Near approach to wrong airport. Radar vectoring in trail.

Attributes
ACN	314766
Time
Date	199508
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pob
State Reference	NC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : fay
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Starlifter (C141)
Operating Under FAR Part	other : other
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : military
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : military pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	314766
Person 2
Affiliation	government : military
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : military
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented other other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On day 2 of a long, hard military ori (operation readiness inspection) exercise my crew of 6 in a C141 transport was on vectors from fayetteville approach for pope AFB. There was a cumulo nimbus with rain shaft just northwest of the field, and another southwest near the large restricted area southwest of pope. Approach asked if we would accept vectors all the way around the field for a right base visual to land to the northeast. After avoiding radar returns (my copilot was flying, I was working the radar/ATC and getting vectors in a 270 degree trip around the field) we were told to follow a C130 ahead. My copilot saw him turn base to what he thought was pope, but was actually simmons aaf, another military field next to pope. He turned base to that field, and at the same time I realized our mistake along with pope tower who responded to our call that we lost sight of the C130 with instructions to continue to pope. We were already rolling out of the corrective turn, and would have landed ok at pope, except that tower sent us around for traffic behind us. We went back to fayetteville, and landed at pope. A call to the tower resulted in no action or incident discussion. Factors: 1) WX -- thunderstorms, 2) different, extensive avoidance vectors, 3) multiple long duty days, night flying, 4) complacency.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NEAR APCH TO WRONG ARPT. RADAR VECTORING IN TRAIL.

Narrative: ON DAY 2 OF A LONG, HARD MIL ORI (OP READINESS INSPECTION) EXERCISE MY CREW OF 6 IN A C141 TRANSPORT WAS ON VECTORS FROM FAYETTEVILLE APCH FOR POPE AFB. THERE WAS A CUMULO NIMBUS WITH RAIN SHAFT JUST NW OF THE FIELD, AND ANOTHER SW NEAR THE LARGE RESTRICTED AREA SW OF POPE. APCH ASKED IF WE WOULD ACCEPT VECTORS ALL THE WAY AROUND THE FIELD FOR A R BASE VISUAL TO LAND TO THE NE. AFTER AVOIDING RADAR RETURNS (MY COPLT WAS FLYING, I WAS WORKING THE RADAR/ATC AND GETTING VECTORS IN A 270 DEG TRIP AROUND THE FIELD) WE WERE TOLD TO FOLLOW A C130 AHEAD. MY COPLT SAW HIM TURN BASE TO WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS POPE, BUT WAS ACTUALLY SIMMONS AAF, ANOTHER MIL FIELD NEXT TO POPE. HE TURNED BASE TO THAT FIELD, AND AT THE SAME TIME I REALIZED OUR MISTAKE ALONG WITH POPE TWR WHO RESPONDED TO OUR CALL THAT WE LOST SIGHT OF THE C130 WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO CONTINUE TO POPE. WE WERE ALREADY ROLLING OUT OF THE CORRECTIVE TURN, AND WOULD HAVE LANDED OK AT POPE, EXCEPT THAT TWR SENT US AROUND FOR TFC BEHIND US. WE WENT BACK TO FAYETTEVILLE, AND LANDED AT POPE. A CALL TO THE TWR RESULTED IN NO ACTION OR INCIDENT DISCUSSION. FACTORS: 1) WX -- TSTMS, 2) DIFFERENT, EXTENSIVE AVOIDANCE VECTORS, 3) MULTIPLE LONG DUTY DAYS, NIGHT FLYING, 4) COMPLACENCY.

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.