Air carrier medium large transport started visual approach to wrong airport.

Attributes
ACN	88307
Time
Date	198806
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : vny airport : bur
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : vny tower : bur
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : straight in approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 4000
ASRS Report	88307
Person 2
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Final destination was bur. About 15 mi out the captain thought he saw the airport. We were given a visual and sent to tower frequency. We reported in and continued on a final approach to what we thought was bur airport. It was not bur, but was van nuys. Bur realized and warned us of our error prior to our entry into the wrong pattern. I should have told the captain that I was not familiar with the area and had no idea if the airport was bur.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG STARTED VISUAL APCH TO WRONG ARPT.

Narrative: FINAL DEST WAS BUR. ABOUT 15 MI OUT THE CAPT THOUGHT HE SAW THE ARPT. WE WERE GIVEN A VISUAL AND SENT TO TWR FREQ. WE RPTED IN AND CONTINUED ON A FINAL APCH TO WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS BUR ARPT. IT WAS NOT BUR, BUT WAS VAN NUYS. BUR REALIZED AND WARNED US OF OUR ERROR PRIOR TO OUR ENTRY INTO THE WRONG PATTERN. I SHOULD HAVE TOLD THE CAPT THAT I WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA AND HAD NO IDEA IF THE ARPT WAS BUR.

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.