Narrative:

On oct/xa/07; I was flying an embraer jet 145 to ZZZ during the late evening under cover of darkness. VMC conditions prevailed with scattered clouds at 4000 ft and scattered to broken 10000 ft. Though my overhead reading light was working and generating the light necessary; it was a loose lamp that was unwilling to cooperate and stay where it was placed. I found myself irritated in fumbling around with the light which consequently was a major contributor to the problems that lay ahead. To compound the problem ATC was rather late in assigning us an approach and runway. I had tuned in the ATIS as the PF to determine winds were calm and simultaneous ILS approachs were in use to runways X and Y. In addition to these 2 runways visual approachs were being conducted into runway Z. With a poor reading light which I anticipated would give me difficulty; I made sure to pull out completely from my chart binder the approach plates for each of these runways. We had briefed the runway we wanted and were ready for runway Y. I thought I had planned properly for all contingencies and was ready to go. Perhaps 15 mi out ATC finally told us what we had already gotten off ATIS that winds were calm and if we wanted runways X and Y it was available. They had offered us runways Y and X because we were coming from that direction and instinctively as pilots we ask for the closest runway to our position and gates. Neither myself nor the captain (a new low time captain) had looked over the approach plates for runways X and I suggested runway Z which we had already planned for. To my surprise the captain had asked for runway X which was not only the closest but also the shortest (7000 ft in length) runway on the airport; and we still needed to lose much altitude. It also turned out this runway did not even have an ILS or localizer which I learned the hard way struggling with the reading lamp while trying to fly the airplane; with ATC telling me to start what I believe to be a base turn perhaps 10-12 mi out. With the distrs I had failed to begin my turn forcing them to come back a min later and repeat the turn to heading instructions. Next the captain tells me he's got the runway in sight pointing it out to me and acknowledges with approach that we have the runway in sight. With that ATC clears us for the visual runway Z and asks us to switch to tower. The captain then pointed out to me the airport which didn't look right. We were very high to begin with; and it looked much closer than I had thought. I began my turn to final overshooting a bit to lose altitude. I suggested he contact tower and get a confirmation that we were on a final approach to ZZZ. That was when ZZZ tower had informed us we were on a final approach to nearby AFB. I immediately turned to a vector given us and stopped our descent. I believe we were just outside of AFB and above the airspace; but regardless found it necessary to submit this report. We turned away got a vector for a base leg before proceeding to the airport. To add insult to injury I forgot to call for the in-range checklist below the line to turn on the sterile cockpit light and exterior lights until we were on a 8 or 9 mi final. I think that if a few more links in the chain had been broken we would have landed at AFB. I attribute the failures and mistakes to maintenance and their unwillingness to keep those reading lights in proper working order while chocking it up as unimportant. I attribute the breakdown to my own lack of experience of only 3 months flying with a low time captain. I attribute the problems we had to ATC and their failure to tell us earlier what approach could be expected. Though I don't believe we broke any rules or regulations I felt it prudent to submit this ASRS report. Some thoughts for the record. Why acknowledge an airport in sight if you don't know for sure. Capts are too quick in saying yes I have the airport? Why fly a visual approach into an unfamiliar airport without backing it up with some kind of approach?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMB145 FO REPORTS A WRONG ARPT APCH FOLLOWING A SERIES OF PROCEDURAL AND COM ERRORS.

