Narrative:

On my first flight into sna was held high. Then approach asked if field was in sight. It was VMC but very 'milky.' the first officer said he had it to approach and we were cleared. He pointed out the field to me and I saw 'a' field. We were high and fast, so I concentrated on getting dirty and slow while lining up with the runway. The 2 parallel runways didn't look right to me, so I asked the first officer to confirm which runway was assigned. He told me the right. It still didn't look right. Approach then called and suggested a large turn to the right. We then realized we were lining up for el toro MCAS. We maneuvered toward santa ana but were too high, so I went around. Supplemental information from acn 169263: I have been on this aircraft approximately 4 months. It really takes awhile to become comfortable with it. The captain was on his first trip (other than IOE). We lined up for the wrong airport. Had it not been for the approach controller breaking us off of the visibility approach, we may have landed at the wrong airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLT CREW MAKES APCH TO WRONG ARPT. APCH CTLR DIRECTS TO CORRECT ARPT. HIGH AND FAST, DOES A GO AROUND.

Narrative: ON MY FIRST FLT INTO SNA WAS HELD HIGH. THEN APCH ASKED IF FIELD WAS IN SIGHT. IT WAS VMC BUT VERY 'MILKY.' THE F/O SAID HE HAD IT TO APCH AND WE WERE CLRED. HE POINTED OUT THE FIELD TO ME AND I SAW 'A' FIELD. WE WERE HIGH AND FAST, SO I CONCENTRATED ON GETTING DIRTY AND SLOW WHILE LINING UP WITH THE RWY. THE 2 PARALLEL RWYS DIDN'T LOOK RIGHT TO ME, SO I ASKED THE F/O TO CONFIRM WHICH RWY WAS ASSIGNED. HE TOLD ME THE RIGHT. IT STILL DIDN'T LOOK RIGHT. APCH THEN CALLED AND SUGGESTED A LARGE TURN TO THE RIGHT. WE THEN REALIZED WE WERE LINING UP FOR EL TORO MCAS. WE MANEUVERED TOWARD SANTA ANA BUT WERE TOO HIGH, SO I WENT AROUND. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 169263: I HAVE BEEN ON THIS ACFT APPROX 4 MONTHS. IT REALLY TAKES AWHILE TO BECOME COMFORTABLE WITH IT. THE CAPT WAS ON HIS FIRST TRIP (OTHER THAN IOE). WE LINED UP FOR THE WRONG ARPT. HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THE APCH CTLR BREAKING US OFF OF THE VIS APCH, WE MAY HAVE LANDED AT THE WRONG ARPT.

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.