Narrative:

Houston approach was handling us. We were given a heading of 145 degree and to descend from 11000 ft to 4000 MSL. We were landing at ellington field (WX 2000 ft scattered clouds 30 scattered 50 broken 11 mi), 17R approach in use. The captain radio set and identify for ILS 17R. First officer's radio set and identify to ellington VORTAC for DME to the field and to identify traps intersection on approach (6.5 DME). All radios were set and checked. Houston approach asked if we had ellington in sight 1 O'clock (25 mi approximately). We said, 'no, could you turn the lights up at ellington'. The controller acknowledged and told us to 'continue our descent to 2000 and advise ellington in sight'. At approximately 12 NM and 2000 ft we saw approach lights at our 1 O'clock position. Captain said to call airport in sight. We called ellington in sight. Houston approach cleared us for the visual approach to 17R and to contact tower. We contacted ellington tower. Reported we were on the visual approach to 17R, tower said 'cleared to land 17R'. Approximately 7 NM out captain started to lose ILS signal and instruments started to fail. He asked me to see if we lost the identify and to tune my radio to the ILS frequency now. There was no identify on either radio. At about 1300 ft things didn't look right (runway seemed shorter. Ramp area not lighted, there was a VASI on left side of runway - (no VASI at efd)), plus now we were rushing to configure the aircraft for landing. At approximately 1000 ft all 3 crewmembers said 'we don't like this'. At the same time ellington tower told us to go around. We were at hobby not ellington. Ellington tower told us to maintain 1600 ft and cleared us for a downwind to 35L runway ellington. This time saw ellington. We were cleared for the visual approach and to land 35L. After landing we asked ellington if we created any problems or conflicts. The tower said no, don't worry about it. Hobby airport and ellington airport are 13 NM apart from one another. Both have a runway 17. The only runway that was well lit at hobby was 17. So from a heading of 145 degree to intercept final was perfect. The only thing that wasn't right was the localizer telling us we are right of course and then flagged.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF LGT FREIGHTER IN EARLY MORNING ON VISUAL APCH TO ELLINGTON, TX, SAW RWY LIGHTS AND STARTED APCH FOR LNDG, REALIZED THEY WERE ALIGNED WITH RWY AT HOU, WENT AROUND AND WERE VECTORED FOR LNDG 35 AT ELLINGTON.

Narrative: HOUSTON APCH WAS HANDLING US. WE WERE GIVEN A HDG OF 145 DEG AND TO DSND FROM 11000 FT TO 4000 MSL. WE WERE LNDG AT ELLINGTON FIELD (WX 2000 FT SCATTERED CLOUDS 30 SCATTERED 50 BROKEN 11 MI), 17R APCH IN USE. THE CAPT RADIO SET AND IDENT FOR ILS 17R. FO'S RADIO SET AND IDENT TO ELLINGTON VORTAC FOR DME TO THE FIELD AND TO IDENT TRAPS INTXN ON APCH (6.5 DME). ALL RADIOS WERE SET AND CHKED. HOUSTON APCH ASKED IF WE HAD ELLINGTON IN SIGHT 1 O'CLOCK (25 MI APPROX). WE SAID, 'NO, COULD YOU TURN THE LIGHTS UP AT ELLINGTON'. THE CTLR ACKNOWLEDGED AND TOLD US TO 'CONTINUE OUR DSCNT TO 2000 AND ADVISE ELLINGTON IN SIGHT'. AT APPROX 12 NM AND 2000 FT WE SAW APCH LIGHTS AT OUR 1 O'CLOCK POS. CAPT SAID TO CALL ARPT IN SIGHT. WE CALLED ELLINGTON IN SIGHT. HOUSTON APCH CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO 17R AND TO CONTACT TWR. WE CONTACTED ELLINGTON TWR. RPTED WE WERE ON THE VISUAL APCH TO 17R, TWR SAID 'CLRED TO LAND 17R'. APPROX 7 NM OUT CAPT STARTED TO LOSE ILS SIGNAL AND INSTS STARTED TO FAIL. HE ASKED ME TO SEE IF WE LOST THE IDENT AND TO TUNE MY RADIO TO THE ILS FREQ NOW. THERE WAS NO IDENT ON EITHER RADIO. AT ABOUT 1300 FT THINGS DIDN'T LOOK RIGHT (RWY SEEMED SHORTER. RAMP AREA NOT LIGHTED, THERE WAS A VASI ON L SIDE OF RWY - (NO VASI AT EFD)), PLUS NOW WE WERE RUSHING TO CONFIGURE THE ACFT FOR LNDG. AT APPROX 1000 FT ALL 3 CREWMEMBERS SAID 'WE DON'T LIKE THIS'. AT THE SAME TIME ELLINGTON TWR TOLD US TO GAR. WE WERE AT HOBBY NOT ELLINGTON. ELLINGTON TWR TOLD US TO MAINTAIN 1600 FT AND CLRED US FOR A DOWNWIND TO 35L RWY ELLINGTON. THIS TIME SAW ELLINGTON. WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH AND TO LAND 35L. AFTER LNDG WE ASKED ELLINGTON IF WE CREATED ANY PROBLEMS OR CONFLICTS. THE TWR SAID NO, DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT. HOBBY ARPT AND ELLINGTON ARPT ARE 13 NM APART FROM ONE ANOTHER. BOTH HAVE A RWY 17. THE ONLY RWY THAT WAS WELL LIT AT HOBBY WAS 17. SO FROM A HDG OF 145 DEG TO INTERCEPT FINAL WAS PERFECT. THE ONLY THING THAT WASN'T RIGHT WAS THE LOC TELLING US WE ARE R OF COURSE AND THEN FLAGGED.

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.