Narrative: ON OCT/XA/07; I WAS FLYING AN EMBRAER JET 145 TO ZZZ DURING THE LATE EVENING UNDER COVER OF DARKNESS. VMC CONDITIONS PREVAILED WITH SCATTERED CLOUDS AT 4000 FT AND SCATTERED TO BROKEN 10000 FT. THOUGH MY OVERHEAD READING LIGHT WAS WORKING AND GENERATING THE LIGHT NECESSARY; IT WAS A LOOSE LAMP THAT WAS UNWILLING TO COOPERATE AND STAY WHERE IT WAS PLACED. I FOUND MYSELF IRRITATED IN FUMBLING AROUND WITH THE LIGHT WHICH CONSEQUENTLY WAS A MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR TO THE PROBS THAT LAY AHEAD. TO COMPOUND THE PROB ATC WAS RATHER LATE IN ASSIGNING US AN APCH AND RWY. I HAD TUNED IN THE ATIS AS THE PF TO DETERMINE WINDS WERE CALM AND SIMULTANEOUS ILS APCHS WERE IN USE TO RWYS X AND Y. IN ADDITION TO THESE 2 RWYS VISUAL APCHS WERE BEING CONDUCTED INTO RWY Z. WITH A POOR READING LIGHT WHICH I ANTICIPATED WOULD GIVE ME DIFFICULTY; I MADE SURE TO PULL OUT COMPLETELY FROM MY CHART BINDER THE APCH PLATES FOR EACH OF THESE RWYS. WE HAD BRIEFED THE RWY WE WANTED AND WERE READY FOR RWY Y. I THOUGHT I HAD PLANNED PROPERLY FOR ALL CONTINGENCIES AND WAS READY TO GO. PERHAPS 15 MI OUT ATC FINALLY TOLD US WHAT WE HAD ALREADY GOTTEN OFF ATIS THAT WINDS WERE CALM AND IF WE WANTED RWYS X AND Y IT WAS AVAILABLE. THEY HAD OFFERED US RWYS Y AND X BECAUSE WE WERE COMING FROM THAT DIRECTION AND INSTINCTIVELY AS PLTS WE ASK FOR THE CLOSEST RWY TO OUR POS AND GATES. NEITHER MYSELF NOR THE CAPT (A NEW LOW TIME CAPT) HAD LOOKED OVER THE APCH PLATES FOR RWYS X AND I SUGGESTED RWY Z WHICH WE HAD ALREADY PLANNED FOR. TO MY SURPRISE THE CAPT HAD ASKED FOR RWY X WHICH WAS NOT ONLY THE CLOSEST BUT ALSO THE SHORTEST (7000 FT IN LENGTH) RWY ON THE ARPT; AND WE STILL NEEDED TO LOSE MUCH ALT. IT ALSO TURNED OUT THIS RWY DID NOT EVEN HAVE AN ILS OR LOC WHICH I LEARNED THE HARD WAY STRUGGLING WITH THE READING LAMP WHILE TRYING TO FLY THE AIRPLANE; WITH ATC TELLING ME TO START WHAT I BELIEVE TO BE A BASE TURN PERHAPS 10-12 MI OUT. WITH THE DISTRS I HAD FAILED TO BEGIN MY TURN FORCING THEM TO COME BACK A MIN LATER AND REPEAT THE TURN TO HDG INSTRUCTIONS. NEXT THE CAPT TELLS ME HE'S GOT THE RWY IN SIGHT POINTING IT OUT TO ME AND ACKNOWLEDGES WITH APCH THAT WE HAVE THE RWY IN SIGHT. WITH THAT ATC CLRS US FOR THE VISUAL RWY Z AND ASKS US TO SWITCH TO TWR. THE CAPT THEN POINTED OUT TO ME THE ARPT WHICH DIDN'T LOOK RIGHT. WE WERE VERY HIGH TO BEGIN WITH; AND IT LOOKED MUCH CLOSER THAN I HAD THOUGHT. I BEGAN MY TURN TO FINAL OVERSHOOTING A BIT TO LOSE ALT. I SUGGESTED HE CONTACT TWR AND GET A CONFIRMATION THAT WE WERE ON A FINAL APCH TO ZZZ. THAT WAS WHEN ZZZ TWR HAD INFORMED US WE WERE ON A FINAL APCH TO NEARBY AFB. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED TO A VECTOR GIVEN US AND STOPPED OUR DSCNT. I BELIEVE WE WERE JUST OUTSIDE OF AFB AND ABOVE THE AIRSPACE; BUT REGARDLESS FOUND IT NECESSARY TO SUBMIT THIS RPT. WE TURNED AWAY GOT A VECTOR FOR A BASE LEG BEFORE PROCEEDING TO THE ARPT. TO ADD INSULT TO INJURY I FORGOT TO CALL FOR THE IN-RANGE CHKLIST BELOW THE LINE TO TURN ON THE STERILE COCKPIT LIGHT AND EXTERIOR LIGHTS UNTIL WE WERE ON A 8 OR 9 MI FINAL. I THINK THAT IF A FEW MORE LINKS IN THE CHAIN HAD BEEN BROKEN WE WOULD HAVE LANDED AT AFB. I ATTRIBUTE THE FAILURES AND MISTAKES TO MAINT AND THEIR UNWILLINGNESS TO KEEP THOSE READING LIGHTS IN PROPER WORKING ORDER WHILE CHOCKING IT UP AS UNIMPORTANT. I ATTRIBUTE THE BREAKDOWN TO MY OWN LACK OF EXPERIENCE OF ONLY 3 MONTHS FLYING WITH A LOW TIME CAPT. I ATTRIBUTE THE PROBS WE HAD TO ATC AND THEIR FAILURE TO TELL US EARLIER WHAT APCH COULD BE EXPECTED. THOUGH I DON'T BELIEVE WE BROKE ANY RULES OR REGS I FELT IT PRUDENT TO SUBMIT THIS ASRS RPT. SOME THOUGHTS FOR THE RECORD. WHY ACKNOWLEDGE AN ARPT IN SIGHT IF YOU DON'T KNOW FOR SURE. CAPTS ARE TOO QUICK IN SAYING YES I HAVE THE ARPT? WHY FLY A VISUAL APCH INTO AN UNFAMILIAR ARPT WITHOUT BACKING IT UP WITH SOME KIND OF APCH?

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.