Narrative:

Descent into tjsj; center cleared us to descend 320 KTS or greater. San juan approach cleared us direct to sj (patty) beacon and descend to 2000 ft. They were trying to get us in ahead of traffic behind us. It was first officer's first leg of IOE and he was trying to get down best he could. It was night VMC; we saw an airport at 10 O'clock position; and accepted a visual approach. The localizer was tuning; but no GS yet. We turned final and asked approach if the GS was out for runway 8 (no NOTAM); no reply; approach told us contact tower. We asked tower if GS was out; tower replied no. Both the first officer and I recognized lighting was not correct for runway 8 tjsj. We initiated a go around at same time tower told us to go around. We were at 1000 ft AGL. GA instructions were not clear and first officer was hand flying. Autoplt reengaged and climbed to 2000 ft AGL as assigned by tower. GA callouts and procedures were all correct. Contacted approach and came around for ILS runway 8. The rush by approach control and no information about similar airport in airport traffic area; led to confusion. Tjig is airport we initially saw; it is located abeam marker sj (patty). There is no information in the commercial chart #2 about this airport and its location and direction are very similar to tjsj. The topography is similar as well; a (bay) on the approach end of each airport runway. I was very busy with new student; should not have accepted visual approach with such a tight base vector from approach; we should have recognized not on localizer.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HVY CARGO JET INBOUND TO TJSJ MISTAKENLY INITIATED A VISUAL APCH TO TJIG; IN PART BECAUSE TJIG DID NOT APPEAR ON THEIR COMMERCIAL CHART 2 AREA CHART.

Narrative: DSCNT INTO TJSJ; CTR CLRED US TO DSND 320 KTS OR GREATER. SAN JUAN APCH CLRED US DIRECT TO SJ (PATTY) BEACON AND DSND TO 2000 FT. THEY WERE TRYING TO GET US IN AHEAD OF TFC BEHIND US. IT WAS FO'S FIRST LEG OF IOE AND HE WAS TRYING TO GET DOWN BEST HE COULD. IT WAS NIGHT VMC; WE SAW AN ARPT AT 10 O'CLOCK POS; AND ACCEPTED A VISUAL APCH. THE LOC WAS TUNING; BUT NO GS YET. WE TURNED FINAL AND ASKED APCH IF THE GS WAS OUT FOR RWY 8 (NO NOTAM); NO REPLY; APCH TOLD US CONTACT TWR. WE ASKED TWR IF GS WAS OUT; TWR REPLIED NO. BOTH THE FO AND I RECOGNIZED LIGHTING WAS NOT CORRECT FOR RWY 8 TJSJ. WE INITIATED A GAR AT SAME TIME TWR TOLD US TO GO AROUND. WE WERE AT 1000 FT AGL. GA INSTRUCTIONS WERE NOT CLR AND FO WAS HAND FLYING. AUTOPLT REENGAGED AND CLBED TO 2000 FT AGL AS ASSIGNED BY TWR. GA CALLOUTS AND PROCS WERE ALL CORRECT. CONTACTED APCH AND CAME AROUND FOR ILS RWY 8. THE RUSH BY APCH CTL AND NO INFO ABOUT SIMILAR ARPT IN ARPT TFC AREA; LED TO CONFUSION. TJIG IS ARPT WE INITIALLY SAW; IT IS LOCATED ABEAM MARKER SJ (PATTY). THERE IS NO INFO IN THE COMMERCIAL CHART #2 ABOUT THIS ARPT AND ITS LOCATION AND DIRECTION ARE VERY SIMILAR TO TJSJ. THE TOPOGRAPHY IS SIMILAR AS WELL; A (BAY) ON THE APCH END OF EACH ARPT RWY. I WAS VERY BUSY WITH NEW STUDENT; SHOULD NOT HAVE ACCEPTED VISUAL APCH WITH SUCH A TIGHT BASE VECTOR FROM APCH; WE SHOULD HAVE RECOGNIZED NOT ON LOC.

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.