Wrong airport approach interrupted by vigilant approach controller.

Attributes
ACN	180274
Time
Date	199106
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : jan
State Reference	MS
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : jan
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 2100
ASRS Report	180274
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	180392
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Flight den-jan. During approach to runway 33L with lightning cloud to ground WX in terminal area. Cleared for visibility approach with G/south OTS on 33L. Mistakenly took airport (hawkins) for jan. Were cleared for visibility to 33L by approach. As we turned base leg for 33L, approach said we should break off approach as we were lining up for wrong airport. Subsequently landed west/O incident jan. Contributing factors to error: 1) WX in terminal area (lightning). 2) no G/south on runway approaching. 3) inattentiveness to airport aids (jan VORTAC, localizer 33L). 4) rushing to land to avoid WX confrontation. Supplemental information from acn 180392: on flight dfw-jan while attempting to deviate around storms on approach to jan, we were cleared for visibility to 33L at jan. After calling airport in sight, however, we lined up on the northwest runway to hawkins (between us and jan) and started the approach. Controller advised us to break off and vectored us to 33L jan. We landed west/O incident. Factors: accepting a visibility approach when uncertain of airport.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WRONG ARPT APCH INTERRUPTED BY VIGILANT APCH CTLR.

Narrative: FLT DEN-JAN. DURING APCH TO RWY 33L WITH LIGHTNING CLOUD TO GND WX IN TERMINAL AREA. CLRED FOR VIS APCH WITH G/S OTS ON 33L. MISTAKENLY TOOK ARPT (HAWKINS) FOR JAN. WERE CLRED FOR VIS TO 33L BY APCH. AS WE TURNED BASE LEG FOR 33L, APCH SAID WE SHOULD BREAK OFF APCH AS WE WERE LINING UP FOR WRONG ARPT. SUBSEQUENTLY LANDED W/O INCIDENT JAN. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO ERROR: 1) WX IN TERMINAL AREA (LIGHTNING). 2) NO G/S ON RWY APCHING. 3) INATTENTIVENESS TO ARPT AIDS (JAN VORTAC, LOC 33L). 4) RUSHING TO LAND TO AVOID WX CONFRONTATION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 180392: ON FLT DFW-JAN WHILE ATTEMPTING TO DEVIATE AROUND STORMS ON APCH TO JAN, WE WERE CLRED FOR VIS TO 33L AT JAN. AFTER CALLING ARPT IN SIGHT, HOWEVER, WE LINED UP ON THE NW RWY TO HAWKINS (BTWN US AND JAN) AND STARTED THE APCH. CTLR ADVISED US TO BREAK OFF AND VECTORED US TO 33L JAN. WE LANDED W/O INCIDENT. FACTORS: ACCEPTING A VIS APCH WHEN UNCERTAIN OF 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.