Air taxi requests visual approach but lines up with wrong airport.

Attributes
ACN	168070
Time
Date	199101
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : orf
State Reference	VA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1500 msl bound upper : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : ngu tower : orf artcc : zdc
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Small Transport
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Route In Use	approach : visual enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 4400 flight time type : 2400
ASRS Report	168070
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While being vectored for the PAR at ngu, I picked up sight of an airport just as we were being handed off to the final controller. After visibility sighting of the airport (orf) I asked the ngu approach controller for a visibility approach to ngu. Even though the ATIS at ngu was calling the field IFR with 1000 broken and 6 mi visibility, the controller cleared us for the visibility approach. As we were passing through 1000' turning final for runway 23 at orf instead of ngu I noticed our error. At almost the same time the ngu tower controller advised us that we were not in sight. Immediately after the tower supervisor transmitted that we were executing an approach to the wrong airport and to break off immediately. We were already in the process of executing a missed approach when he called. We were then vectored for the PAR at ngu with an uneventful landing.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIR TAXI REQUESTS VISUAL APCH BUT LINES UP WITH WRONG ARPT.

Narrative: WHILE BEING VECTORED FOR THE PAR AT NGU, I PICKED UP SIGHT OF AN ARPT JUST AS WE WERE BEING HANDED OFF TO THE FINAL CTLR. AFTER VIS SIGHTING OF THE ARPT (ORF) I ASKED THE NGU APCH CTLR FOR A VIS APCH TO NGU. EVEN THOUGH THE ATIS AT NGU WAS CALLING THE FIELD IFR WITH 1000 BKN AND 6 MI VISIBILITY, THE CTLR CLRED US FOR THE VIS APCH. AS WE WERE PASSING THROUGH 1000' TURNING FINAL FOR RWY 23 AT ORF INSTEAD OF NGU I NOTICED OUR ERROR. AT ALMOST THE SAME TIME THE NGU TWR CTLR ADVISED US THAT WE WERE NOT IN SIGHT. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE TWR SUPVR XMITTED THAT WE WERE EXECUTING AN APCH TO THE WRONG ARPT AND TO BREAK OFF IMMEDIATELY. WE WERE ALREADY IN THE PROCESS OF EXECUTING A MISSED APCH WHEN HE CALLED. WE WERE THEN VECTORED FOR THE PAR AT NGU WITH AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG.

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.