Narrative:

It was my first day as a new high minimums captain and I was paired up with a green first officer. We were flying to ZZZ. I was the PF. ARTCC handed us over to ZZZ approach. Approach said to expect lower in 10 mi. The FMS on this aircraft was deferred; the ZZZ VORTAC had a weak signal and the ILS xx was notamed OTS. I briefed my first officer about all of these things and told him since the field was VFR we would get a visual approach to runway xx. My first officer informed me that he had never been to ZZZ so I told him where the airport is located in relation to the shoreline and the marina. We were approaching the airport over the lake and it was very hazy. Approach cleared us down to 2300 ft and said call the airport in sight. I did not see the airport; but I did see a marina at my 1 O'clock position. A moment later; my first officer said he saw the airport off to his right. I still did not see it because of the haze and the fact that it was on his side of the aircraft. He told me again that he had the airport in sight. I then decided to let him call it to ATC thinking I would see it as soon as I turned. ATC then cleared us for the visual approach to runway xx and said to enter on a base leg. I maintained my altitude and told him I was not going to descend until I saw the airport. I saw the marina (the wrong one) and turned south to enter a base leg for runway xx. Once over the shoreline; I looked and still did not see the airport. I asked the first officer where and what he was looking at. At this point he became confused and lost his positional awareness. I looked to my left and saw the airport about 6 mi to our east. I looked at the wrong marina. I was about to call ATC when they called me and queried us if we had the airport because we were heading south. I told him that I did and asked if we could enter on the downwind instead of on a base. ATC said that was fine and cleared us for the visual again -- this time enter on the downwind. We entered the pattern and landed without any further problems. After deplaning all of the passenger; I asked the first officer what he was looking at that he had mistaken for the airport. He was unsure about what he saw. I explained to him that I also looked at the wrong marina in the haze. I believe there are several factors that contributed to this event. A new captain (first day) paired up with a new first officer. Several navigation equipment problems (FMS; ILS OTS; weak signal on the ZZZ VORTAC); hazy conditions over the lake; inaccurately identing the airport and the marina. Calling the field in sight too soon before both pilots could clearly see it. Never call the airport in sight until both pilots can clearly identify and confirm that they have it in sight. Do not pair up high minimums captain with green first officer.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SF340 FLT CREW MISIDENTIFIED THE ARPT AND ACCEPTED A VISUAL APCH. ATC QUERIED THE FLT CREW; AND THEY REALIZED THEY DID NOT HAVE THE ARPT IN SIGHT. THE FLT CREW THEN ACQUIRED THE ARPT VISUALLY AND ENTERED A VFR TFC PATTERN.

Narrative: IT WAS MY FIRST DAY AS A NEW HIGH MINIMUMS CAPT AND I WAS PAIRED UP WITH A GREEN FO. WE WERE FLYING TO ZZZ. I WAS THE PF. ARTCC HANDED US OVER TO ZZZ APCH. APCH SAID TO EXPECT LOWER IN 10 MI. THE FMS ON THIS ACFT WAS DEFERRED; THE ZZZ VORTAC HAD A WEAK SIGNAL AND THE ILS XX WAS NOTAMED OTS. I BRIEFED MY FO ABOUT ALL OF THESE THINGS AND TOLD HIM SINCE THE FIELD WAS VFR WE WOULD GET A VISUAL APCH TO RWY XX. MY FO INFORMED ME THAT HE HAD NEVER BEEN TO ZZZ SO I TOLD HIM WHERE THE ARPT IS LOCATED IN RELATION TO THE SHORELINE AND THE MARINA. WE WERE APCHING THE ARPT OVER THE LAKE AND IT WAS VERY HAZY. APCH CLRED US DOWN TO 2300 FT AND SAID CALL THE ARPT IN SIGHT. I DID NOT SEE THE ARPT; BUT I DID SEE A MARINA AT MY 1 O'CLOCK POS. A MOMENT LATER; MY FO SAID HE SAW THE ARPT OFF TO HIS R. I STILL DID NOT SEE IT BECAUSE OF THE HAZE AND THE FACT THAT IT WAS ON HIS SIDE OF THE ACFT. HE TOLD ME AGAIN THAT HE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT. I THEN DECIDED TO LET HIM CALL IT TO ATC THINKING I WOULD SEE IT AS SOON AS I TURNED. ATC THEN CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY XX AND SAID TO ENTER ON A BASE LEG. I MAINTAINED MY ALT AND TOLD HIM I WAS NOT GOING TO DSND UNTIL I SAW THE ARPT. I SAW THE MARINA (THE WRONG ONE) AND TURNED S TO ENTER A BASE LEG FOR RWY XX. ONCE OVER THE SHORELINE; I LOOKED AND STILL DID NOT SEE THE ARPT. I ASKED THE FO WHERE AND WHAT HE WAS LOOKING AT. AT THIS POINT HE BECAME CONFUSED AND LOST HIS POSITIONAL AWARENESS. I LOOKED TO MY L AND SAW THE ARPT ABOUT 6 MI TO OUR E. I LOOKED AT THE WRONG MARINA. I WAS ABOUT TO CALL ATC WHEN THEY CALLED ME AND QUERIED US IF WE HAD THE ARPT BECAUSE WE WERE HDG S. I TOLD HIM THAT I DID AND ASKED IF WE COULD ENTER ON THE DOWNWIND INSTEAD OF ON A BASE. ATC SAID THAT WAS FINE AND CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL AGAIN -- THIS TIME ENTER ON THE DOWNWIND. WE ENTERED THE PATTERN AND LANDED WITHOUT ANY FURTHER PROBS. AFTER DEPLANING ALL OF THE PAX; I ASKED THE FO WHAT HE WAS LOOKING AT THAT HE HAD MISTAKEN FOR THE ARPT. HE WAS UNSURE ABOUT WHAT HE SAW. I EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT I ALSO LOOKED AT THE WRONG MARINA IN THE HAZE. I BELIEVE THERE ARE SEVERAL FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THIS EVENT. A NEW CAPT (FIRST DAY) PAIRED UP WITH A NEW FO. SEVERAL NAV EQUIP PROBS (FMS; ILS OTS; WEAK SIGNAL ON THE ZZZ VORTAC); HAZY CONDITIONS OVER THE LAKE; INACCURATELY IDENTING THE ARPT AND THE MARINA. CALLING THE FIELD IN SIGHT TOO SOON BEFORE BOTH PLTS COULD CLEARLY SEE IT. NEVER CALL THE ARPT IN SIGHT UNTIL BOTH PLTS CAN CLEARLY IDENT AND CONFIRM THAT THEY HAVE IT IN SIGHT. DO NOT PAIR UP HIGH MINIMUMS CAPT WITH GREEN FO.

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.