Narrative:

We were direct cwa; just west of atw; still at our cruising altitude of 16000 ft. There were a couple other IFR aircraft coming into cwa at the same time; so they kept us high. We planned to do a visual approach to runway 26; backed up with the localizer back course. The WX was clear VFR. By the time we were given a descent to 6000 ft; it required about a 2000 FPM descent. As we descended; ZMP gave us a vector 270 degrees and a new altitude of 3500 ft. At that time; the captain and I set in the localizer frequency and the inbound course of 077 degrees. At the same time; we were being updated on the position of various traffic that was inbound to cwa; inbound to auw; and departing from cwa. We were looking around; trying to locate the traffic; as well as trying to locate the airport. While descending through about 5000 ft; ZMP told us that radar contact was lost; and to turn to a heading of 310 degrees to intercept final approach for runway 26. We both were looking outside at that point; trying to find the airport; and eventually; we saw a beacon. We couldn't see the runway yet; but we called the airport in sight because of the beacon. Center then switched us to cwa tower and cleared us for the visual approach to runway 26. We checked on with tower and he cleared us to land. After about 15-30 seconds; I asked the tower if the lights were on; as we still did not see the runway. He said they were on step 5 already; but he could turn them up to 7; which I told him would be good. At around that time he also said that he could see our lights. After the tower turned the lights up; we finally noticed that the DME (which was off of cwa) was increasing; which had to mean that we had already passed the field and were now flying away from it toward the west. The captain immediately climbed to the MSA of 3600 ft. I told tower where we were and he switched us back to ZMP. We checked on with center and told him where we were (west of the field) and requested a turn back to the airport. Center gave us a right turn direct to cwa and a climb to 6000 ft. After doing a 180 degree turn; we saw the runway right away; center got us back in radar contact; and we continued a visual approach straight in to runway 8; backed up with the ILS runway 8. We got a long vector away from the field for other traffic. It was a high workload time; and we were trying to find the other traffic and the airport. Once we got vectored back; we were at a low altitude; and already passed the field. We had a beacon in sight; but it was for an airport west of cwa.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: VISUAL APCH WAS PLANNED; BUT VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE ARPT WAS NOT ACQUIRED. THE APCH WAS ABANDONED; AND THE FLT CREW WAS VECTORED FOR ANOTHER APCH.

Narrative: WE WERE DIRECT CWA; JUST W OF ATW; STILL AT OUR CRUISING ALT OF 16000 FT. THERE WERE A COUPLE OTHER IFR ACFT COMING INTO CWA AT THE SAME TIME; SO THEY KEPT US HIGH. WE PLANNED TO DO A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 26; BACKED UP WITH THE LOC BACK COURSE. THE WX WAS CLR VFR. BY THE TIME WE WERE GIVEN A DSCNT TO 6000 FT; IT REQUIRED ABOUT A 2000 FPM DSCNT. AS WE DSNDED; ZMP GAVE US A VECTOR 270 DEGS AND A NEW ALT OF 3500 FT. AT THAT TIME; THE CAPT AND I SET IN THE LOC FREQ AND THE INBOUND COURSE OF 077 DEGS. AT THE SAME TIME; WE WERE BEING UPDATED ON THE POS OF VARIOUS TFC THAT WAS INBOUND TO CWA; INBOUND TO AUW; AND DEPARTING FROM CWA. WE WERE LOOKING AROUND; TRYING TO LOCATE THE TFC; AS WELL AS TRYING TO LOCATE THE ARPT. WHILE DSNDING THROUGH ABOUT 5000 FT; ZMP TOLD US THAT RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST; AND TO TURN TO A HDG OF 310 DEGS TO INTERCEPT FINAL APCH FOR RWY 26. WE BOTH WERE LOOKING OUTSIDE AT THAT POINT; TRYING TO FIND THE ARPT; AND EVENTUALLY; WE SAW A BEACON. WE COULDN'T SEE THE RWY YET; BUT WE CALLED THE ARPT IN SIGHT BECAUSE OF THE BEACON. CTR THEN SWITCHED US TO CWA TWR AND CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 26. WE CHKED ON WITH TWR AND HE CLRED US TO LAND. AFTER ABOUT 15-30 SECONDS; I ASKED THE TWR IF THE LIGHTS WERE ON; AS WE STILL DID NOT SEE THE RWY. HE SAID THEY WERE ON STEP 5 ALREADY; BUT HE COULD TURN THEM UP TO 7; WHICH I TOLD HIM WOULD BE GOOD. AT AROUND THAT TIME HE ALSO SAID THAT HE COULD SEE OUR LIGHTS. AFTER THE TWR TURNED THE LIGHTS UP; WE FINALLY NOTICED THAT THE DME (WHICH WAS OFF OF CWA) WAS INCREASING; WHICH HAD TO MEAN THAT WE HAD ALREADY PASSED THE FIELD AND WERE NOW FLYING AWAY FROM IT TOWARD THE W. THE CAPT IMMEDIATELY CLBED TO THE MSA OF 3600 FT. I TOLD TWR WHERE WE WERE AND HE SWITCHED US BACK TO ZMP. WE CHKED ON WITH CTR AND TOLD HIM WHERE WE WERE (W OF THE FIELD) AND REQUESTED A TURN BACK TO THE ARPT. CTR GAVE US A R TURN DIRECT TO CWA AND A CLB TO 6000 FT. AFTER DOING A 180 DEG TURN; WE SAW THE RWY RIGHT AWAY; CTR GOT US BACK IN RADAR CONTACT; AND WE CONTINUED A VISUAL APCH STRAIGHT IN TO RWY 8; BACKED UP WITH THE ILS RWY 8. WE GOT A LONG VECTOR AWAY FROM THE FIELD FOR OTHER TFC. IT WAS A HIGH WORKLOAD TIME; AND WE WERE TRYING TO FIND THE OTHER TFC AND THE ARPT. ONCE WE GOT VECTORED BACK; WE WERE AT A LOW ALT; AND ALREADY PASSED THE FIELD. WE HAD A BEACON IN SIGHT; BUT IT WAS FOR AN ARPT W OF CWA.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.