUISE ALT TO 3000 FT. THE STEEP DSCNT WAS DUE TO SLOWER TFC BELOW US. APCH CTL CLRED US FOR THE DSCNT TO OUR DEST OF COL. JAMES JABARA; AAO. THE FMS WAS PROGRAMMED FOR THE GPS RWY 18. APCH ASSIGNED HDGS TO POS US ON THE L DOWNWIND. THE SURFACE WINDS WERE 190 DEGS AT 22 KTS GUSTING TO 31 KTS. THE APCH CTLR STATED 'ARPT AT 10 O'CLOCK POS AND 3 NM; ADVISE ARPT IN SIGHT.' I CHKED THE FMS AND IT WAS SHOWING 3.2 NM AND AT 10 O'CLOCK POS. BOTH PLTS WERE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA. I VERIFIED AN ARPT AT 10 O'CLOCK POS WITH THE CAPT WHO CHKED WITH ATC AND THEN CALLED ARPT IN SIGHT. THE FMS WAS STILL SHOWING THE ARPT AT 3 NM AHEAD. THE CTLR ASKED TO RPT CANCELING IFR IN THE AIR OR ON THE GND. THE CAPT CANCELED IN THE AIR THEN SWITCHED FREQ TO THE AAO'S UNICOM 122.7. WE THEN RPTED ESTABLISHED ON A L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 18. WE CONTINUED WITH THE PATTERN RPTING OUR POS WITH NO RESPONSE. ON LNDG; I REALIZED THAT THIS WAS THE WRONG ARPT; AT WHICH TIME BEECH TWR CALLED US ON UNICOM ASKING US TO SWITCH FREQ TO 126.8. BEECH TWR ADVISED US OF OUR MISTAKE AND ASKED US TO BACK TAXI AND THEY WOULD GET US AS SOON AS WE HAD REACHED THE END OF THE RWY. BEECH TWR SAID AAO WAS 3 NM N OF THEM. WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF AND FLEW TO AAO AND LANDED SAFELY. AFTER LNDG; THE CAPT AND I REVIEWED ALL THE CHARTS AND FOUND THAT BEC AND AAO WERE ALMOST DIRECTLY ALIGNED. AAO IS 3.2 NM N OF BEC AND .4 NM W. I THINK BECAUSE OF OUR STEEP AND ANGLE OF OUR APCH; THE FMS SHOWED AAO AT OUR 10 O'CLOCK POS AND WAS UNABLE TO DIFFERENTIATE BTWN BEC AND AAO. THE CAPT SPOKE TO OUR DIRECTOR OF OPS AND OUR SAFETY OFFICER AND THEY ALL DECIDED TO INSTRUCT OTHER PLTS OF THE LOCATION AND CAUTION SO THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.