Narrative:

We were flying to pns. The captain got the ATIS and told me they're landing runway 8. I started to brief the RNAV approach to runway 8; when the captain told me he would prefer the VOR to runway 8. I then briefed the visual approach backed up with the VOR to runway 8. Pns approach descended us to 5000 ft then to 1700 ft and pointed out traffic on final. He then switched to pns tower. Tower pointed out traffic and said 'call the traffic or field for the visual.' the captain looked out the left window and called the field in sight; and we were cleared for the visual to runway 8. I then hit the navigation button to track in on the VOR. I was looking outside for the airport since I had not yet seen it. I finally saw the field and asked the captain 'is that the field?' he responded 'yes; that's it.' he then said 'you're high; you're high.' I started to configure the aircraft and turned to heading of approximately 140 degrees for base leg since it was an offset approach. We realized on base that this was not pns and leveled off at approximately 1500 ft and turned left to re-intercept the VOR radial. At about the same time tower had said that they're getting a low altitude alert on us and to verify we had pns in sight; also that airport we were over was not pns. The captain told tower we have pensacola in sight. We continued to track the radial and landed at pns on runway 8. The field that we thought was pns was in fact saufley; which is the FAF for pns runway 8; and is laid out similarly to pns. Contributing factors: 1) captain calling the wrong field in sight without verifying with the first officer. 2) unfamiliar airport. 3) not utilizing all resources (technology).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B717 FLT CREW ON VISUAL APCH TO PNS MISIDENTS NUN NEAR FAF AS THEIR DEST. LOW ALT ALERT FROM PNS TWR ALERTS THEM TO THEIR ERROR.

Narrative: WE WERE FLYING TO PNS. THE CAPT GOT THE ATIS AND TOLD ME THEY'RE LNDG RWY 8. I STARTED TO BRIEF THE RNAV APCH TO RWY 8; WHEN THE CAPT TOLD ME HE WOULD PREFER THE VOR TO RWY 8. I THEN BRIEFED THE VISUAL APCH BACKED UP WITH THE VOR TO RWY 8. PNS APCH DSNDED US TO 5000 FT THEN TO 1700 FT AND POINTED OUT TFC ON FINAL. HE THEN SWITCHED TO PNS TWR. TWR POINTED OUT TFC AND SAID 'CALL THE TFC OR FIELD FOR THE VISUAL.' THE CAPT LOOKED OUT THE L WINDOW AND CALLED THE FIELD IN SIGHT; AND WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL TO RWY 8. I THEN HIT THE NAV BUTTON TO TRACK IN ON THE VOR. I WAS LOOKING OUTSIDE FOR THE ARPT SINCE I HAD NOT YET SEEN IT. I FINALLY SAW THE FIELD AND ASKED THE CAPT 'IS THAT THE FIELD?' HE RESPONDED 'YES; THAT'S IT.' HE THEN SAID 'YOU'RE HIGH; YOU'RE HIGH.' I STARTED TO CONFIGURE THE ACFT AND TURNED TO HDG OF APPROX 140 DEGS FOR BASE LEG SINCE IT WAS AN OFFSET APCH. WE REALIZED ON BASE THAT THIS WAS NOT PNS AND LEVELED OFF AT APPROX 1500 FT AND TURNED L TO RE-INTERCEPT THE VOR RADIAL. AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME TWR HAD SAID THAT THEY'RE GETTING A LOW ALT ALERT ON US AND TO VERIFY WE HAD PNS IN SIGHT; ALSO THAT ARPT WE WERE OVER WAS NOT PNS. THE CAPT TOLD TWR WE HAVE PENSACOLA IN SIGHT. WE CONTINUED TO TRACK THE RADIAL AND LANDED AT PNS ON RWY 8. THE FIELD THAT WE THOUGHT WAS PNS WAS IN FACT SAUFLEY; WHICH IS THE FAF FOR PNS RWY 8; AND IS LAID OUT SIMILARLY TO PNS. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) CAPT CALLING THE WRONG FIELD IN SIGHT WITHOUT VERIFYING WITH THE FO. 2) UNFAMILIAR ARPT. 3) NOT UTILIZING ALL RESOURCES (TECHNOLOGY).

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.