Visual approach, lined up with wrong airport, similar runway and visual signature.

Attributes
ACN	87265
Time
Date	198805
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : tus
State Reference	AZ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : tus
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 175 flight time total : 13000
ASRS Report	87265
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer
ASRS Report	87266
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were cleared for a visual approach to tus runway 11 left. We were approaching from the northeast in descent, turned downwind over davis monthly AFB and in subsequent base leg and turn to final lost sight of runway 11 left and turned toward lighted similar runway at davis monthan. After an almost simultaneous discovery by crew and alert by tower recorrected with 'south' turn to final at tucson, extended gear and made final approach to 11 left. Visual approachs should only be accepted by the pilot when he has total knowledge of his position to successful completion of normal approach and landing to appropriate runway. City lighting around this airport as well as others can obscure runway approach lighting and runway lights.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: VISUAL APCH, LINED UP WITH WRONG ARPT, SIMILAR RWY AND VISUAL SIGNATURE.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO TUS RWY 11 LEFT. WE WERE APCHING FROM THE NE IN DSCNT, TURNED DOWNWIND OVER DAVIS MONTHLY AFB AND IN SUBSEQUENT BASE LEG AND TURN TO FINAL LOST SIGHT OF RWY 11 LEFT AND TURNED TOWARD LIGHTED SIMILAR RWY AT DAVIS MONTHAN. AFTER AN ALMOST SIMULTANEOUS DISCOVERY BY CREW AND ALERT BY TWR RECORRECTED WITH 'S' TURN TO FINAL AT TUCSON, EXTENDED GEAR AND MADE FINAL APCH TO 11 LEFT. VISUAL APCHS SHOULD ONLY BE ACCEPTED BY THE PLT WHEN HE HAS TOTAL KNOWLEDGE OF HIS POS TO SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF NORMAL APCH AND LNDG TO APPROPRIATE RWY. CITY LIGHTING AROUND THIS ARPT AS WELL AS OTHERS CAN OBSCURE RWY APCH LIGHTING AND RWY LIGHTS.

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.