Narrative:

We were flying from buf to alb. During descent into alb, I mistook sch for alb during a visual approach. We penetrated their class D airspace before the mistake was realized by us. We then landed uneventfully. Nothing was said by alb approach control after they verified we had alb in sight. A chain of events set this mistake up perfectly. Approximately 30 to 35 NM west of alb, we had a light illuminate in the cockpit indicating a roll spoiler linkage jam. I completed the memory items on the checklist and called for the checklist. As the first officer got out the checklist the light went out. No further action was required. During descent into alb, the light illuminated again. Again we started to run the emergency checklist but the light went out, therefore no action would be required. Alb approach began vectoring us for the visual approach to runway 19. A late descent clearance, combined with a strong tailwind, caused me to use about a 2500 to 3000 FPM rate of descent. Approach control turned us on a northeast heading which would put us in behind traffic to follow. We broke out of the overcast and we were 5-6 mi west of sch airport (which I mistook for alb). At that time my first officer called the traffic in sight and we were cleared for the visual. I did not have that traffic in sight at any time. I began slowing the aircraft and configured for landing and continued a descent to 3000 ft MSL. At that time I realized we were at sch and proceeded to alb and landed. Our autoplt was inoperative, and I was hand flying during a high workload when I would have had the autoplt on. I could have looked at the RNAV display and realized we were 10 mi northwest of the airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A DH8 MADE A VISUAL APCH TO THE WRONG ARPT. THE FLC RECEIVED AN ANNUNCIATOR LIGHT FOR ROLL SPOILER LINKAGE AND WAS HAND FLYING THE ACFT. THE FO (PNF) SIGHTED TFC TO FOLLOW, WHICH THE CAPT (PF) COULD NOT LOCATE. THE FLC WAS SUBSEQUENTLY CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH AND DSNDED TOWARD THE WRONG ARPT.

Narrative: WE WERE FLYING FROM BUF TO ALB. DURING DSCNT INTO ALB, I MISTOOK SCH FOR ALB DURING A VISUAL APCH. WE PENETRATED THEIR CLASS D AIRSPACE BEFORE THE MISTAKE WAS REALIZED BY US. WE THEN LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. NOTHING WAS SAID BY ALB APCH CTL AFTER THEY VERIFIED WE HAD ALB IN SIGHT. A CHAIN OF EVENTS SET THIS MISTAKE UP PERFECTLY. APPROX 30 TO 35 NM W OF ALB, WE HAD A LIGHT ILLUMINATE IN THE COCKPIT INDICATING A ROLL SPOILER LINKAGE JAM. I COMPLETED THE MEMORY ITEMS ON THE CHKLIST AND CALLED FOR THE CHKLIST. AS THE FO GOT OUT THE CHKLIST THE LIGHT WENT OUT. NO FURTHER ACTION WAS REQUIRED. DURING DSCNT INTO ALB, THE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AGAIN. AGAIN WE STARTED TO RUN THE EMER CHKLIST BUT THE LIGHT WENT OUT, THEREFORE NO ACTION WOULD BE REQUIRED. ALB APCH BEGAN VECTORING US FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 19. A LATE DSCNT CLRNC, COMBINED WITH A STRONG TAILWIND, CAUSED ME TO USE ABOUT A 2500 TO 3000 FPM RATE OF DSCNT. APCH CTL TURNED US ON A NE HDG WHICH WOULD PUT US IN BEHIND TFC TO FOLLOW. WE BROKE OUT OF THE OVCST AND WE WERE 5-6 MI W OF SCH ARPT (WHICH I MISTOOK FOR ALB). AT THAT TIME MY FO CALLED THE TFC IN SIGHT AND WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL. I DID NOT HAVE THAT TFC IN SIGHT AT ANY TIME. I BEGAN SLOWING THE ACFT AND CONFIGURED FOR LNDG AND CONTINUED A DSCNT TO 3000 FT MSL. AT THAT TIME I REALIZED WE WERE AT SCH AND PROCEEDED TO ALB AND LANDED. OUR AUTOPLT WAS INOP, AND I WAS HAND FLYING DURING A HIGH WORKLOAD WHEN I WOULD HAVE HAD THE AUTOPLT ON. I COULD HAVE LOOKED AT THE RNAV DISPLAY AND REALIZED WE WERE 10 MI NW OF THE ARPT.

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.