Narrative:

This incident could have been precluded by sdm having bright runway lights instead of pilot actuated low intensity lights. Tij keeps their lights on bright all night. The pilot activated low intensity lights at sdm either failed to remain on the designated length of time or were turned off manually while we were on base leg. On an extended base leg, the lights at sdm are not visible. Upon returning from a flight to mexico city with only the owner as a passenger, we were cleared for a visibility approach by san controllers, after was had visibility contact with the runway lights at sdm. When established on an extended right base leg (5 NM), we cancelled our IFR flight plan. The lights at sdm at this time were not visible and not expected to be because of the angle of the runway. Upon reaching about a 20 NM right base, we confirmed the runway in sight (between crew men), but apparently the lights at sdm were not on, and we idented mmtj lights as those of sdm. Upon realizing that we were landing on runway 27 at mmtj instead of runway 26 at sdm, the aircraft was about 150' AGL, and I determined that it was safer to land than attempt a missed approach. Supplemental information from acn 159269: the captain stated that he was very familiar with the airport and the area. I did mention to the captain that I wasn't familiar with the brown field area. During our descent into the area the captain again briefed me on the details re: our approach to brown field. He stated that if it was possible we would fly over the field and enter a right downwind for landing to the west based on his past flts there. But during our arrival san approach gave us radar vector to the east and asked what type approach we would like. The captain stated he wanted the visibility. After I activated the runway lights by keying the CTAF 5 times. The captain said he had the airport in sight. I never had the airport in sight. Under the captain's directions I advised ATC that we had the airport in sight. Approach cleared us for the visibility for runway 26. Also the captain elected to cancel our flight plan. After we landed the captain realized our error and taxied to the ramp, shut down and went to an office at the base of the tower and filed a flight plan to brown field.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT JET DESTINED FOR SDM FROM MEXICO CITY LANDED AT WRONG ARPT--TIJ. CAPT REFILED FOR FLT TO SDM.

Narrative: THIS INCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN PRECLUDED BY SDM HAVING BRIGHT RWY LIGHTS INSTEAD OF PLT ACTUATED LOW INTENSITY LIGHTS. TIJ KEEPS THEIR LIGHTS ON BRIGHT ALL NIGHT. THE PLT ACTIVATED LOW INTENSITY LIGHTS AT SDM EITHER FAILED TO REMAIN ON THE DESIGNATED LENGTH OF TIME OR WERE TURNED OFF MANUALLY WHILE WE WERE ON BASE LEG. ON AN EXTENDED BASE LEG, THE LIGHTS AT SDM ARE NOT VISIBLE. UPON RETURNING FROM A FLT TO MEXICO CITY WITH ONLY THE OWNER AS A PAX, WE WERE CLRED FOR A VIS APCH BY SAN CTLRS, AFTER WAS HAD VIS CONTACT WITH THE RWY LIGHTS AT SDM. WHEN ESTABLISHED ON AN EXTENDED RIGHT BASE LEG (5 NM), WE CANCELLED OUR IFR FLT PLAN. THE LIGHTS AT SDM AT THIS TIME WERE NOT VISIBLE AND NOT EXPECTED TO BE BECAUSE OF THE ANGLE OF THE RWY. UPON REACHING ABOUT A 20 NM RIGHT BASE, WE CONFIRMED THE RWY IN SIGHT (BTWN CREW MEN), BUT APPARENTLY THE LIGHTS AT SDM WERE NOT ON, AND WE IDENTED MMTJ LIGHTS AS THOSE OF SDM. UPON REALIZING THAT WE WERE LNDG ON RWY 27 AT MMTJ INSTEAD OF RWY 26 AT SDM, THE ACFT WAS ABOUT 150' AGL, AND I DETERMINED THAT IT WAS SAFER TO LAND THAN ATTEMPT A MISSED APCH. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 159269: THE CAPT STATED THAT HE WAS VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT AND THE AREA. I DID MENTION TO THE CAPT THAT I WASN'T FAMILIAR WITH THE BROWN FIELD AREA. DURING OUR DSNT INTO THE AREA THE CAPT AGAIN BRIEFED ME ON THE DETAILS RE: OUR APCH TO BROWN FIELD. HE STATED THAT IF IT WAS POSSIBLE WE WOULD FLY OVER THE FIELD AND ENTER A RIGHT DOWNWIND FOR LNDG TO THE W BASED ON HIS PAST FLTS THERE. BUT DURING OUR ARR SAN APCH GAVE US RADAR VECTOR TO THE E AND ASKED WHAT TYPE APCH WE WOULD LIKE. THE CAPT STATED HE WANTED THE VIS. AFTER I ACTIVATED THE RWY LIGHTS BY KEYING THE CTAF 5 TIMES. THE CAPT SAID HE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT. I NEVER HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT. UNDER THE CAPT'S DIRECTIONS I ADVISED ATC THAT WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT. APCH CLRED US FOR THE VIS FOR RWY 26. ALSO THE CAPT ELECTED TO CANCEL OUR FLT PLAN. AFTER WE LANDED THE CAPT REALIZED OUR ERROR AND TAXIED TO THE RAMP, SHUT DOWN AND WENT TO AN OFFICE AT THE BASE OF THE TWR AND FILED A FLT PLAN TO BROWN FIELD.

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.