Narrative:

We were approaching fai from the southeast; direct from northway to fai VOR. The WX was about 8000 ft overcast and visibility was good approximately 15 mi. I was the captain and the PF. I briefed the visual approach before the top of descent and noted that the paperwork NOTAMS said the ILS was OTS; but the ATIS did not mention the ILS being out. I briefed the visual backed up by the ILS with the condition that we would check with approach about the ILS NOTAM. I had not flown into fai for about 1 yr and the first officer said he had not flown into fai in more than 1 yr. We asked approach about the ILS and they said it was OTS. About 25 mi out; fai approach cleared us direct to wearr (the OM for ILS runway 19R). We descended below the overcast and the visibility was approximately 15-20 mi. I was in the missed approach mode; the first officer was in the rose mode with fai VOR tuned in. Since I had not been into fai recently and we were near our maximum landing weight; I slowed the aircraft slightly earlier than I normally would and was slightly below a 3:1 descent profile. When we were about 20 mi out; the missed approach mode showed the airport at our 10 O'clock position. We both saw the airport at about 15-17 mi at our 10 O'clock position and after we were confident that it was clearly in sight told approach control that we had the runway in sight. Fai approach cleared us for the visual approach to runway 19R. At about 10 mi the first officer changed to fai tower. Fai tower responded and said we were not cleared to land. About 1800 ft MSL and 5 mi final; fai tower aid it looked like we were lined up on wainwright aaf. We leveled off at 1500 ft MSL and raised the flaps to 15 degrees and raised the gear. Fai tower instructed us to overfly wainwright and continue the visual to fai. We climbed slightly; overflew wainwright and then lowered the landing gear and flaps and landed on runway 19R.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 FLT CREW BEGINS VISUAL APCH TO WRONG ARPT; CTLR RECOGNIZES DEV AND FLT CREW CORRECTS AT PAFA.

Narrative: WE WERE APCHING FAI FROM THE SE; DIRECT FROM NORTHWAY TO FAI VOR. THE WX WAS ABOUT 8000 FT OVCST AND VISIBILITY WAS GOOD APPROX 15 MI. I WAS THE CAPT AND THE PF. I BRIEFED THE VISUAL APCH BEFORE THE TOP OF DSCNT AND NOTED THAT THE PAPERWORK NOTAMS SAID THE ILS WAS OTS; BUT THE ATIS DID NOT MENTION THE ILS BEING OUT. I BRIEFED THE VISUAL BACKED UP BY THE ILS WITH THE CONDITION THAT WE WOULD CHK WITH APCH ABOUT THE ILS NOTAM. I HAD NOT FLOWN INTO FAI FOR ABOUT 1 YR AND THE FO SAID HE HAD NOT FLOWN INTO FAI IN MORE THAN 1 YR. WE ASKED APCH ABOUT THE ILS AND THEY SAID IT WAS OTS. ABOUT 25 MI OUT; FAI APCH CLRED US DIRECT TO WEARR (THE OM FOR ILS RWY 19R). WE DSNDED BELOW THE OVCST AND THE VISIBILITY WAS APPROX 15-20 MI. I WAS IN THE MISSED APCH MODE; THE FO WAS IN THE ROSE MODE WITH FAI VOR TUNED IN. SINCE I HAD NOT BEEN INTO FAI RECENTLY AND WE WERE NEAR OUR MAX LNDG WT; I SLOWED THE ACFT SLIGHTLY EARLIER THAN I NORMALLY WOULD AND WAS SLIGHTLY BELOW A 3:1 DSCNT PROFILE. WHEN WE WERE ABOUT 20 MI OUT; THE MISSED APCH MODE SHOWED THE ARPT AT OUR 10 O'CLOCK POS. WE BOTH SAW THE ARPT AT ABOUT 15-17 MI AT OUR 10 O'CLOCK POS AND AFTER WE WERE CONFIDENT THAT IT WAS CLRLY IN SIGHT TOLD APCH CTL THAT WE HAD THE RWY IN SIGHT. FAI APCH CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 19R. AT ABOUT 10 MI THE FO CHANGED TO FAI TWR. FAI TWR RESPONDED AND SAID WE WERE NOT CLRED TO LAND. ABOUT 1800 FT MSL AND 5 MI FINAL; FAI TWR AID IT LOOKED LIKE WE WERE LINED UP ON WAINWRIGHT AAF. WE LEVELED OFF AT 1500 FT MSL AND RAISED THE FLAPS TO 15 DEGS AND RAISED THE GEAR. FAI TWR INSTRUCTED US TO OVERFLY WAINWRIGHT AND CONTINUE THE VISUAL TO FAI. WE CLBED SLIGHTLY; OVERFLEW WAINWRIGHT AND THEN LOWERED THE LNDG GEAR AND FLAPS AND LANDED ON RWY 19R.

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.