Flight crew of an medium large transport followed the wrong aircraft during a visual approach from base leg onto final. The wrong aircraft was also a DC9 like the one ATC wanted them to follow on final.

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Attributes
ACN	336250
Time
Date	199605
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : iah
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : iah
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach other
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-9 Undifferentiated or Other Model
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	other other : other pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	336250
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Approach called DC9 traffic at 10 O'clock low on approach to runway 27 that we were to follow. I saw a DC9 low passing from 10 to 9 O'clock so we called traffic in sight and approach control cleared us to follow on visual approach. I turned a base leg and began descent. Approach then called us to maintain 4000 ft and pointed out our traffic at 12 - 1 O'clock, which was not the aircraft we had seen. They turned us back out for another lineup to the approach, because we had begun following the wrong aircraft. The aircraft they wanted us follow was at 11 - 12 O'clock, not 10 O'clock as they had originally called. The traffic passed below us 2000 ft lower than we were when we leveled at 4000 ft. The problem was caused by the controller's failure to point out the traffic passing us at 10 - 9 O'clock which we thought was the aircraft they wanted us to follow. Both aircraft were DC9's, so we couldn't distinguish between the two.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN MLG FOLLOWED THE WRONG ACFT DURING A VISUAL APCH FROM BASE LEG ONTO FINAL. THE WRONG ACFT WAS ALSO A DC9 LIKE THE ONE ATC WANTED THEM TO FOLLOW ON FINAL.

Narrative: APCH CALLED DC9 TFC AT 10 O'CLOCK LOW ON APCH TO RWY 27 THAT WE WERE TO FOLLOW. I SAW A DC9 LOW PASSING FROM 10 TO 9 O'CLOCK SO WE CALLED TFC IN SIGHT AND APCH CTL CLRED US TO FOLLOW ON VISUAL APCH. I TURNED A BASE LEG AND BEGAN DSCNT. APCH THEN CALLED US TO MAINTAIN 4000 FT AND POINTED OUT OUR TFC AT 12 - 1 O'CLOCK, WHICH WAS NOT THE ACFT WE HAD SEEN. THEY TURNED US BACK OUT FOR ANOTHER LINEUP TO THE APCH, BECAUSE WE HAD BEGUN FOLLOWING THE WRONG ACFT. THE ACFT THEY WANTED US FOLLOW WAS AT 11 - 12 O'CLOCK, NOT 10 O'CLOCK AS THEY HAD ORIGINALLY CALLED. THE TFC PASSED BELOW US 2000 FT LOWER THAN WE WERE WHEN WE LEVELED AT 4000 FT. THE PROB WAS CAUSED BY THE CTLR'S FAILURE TO POINT OUT THE TFC PASSING US AT 10 - 9 O'CLOCK WHICH WE THOUGHT WAS THE ACFT THEY WANTED US TO FOLLOW. BOTH ACFT WERE DC9'S, SO WE COULDN'T DISTINGUISH BTWN THE TWO.

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.