Narrative:

Latest ATIS for gsp acquired 50 NM out reported 6500 ft scattered 12 mi visibility. Crew briefed ILS for runway 3 at gsp. On descent, approximately 25 NM out, approach announced new arrival ATIS but did not read new ceiling/visibility. Approach called traffic to us, an medium large transport on right base to runway 3 at gsp; first officer responded (PNF) a radar sectors. Reaching 2500 ft about 15 NM out, approach called airport to us about 1 O'clock, 12 mi. Shortly thereafter, we saw a runway and called airport in sight and were cleared visual to runway 3. Greer ncb showed approximately correct line-up. About 3 NM out of our visual runway, we questioned the alignment/other traffic and tried to query approach twice but they were busy vectoring another aircraft. About 2 NM out, we had only descended to 2200 ft when approach called us to climb to 2500 ft. That we were not at the right airport. We were just under a scattered ceiling climbed and flew new vectors to gsp. Approach again called airport to us at 12 O'clock, 9 NM we saw a runway north/south and again called it in sight, but within 2 or 3 mi called approach to tell them localizer does not align with this runway. Again we were informed we're not lined up with gsp so given another vector and told to stay at 2500 ft. We shortly were lined up with gsp and, receiving localizer, began a descent to land. Approach should have noted new (lower) ceilings and visibility in new ATIS. They twice called out airport position further than the visibility allowed. We were trying too hard to help them out by calling visual approach. Crew did not descend and did try to get assistance from approach both times when it was apparent that the airports didn't seem right. Contributing factors: due to company policy, crew had only one set of approach plates. Captain (PF) had no plates to check on airport environment. Also contributing; ATC eagerness to ease its workload by trying to coax crew to call airport in sight 12 mi out.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN LTT ACR CREW MADE 2 APCHS TO WRONG ARPTS AT NIGHT BEFORE THEY FOUND THE RIGHT RWY.

Narrative: LATEST ATIS FOR GSP ACQUIRED 50 NM OUT RPTED 6500 FT SCATTERED 12 MI VISIBILITY. CREW BRIEFED ILS FOR RWY 3 AT GSP. ON DSCNT, APPROX 25 NM OUT, APCH ANNOUNCED NEW ARR ATIS BUT DID NOT READ NEW CEILING/VISIBILITY. APCH CALLED TFC TO US, AN MLG ON R BASE TO RWY 3 AT GSP; FO RESPONDED (PNF) A RADAR SECTORS. REACHING 2500 FT ABOUT 15 NM OUT, APCH CALLED ARPT TO US ABOUT 1 O'CLOCK, 12 MI. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, WE SAW A RWY AND CALLED ARPT IN SIGHT AND WERE CLRED VISUAL TO RWY 3. GREER NCB SHOWED APPROX CORRECT LINE-UP. ABOUT 3 NM OUT OF OUR VISUAL RWY, WE QUESTIONED THE ALIGNMENT/OTHER TFC AND TRIED TO QUERY APCH TWICE BUT THEY WERE BUSY VECTORING ANOTHER ACFT. ABOUT 2 NM OUT, WE HAD ONLY DSNDED TO 2200 FT WHEN APCH CALLED US TO CLB TO 2500 FT. THAT WE WERE NOT AT THE RIGHT ARPT. WE WERE JUST UNDER A SCATTERED CEILING CLBED AND FLEW NEW VECTORS TO GSP. APCH AGAIN CALLED ARPT TO US AT 12 O'CLOCK, 9 NM WE SAW A RWY N/S AND AGAIN CALLED IT IN SIGHT, BUT WITHIN 2 OR 3 MI CALLED APCH TO TELL THEM LOC DOES NOT ALIGN WITH THIS RWY. AGAIN WE WERE INFORMED WE'RE NOT LINED UP WITH GSP SO GIVEN ANOTHER VECTOR AND TOLD TO STAY AT 2500 FT. WE SHORTLY WERE LINED UP WITH GSP AND, RECEIVING LOC, BEGAN A DSCNT TO LAND. APCH SHOULD HAVE NOTED NEW (LOWER) CEILINGS AND VISIBILITY IN NEW ATIS. THEY TWICE CALLED OUT ARPT POS FURTHER THAN THE VISIBILITY ALLOWED. WE WERE TRYING TOO HARD TO HELP THEM OUT BY CALLING VISUAL APCH. CREW DID NOT DSND AND DID TRY TO GET ASSISTANCE FROM APCH BOTH TIMES WHEN IT WAS APPARENT THAT THE ARPTS DIDN'T SEEM RIGHT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: DUE TO COMPANY POLICY, CREW HAD ONLY ONE SET OF APCH PLATES. CAPT (PF) HAD NO PLATES TO CHK ON ARPT ENVIRONMENT. ALSO CONTRIBUTING; ATC EAGERNESS TO EASE ITS WORKLOAD BY TRYING TO COAX CREW TO CALL ARPT IN SIGHT 12 MI OUT.

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.