Narrative:

The arrival to standiford field (louisville, ky) was in instrument conditions from the west and north of the field. Descent was made to 3000' on downwind. (WX at the field was 3200' broken, 5 mi visibility, light rain and fog.) approach control called the field at 3 O'clock and asked if it was visible. There was a field at 3 O'clock approximately 5 mi out. The aircraft was cleared to descend to 2500' and cleared to a visual, contact standiford tower. The OM was tuned and identified to laang (the FAF). The #1 and #2 navigation system's were tuned/identified to ilks runway 29 ILS frequency for standiford. The base leg heading was 200 degrees. After rolling wings level a field was visible to the right at about 5 mi. A dogleg heading to final of 240 degrees was turned to final course being 292 degrees. Tower was called and informed we were abeam laang inbound. While now on a 250 degree heading, the bearing pointer of the NDB and the CDI of the localizer were cross referenced and did not confirm the runway positioned now at 2 O'clock. Simultaneously, tower called and said the aircraft was lined up on bowman field. Upon looking at the 1 O'clock position another field came into view. This was standiford as verified by the navigation instruments. The aircraft still at 2000' AGL was now configured for a landing on runway 29. Contributing factors: were WX and the proximity of the 2 fields, as well as no DME on standiford field. Human considerations: the navigation aids were properly tuned for the approach, however the call to see the field at 3 O'clock and then see a field was a strong attraction. A turn to base and dogleg was hastened by this visual contact. However, upon checking the instruments they did not confirm its position. The tower clarified any question at that moment by calling. Recommended corrective action to prevent recurrence would be to rely more upon instruments than visual in marginal visual conditions. Also, when such conditions exist or are VFR and there is a field in the location called by the controller other than the planned landing field, this should be mentioned, or nothing said so that the attraction is not presented. Supplemental information from acn 83011: strong attraction to go VFR to save time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT WRONG ARPT APCH.

Narrative: THE ARR TO STANDIFORD FIELD (LOUISVILLE, KY) WAS IN INSTRUMENT CONDITIONS FROM THE W AND N OF THE FIELD. DSCNT WAS MADE TO 3000' ON DOWNWIND. (WX AT THE FIELD WAS 3200' BROKEN, 5 MI VIS, LIGHT RAIN AND FOG.) APCH CTL CALLED THE FIELD AT 3 O'CLOCK AND ASKED IF IT WAS VISIBLE. THERE WAS A FIELD AT 3 O'CLOCK APPROX 5 MI OUT. THE ACFT WAS CLRED TO DSND TO 2500' AND CLRED TO A VISUAL, CONTACT STANDIFORD TWR. THE OM WAS TUNED AND IDENTIFIED TO LAANG (THE FAF). THE #1 AND #2 NAV SYS'S WERE TUNED/IDENTIFIED TO ILKS RWY 29 ILS FREQ FOR STANDIFORD. THE BASE LEG HDG WAS 200 DEGS. AFTER ROLLING WINGS LEVEL A FIELD WAS VISIBLE TO THE RIGHT AT ABOUT 5 MI. A DOGLEG HDG TO FINAL OF 240 DEGS WAS TURNED TO FINAL COURSE BEING 292 DEGS. TWR WAS CALLED AND INFORMED WE WERE ABEAM LAANG INBND. WHILE NOW ON A 250 DEG HDG, THE BEARING POINTER OF THE NDB AND THE CDI OF THE LOC WERE CROSS REFERENCED AND DID NOT CONFIRM THE RWY POSITIONED NOW AT 2 O'CLOCK. SIMULTANEOUSLY, TWR CALLED AND SAID THE ACFT WAS LINED UP ON BOWMAN FIELD. UPON LOOKING AT THE 1 O'CLOCK POS ANOTHER FIELD CAME INTO VIEW. THIS WAS STANDIFORD AS VERIFIED BY THE NAV INSTRUMENTS. THE ACFT STILL AT 2000' AGL WAS NOW CONFIGURED FOR A LNDG ON RWY 29. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: WERE WX AND THE PROX OF THE 2 FIELDS, AS WELL AS NO DME ON STANDIFORD FIELD. HUMAN CONSIDERATIONS: THE NAV AIDS WERE PROPERLY TUNED FOR THE APCH, HOWEVER THE CALL TO SEE THE FIELD AT 3 O'CLOCK AND THEN SEE A FIELD WAS A STRONG ATTRACTION. A TURN TO BASE AND DOGLEG WAS HASTENED BY THIS VISUAL CONTACT. HOWEVER, UPON CHKING THE INSTRUMENTS THEY DID NOT CONFIRM ITS POS. THE TWR CLARIFIED ANY QUESTION AT THAT MOMENT BY CALLING. RECOMMENDED CORRECTIVE ACTION TO PREVENT RECURRENCE WOULD BE TO RELY MORE UPON INSTRUMENTS THAN VISUAL IN MARGINAL VISUAL CONDITIONS. ALSO, WHEN SUCH CONDITIONS EXIST OR ARE VFR AND THERE IS A FIELD IN THE LOCATION CALLED BY THE CTLR OTHER THAN THE PLANNED LNDG FIELD, THIS SHOULD BE MENTIONED, OR NOTHING said SO THAT THE ATTRACTION IS NOT PRESENTED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 83011: STRONG ATTRACTION TO GO VFR TO SAVE TIME.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.