Beech kingair 200 flight crew does visual approach to wrong airport.

Attributes
ACN	717706
Time
Date	200611
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sdm.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 1300
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : sdm.tower
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Super King Air 200 HDC
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : go around
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : multi engine pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 81 flight time total : 2750 flight time type : 65
ASRS Report	717706
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : trainee
Events
Anomaly	airspace violation : entry non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : executed go around flight crew : became reoriented
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Chart Or Publication Airport Airspace Structure
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

While conducting a practice VOR or GPS-a instrument approach to sdm in VFR conditions at night we mistook the runway at tijuana for the runway at sdm. Neither myself or the student; who is a 2000 hour instrument rated commercial pilot; had flown there before and we were in a turboprop airplane that had a fairly fast approach/maneuvering speed. The approach went well enough to the VORTAC; which is the missed approach point; 2.3 NM north of the runway; or the point to continue visually. We wanted to do a full stop landing and the tower controller instructed us to continue towards the airport and to call the airport in sight. At about a mi north of the airport the tower controller asked if we had the runway in sight. We did not; but I did see a rotating beacon. (I kept my look outside while the student divided his attention between flying the instruments and looking visually.) upon reporting that we did not have the runway in sight the controller instructed us to turn downwind and keep the pattern tight; and again; report the runway. We flew the downwind looking for the runway while the tower controller handled another aircraft. The controller called for us to turn base and I continued to look for the runway in the vicinity of the rotating beacon. As we neared the beacon we saw the outline of runway lights that were in the proper orientation (generally) and we turned final. About that time the tower controller inquired about our landing lights to which we replied they were on and we were turning final and as I recall; he cleared us to land. It took the controller a moment but he realized we were on short final to tijuana! Clearly he was anxious about us being there as he had a bit of trouble getting his words out; but quick enough he managed to get the words out that we were on final for the tijuana airport. That put a double dose of anxiety in the airplane (nothing against tijuana) and I immediately called for a go around and a turn to the north. With the controller's assistance we then had no trouble identing the sdm runway. At that point a normal landing occurred at the proper airport.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BEECH KINGAIR 200 FLT CREW DOES VISUAL APCH TO WRONG ARPT.

Narrative: WHILE CONDUCTING A PRACTICE VOR OR GPS-A INST APCH TO SDM IN VFR CONDITIONS AT NIGHT WE MISTOOK THE RWY AT TIJUANA FOR THE RWY AT SDM. NEITHER MYSELF OR THE STUDENT; WHO IS A 2000 HR INST RATED COMMERCIAL PLT; HAD FLOWN THERE BEFORE AND WE WERE IN A TURBOPROP AIRPLANE THAT HAD A FAIRLY FAST APCH/MANEUVERING SPD. THE APCH WENT WELL ENOUGH TO THE VORTAC; WHICH IS THE MISSED APCH POINT; 2.3 NM N OF THE RWY; OR THE POINT TO CONTINUE VISUALLY. WE WANTED TO DO A FULL STOP LNDG AND THE TWR CTLR INSTRUCTED US TO CONTINUE TOWARDS THE ARPT AND TO CALL THE ARPT IN SIGHT. AT ABOUT A MI N OF THE ARPT THE TWR CTLR ASKED IF WE HAD THE RWY IN SIGHT. WE DID NOT; BUT I DID SEE A ROTATING BEACON. (I KEPT MY LOOK OUTSIDE WHILE THE STUDENT DIVIDED HIS ATTN BTWN FLYING THE INSTS AND LOOKING VISUALLY.) UPON RPTING THAT WE DID NOT HAVE THE RWY IN SIGHT THE CTLR INSTRUCTED US TO TURN DOWNWIND AND KEEP THE PATTERN TIGHT; AND AGAIN; RPT THE RWY. WE FLEW THE DOWNWIND LOOKING FOR THE RWY WHILE THE TWR CTLR HANDLED ANOTHER ACFT. THE CTLR CALLED FOR US TO TURN BASE AND I CONTINUED TO LOOK FOR THE RWY IN THE VICINITY OF THE ROTATING BEACON. AS WE NEARED THE BEACON WE SAW THE OUTLINE OF RWY LIGHTS THAT WERE IN THE PROPER ORIENTATION (GENERALLY) AND WE TURNED FINAL. ABOUT THAT TIME THE TWR CTLR INQUIRED ABOUT OUR LNDG LIGHTS TO WHICH WE REPLIED THEY WERE ON AND WE WERE TURNING FINAL AND AS I RECALL; HE CLRED US TO LAND. IT TOOK THE CTLR A MOMENT BUT HE REALIZED WE WERE ON SHORT FINAL TO TIJUANA! CLRLY HE WAS ANXIOUS ABOUT US BEING THERE AS HE HAD A BIT OF TROUBLE GETTING HIS WORDS OUT; BUT QUICK ENOUGH HE MANAGED TO GET THE WORDS OUT THAT WE WERE ON FINAL FOR THE TIJUANA ARPT. THAT PUT A DOUBLE DOSE OF ANXIETY IN THE AIRPLANE (NOTHING AGAINST TIJUANA) AND I IMMEDIATELY CALLED FOR A GAR AND A TURN TO THE N. WITH THE CTLR'S ASSISTANCE WE THEN HAD NO TROUBLE IDENTING THE SDM RWY. AT THAT POINT A NORMAL LNDG OCCURRED AT THE PROPER ARPT.

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.