Narrative:

On IFR flight plan from sdl to O51, approximately 100 mi from lincoln at altitude of 35000 ft, we were cleared direct O51. Shortly thereafter, we lost our long-range navigation system and notified ATC of this situation and requested a radar vector to O51. As we approached our destination, we requested lower and were let down in 2000 ft increments. Approximately 30 mi from our destination and still at 20000 ft, we requested lower again, at which time we were told to turn to 315 degrees for a vector for descent and cleared to 18000 ft. Shortly after the turn, we saw an medium large transport below us and assumed this was the reason center was holding us high. We were then given a descent to a lower altitude at which time we cancelled to continue our descent and stayed with center for TAS. In our hasty descent, we observed an airport with the same direction of runway headings as lincoln. In the hazy conditions and in the process of running our before-landing checklist, we did not observe the military aircraft on the ground. We notified center we were going to advisory frequency and entered a left downwind, announcing on advisory frequency for O51 our position and intentions. O51 answered and gave us an airport advisory; we responded with our position and intentions. We reported downwind, base, and final. We were concentrating on the end of the runway v-spds and landing checklists. Approximately 400 ft in the air and short final, we realized this was not the lincoln airport and executed a climbing right turn utilizing the published go around procedure for the aircraft. We then proceeded to marysville, VOR, then the published approach to O51. We feel that the sequence of events leading us into this situation were the loss of our long range navigation, the unusually high altitudes we were kept at, the same runway headings, the hazy visibility conditions and our unfamiliarity with the area. All of these factors contributed to the embarrassing and potentially dangerous situation we found ourselves in. In the future, in hazy and unfamiliar conditions, we will be more inclined to stay with center and approach control until they have idented the airport for us. Upon landing at O51, we immediately called beale air force tower and also approach control and told them of the events of the situation. They were very pleasant and helpful.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN OUT OF TOWN CORPORATE LTT MADE AN APCH TO BEALE AFB AND NEARLY LANDED BEFORE THEY FOUND OUT THAT THEY WERE AT THE WRONG ARPT. THEIR DEST WAS LINCOLN.

Narrative: ON IFR FLT PLAN FROM SDL TO O51, APPROX 100 MI FROM LINCOLN AT ALT OF 35000 FT, WE WERE CLRED DIRECT O51. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, WE LOST OUR LONG-RANGE NAV SYS AND NOTIFIED ATC OF THIS SITUATION AND REQUESTED A RADAR VECTOR TO O51. AS WE APCHED OUR DEST, WE REQUESTED LOWER AND WERE LET DOWN IN 2000 FT INCREMENTS. APPROX 30 MI FROM OUR DEST AND STILL AT 20000 FT, WE REQUESTED LOWER AGAIN, AT WHICH TIME WE WERE TOLD TO TURN TO 315 DEGS FOR A VECTOR FOR DSCNT AND CLRED TO 18000 FT. SHORTLY AFTER THE TURN, WE SAW AN MLG BELOW US AND ASSUMED THIS WAS THE REASON CTR WAS HOLDING US HIGH. WE WERE THEN GIVEN A DSCNT TO A LOWER ALT AT WHICH TIME WE CANCELLED TO CONTINUE OUR DSCNT AND STAYED WITH CTR FOR TAS. IN OUR HASTY DSCNT, WE OBSERVED AN ARPT WITH THE SAME DIRECTION OF RWY HDGS AS LINCOLN. IN THE HAZY CONDITIONS AND IN THE PROCESS OF RUNNING OUR BEFORE-LNDG CHKLIST, WE DID NOT OBSERVE THE MIL ACFT ON THE GND. WE NOTIFIED CTR WE WERE GOING TO ADVISORY FREQ AND ENTERED A L DOWNWIND, ANNOUNCING ON ADVISORY FREQ FOR O51 OUR POS AND INTENTIONS. O51 ANSWERED AND GAVE US AN ARPT ADVISORY; WE RESPONDED WITH OUR POS AND INTENTIONS. WE RPTED DOWNWIND, BASE, AND FINAL. WE WERE CONCENTRATING ON THE END OF THE RWY V-SPDS AND LNDG CHKLISTS. APPROX 400 FT IN THE AIR AND SHORT FINAL, WE REALIZED THIS WAS NOT THE LINCOLN ARPT AND EXECUTED A CLBING R TURN UTILIZING THE PUBLISHED GAR PROC FOR THE ACFT. WE THEN PROCEEDED TO MARYSVILLE, VOR, THEN THE PUBLISHED APCH TO O51. WE FEEL THAT THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS LEADING US INTO THIS SITUATION WERE THE LOSS OF OUR LONG RANGE NAV, THE UNUSUALLY HIGH ALTS WE WERE KEPT AT, THE SAME RWY HDGS, THE HAZY VISIBILITY CONDITIONS AND OUR UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE AREA. ALL OF THESE FACTORS CONTRIBUTED TO THE EMBARRASSING AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION WE FOUND OURSELVES IN. IN THE FUTURE, IN HAZY AND UNFAMILIAR CONDITIONS, WE WILL BE MORE INCLINED TO STAY WITH CTR AND APCH CTL UNTIL THEY HAVE IDENTED THE ARPT FOR US. UPON LNDG AT O51, WE IMMEDIATELY CALLED BEALE AIR FORCE TWR AND ALSO APCH CTL AND TOLD THEM OF THE EVENTS OF THE SITUATION. THEY WERE VERY PLEASANT AND HELPFUL.

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.