Narrative:

We were being vectored for an ILS approach to burbank runway 7, when I saw runway 15 out the left window. We asked for and received a visual approach clearance to runway 15. As we started to proceed toward the airport, I thought we were quite high for an airport that should have been further away. As we got closer, runway 7 was not visible crossing the south end of runway 15. It was then I realized that the runway in view was that of van nuys airport, abort 8 miles to the west of burbank. A subsequent pull up, coordination by the two towers, and approach control, resulted in a normal approach and landing. When making the ILS to burbank, there is a crossing altitude of 3000' over van nuys airport for traffic pattern separation. During the approach in the vicinity of van nuys, we stopped our descent at 2300 MSL. I am very familiar with the la, burbank area, having flown in and out of the entire area over the past 20 years as a civilian pilot, commuter pilot, and now airline. How did I make the same mistake that you try to avoid your entire career. I was looking at the correct airport initially, but during the visual approach we flew over terrain that activated the GPWS. After passing over the hills, the GPWS continued to sound. It was then deactivated. I had forgotten exactly where the switch was for the GPWS, and it took a few minutes to locate it. Meanwhile the warning was continuous, terrain, terrain, terrain. When it was finally shut off, a nice long runway appeared out the window and I grabbed it. But it was the wrong one. Looking back, if I had just told the first officer to be deactivate the GPWS, and concentrated on flying to the airport, this never would have happened. A subsequent phone call to burbank tower and approach control smoothed things out quite nicely.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG BROKE OFF VECTOR FOR ILS APCH AND MISTAKENLY STARTED VISUAL APCH TO WRONG ARPT.

Narrative: WE WERE BEING VECTORED FOR AN ILS APCH TO BURBANK RWY 7, WHEN I SAW RWY 15 OUT THE LEFT WINDOW. WE ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED A VISUAL APCH CLRNC TO RWY 15. AS WE STARTED TO PROCEED TOWARD THE ARPT, I THOUGHT WE WERE QUITE HIGH FOR AN ARPT THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN FURTHER AWAY. AS WE GOT CLOSER, RWY 7 WAS NOT VISIBLE XING THE SOUTH END OF RWY 15. IT WAS THEN I REALIZED THAT THE RWY IN VIEW WAS THAT OF VAN NUYS ARPT, ABORT 8 MILES TO THE WEST OF BURBANK. A SUBSEQUENT PULL UP, COORDINATION BY THE TWO TWRS, AND APCH CTL, RESULTED IN A NORMAL APCH AND LNDG. WHEN MAKING THE ILS TO BURBANK, THERE IS A XING ALT OF 3000' OVER VAN NUYS ARPT FOR TFC PATTERN SEPARATION. DURING THE APCH IN THE VICINITY OF VAN NUYS, WE STOPPED OUR DESCENT AT 2300 MSL. I AM VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE LA, BURBANK AREA, HAVING FLOWN IN AND OUT OF THE ENTIRE AREA OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS AS A CIVILIAN PLT, COMMUTER PLT, AND NOW AIRLINE. HOW DID I MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE THAT YOU TRY TO AVOID YOUR ENTIRE CAREER. I WAS LOOKING AT THE CORRECT ARPT INITIALLY, BUT DURING THE VISUAL APCH WE FLEW OVER TERRAIN THAT ACTIVATED THE GPWS. AFTER PASSING OVER THE HILLS, THE GPWS CONTINUED TO SOUND. IT WAS THEN DEACTIVATED. I HAD FORGOTTEN EXACTLY WHERE THE SWITCH WAS FOR THE GPWS, AND IT TOOK A FEW MINUTES TO LOCATE IT. MEANWHILE THE WARNING WAS CONTINUOUS, TERRAIN, TERRAIN, TERRAIN. WHEN IT WAS FINALLY SHUT OFF, A NICE LONG RWY APPEARED OUT THE WINDOW AND I GRABBED IT. BUT IT WAS THE WRONG ONE. LOOKING BACK, IF I HAD JUST TOLD THE F/O TO BE DEACTIVATE THE GPWS, AND CONCENTRATED ON FLYING TO THE ARPT, THIS NEVER WOULD HAVE HAPPENED. A SUBSEQUENT PHONE CALL TO BURBANK TWR AND APCH CTL SMOOTHED THINGS OUT QUITE NICELY.

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.