Air carrier medium large transport wrong airport approach at night visual.

Attributes
ACN	108035
Time
Date	198904
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cho
State Reference	VA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2700 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : cho
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent other other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 16000 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	108035
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 140 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 900
ASRS Report	108019
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

At 4000' cleared visibility to cho. Copilot flying. I asked if he had field. Received affirmative answer. Told by ZDC to go to tower. Tower said he had our lights. We turned base to final. Tower talked about mutual acquaintances and local WX. On final, at about 2500' MSL, we realized we lined up on wrong field. We initiated a go around, told tower, climbed to 4000' MSL until we re-established visibility to cho, back to tower and landing uneventful. ATC talked to me by phone. Said it did not appear to be a violation involved since we were on visibility and did not go below pattern altitude. They were concerned about the terrain,, however, we had visibility contact with the surface at all times. First mistake: getting involved in conversation with tower operator allowing first officer too much latitude. Second mistake: allowing first officer to begin approach west/O making positively sure the proper field was in sight. It also points out fallacy of our systems that allows visibility's to airports not served by VOR. Just too often VOR's serving as primary navigation aids are located miles from field.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG WRONG ARPT APCH AT NIGHT VISUAL.

Narrative: AT 4000' CLRED VIS TO CHO. COPLT FLYING. I ASKED IF HE HAD FIELD. RECEIVED AFFIRMATIVE ANSWER. TOLD BY ZDC TO GO TO TWR. TWR SAID HE HAD OUR LIGHTS. WE TURNED BASE TO FINAL. TWR TALKED ABOUT MUTUAL ACQUAINTANCES AND LCL WX. ON FINAL, AT ABOUT 2500' MSL, WE REALIZED WE LINED UP ON WRONG FIELD. WE INITIATED A GAR, TOLD TWR, CLBED TO 4000' MSL UNTIL WE RE-ESTABLISHED VIS TO CHO, BACK TO TWR AND LNDG UNEVENTFUL. ATC TALKED TO ME BY PHONE. SAID IT DID NOT APPEAR TO BE A VIOLATION INVOLVED SINCE WE WERE ON VIS AND DID NOT GO BELOW PATTERN ALT. THEY WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE TERRAIN,, HOWEVER, WE HAD VIS CONTACT WITH THE SURFACE AT ALL TIMES. FIRST MISTAKE: GETTING INVOLVED IN CONVERSATION WITH TWR OPERATOR ALLOWING F/O TOO MUCH LATITUDE. SECOND MISTAKE: ALLOWING F/O TO BEGIN APCH W/O MAKING POSITIVELY SURE THE PROPER FIELD WAS IN SIGHT. IT ALSO POINTS OUT FALLACY OF OUR SYSTEMS THAT ALLOWS VIS'S TO ARPTS NOT SERVED BY VOR. JUST TOO OFTEN VOR'S SERVING AS PRIMARY NAV AIDS ARE LOCATED MILES FROM FIELD.

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.