Flight crew lines up with approach to wrong airport.

Attributes
ACN	309981
Time
Date	199507
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mia
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 1000 agl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mia
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	309981
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Approaching the mia VOR from the northwest, approach control gave us a 120 degree heading for a visual approach to runway 9L at mia. At 3000 ft MSL, the ILS was not receiving well and we mistakenly called airport in sight when what we were actually seeing was opa locka airport which has a similar runway layout and was between us and mia. We called mia tower about 6 mi out and he asked our position, said we were in sight and cleared us to land. As we neared the opa locka airport neither of us felt comfortable with the situation and talked about the airport's look. At about 1000 ft, 3 mi out, we realized our error and began a go around just as the mia tower controller told us to do so. We were then vectored to a visual on runway 9L at mia. The opa locka tower was closed and no conflict occurred. I called the approach facility upon arrival at mia and was told that their digital radar was not working and no identify was displayed on the radar return which caused some confusion. The aircraft the tower controller saw and thought was us was another aircraft on approach to runway 9L. Approach also told me they have been trying to get opa locka to turn off the lights to runway 12 when they close to prevent this from happening. Poor situational awareness on our part and a few small abnormal events almost got me.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC LINES UP WITH APCH TO WRONG ARPT.

Narrative: APCHING THE MIA VOR FROM THE NW, APCH CTL GAVE US A 120 DEG HDG FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 9L AT MIA. AT 3000 FT MSL, THE ILS WAS NOT RECEIVING WELL AND WE MISTAKENLY CALLED ARPT IN SIGHT WHEN WHAT WE WERE ACTUALLY SEEING WAS OPA LOCKA ARPT WHICH HAS A SIMILAR RWY LAYOUT AND WAS BTWN US AND MIA. WE CALLED MIA TWR ABOUT 6 MI OUT AND HE ASKED OUR POS, SAID WE WERE IN SIGHT AND CLRED US TO LAND. AS WE NEARED THE OPA LOCKA ARPT NEITHER OF US FELT COMFORTABLE WITH THE SIT AND TALKED ABOUT THE ARPT'S LOOK. AT ABOUT 1000 FT, 3 MI OUT, WE REALIZED OUR ERROR AND BEGAN A GAR JUST AS THE MIA TWR CTLR TOLD US TO DO SO. WE WERE THEN VECTORED TO A VISUAL ON RWY 9L AT MIA. THE OPA LOCKA TWR WAS CLOSED AND NO CONFLICT OCCURRED. I CALLED THE APCH FACILITY UPON ARR AT MIA AND WAS TOLD THAT THEIR DIGITAL RADAR WAS NOT WORKING AND NO IDENT WAS DISPLAYED ON THE RADAR RETURN WHICH CAUSED SOME CONFUSION. THE ACFT THE TWR CTLR SAW AND THOUGHT WAS US WAS ANOTHER ACFT ON APCH TO RWY 9L. APCH ALSO TOLD ME THEY HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET OPA LOCKA TO TURN OFF THE LIGHTS TO RWY 12 WHEN THEY CLOSE TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING. POOR SITUATIONAL AWARENESS ON OUR PART AND A FEW SMALL ABNORMAL EVENTS ALMOST GOT ME.

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.