Narrative:

After being vectored to approach course by iah to the VOR runway 22 we were cleared for the VOR 22 approach. Visibility was good at 12 mi for ellington and scattered clouds around 2500' MSL. The VOR was centered on the inbound radial of 225 degrees for ellington field. At about 14 DME out a runway corresponding with our inbound course was sighted. I pointed it out, said 'runway' to the crew, asking if this was ellington. I had only been to ellington field twice in the last yr and both approachs had been to 17R. I believe the captain said, 'I think so' to my questioning of this runway being ellington field. This trip was a normal route for the captain and F/east. At 11 DME from ellington descent was initiated for the runway in sight. Descent was continued to 920 ' MSL in landing confign when the captain stated this was not ellington field. The F/east agreed. At this point power was added and a climb to 1600' MSL initiated. I had omitted looking at the DME readout upon visibility sighting of the runway and had continued the approach visually. The airport sighted was la porte municipal. A normal approach and landing was made at ellington. I believe the runway alignment and the shorter runway at la porte municipal, with the good visibility, had convinced me I was approaching ellington. Also I had only had an hour's sleep in the last 26 hours and had been on duty since very early am. Supplemental information from acn 151647: not having landed on this runway in the daytime before I was having difficulty verifying that this was the airport. The major mistake was going visibility too soon and not complying with the plate stepdown point. Extenuating circumstances were: 1) not aware of runway alignment at la porte airport, 2) not having done a daylight visibility, and 3) new first officer.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WRONG ARPT APCH.

Narrative: AFTER BEING VECTORED TO APCH COURSE BY IAH TO THE VOR RWY 22 WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VOR 22 APCH. VISIBILITY WAS GOOD AT 12 MI FOR ELLINGTON AND SCATTERED CLOUDS AROUND 2500' MSL. THE VOR WAS CENTERED ON THE INBND RADIAL OF 225 DEGS FOR ELLINGTON FIELD. AT ABOUT 14 DME OUT A RWY CORRESPONDING WITH OUR INBND COURSE WAS SIGHTED. I POINTED IT OUT, SAID 'RWY' TO THE CREW, ASKING IF THIS WAS ELLINGTON. I HAD ONLY BEEN TO ELLINGTON FIELD TWICE IN THE LAST YR AND BOTH APCHS HAD BEEN TO 17R. I BELIEVE THE CAPT SAID, 'I THINK SO' TO MY QUESTIONING OF THIS RWY BEING ELLINGTON FIELD. THIS TRIP WAS A NORMAL RTE FOR THE CAPT AND F/E. AT 11 DME FROM ELLINGTON DSNT WAS INITIATED FOR THE RWY IN SIGHT. DSNT WAS CONTINUED TO 920 ' MSL IN LNDG CONFIGN WHEN THE CAPT STATED THIS WAS NOT ELLINGTON FIELD. THE F/E AGREED. AT THIS POINT PWR WAS ADDED AND A CLB TO 1600' MSL INITIATED. I HAD OMITTED LOOKING AT THE DME READOUT UPON VIS SIGHTING OF THE RWY AND HAD CONTINUED THE APCH VISUALLY. THE ARPT SIGHTED WAS LA PORTE MUNICIPAL. A NORMAL APCH AND LNDG WAS MADE AT ELLINGTON. I BELIEVE THE RWY ALIGNMENT AND THE SHORTER RWY AT LA PORTE MUNICIPAL, WITH THE GOOD VISIBILITY, HAD CONVINCED ME I WAS APCHING ELLINGTON. ALSO I HAD ONLY HAD AN HR'S SLEEP IN THE LAST 26 HRS AND HAD BEEN ON DUTY SINCE VERY EARLY AM. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 151647: NOT HAVING LANDED ON THIS RWY IN THE DAYTIME BEFORE I WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY VERIFYING THAT THIS WAS THE ARPT. THE MAJOR MISTAKE WAS GOING VIS TOO SOON AND NOT COMPLYING WITH THE PLATE STEPDOWN POINT. EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES WERE: 1) NOT AWARE OF RWY ALIGNMENT AT LA PORTE ARPT, 2) NOT HAVING DONE A DAYLIGHT VIS, AND 3) NEW F/O.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.