B727 began a night visual approach to opa locka rather than miami.

Attributes
ACN	351733
Time
Date	199610
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : dhp airport : mia
State Reference	FL
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mia tower : mia
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
ASRS Report	351733
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument
ASRS Report	351732
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance non adherence : far other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : became reoriented
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Flying into mia on a night visual from the nne to runway 12, the captain was flying. The approach controller asked if we had a visual on the airport. The captain said yes, so I informed approach control that we did. A short time later the captain turned base. The flight engineer and myself were backing up the approach with the navaids since we could not see the airport from our seat position. While turning inbound the captain asked me to report that we were turning final. The controller switched us to mia tower. As I switched the radio frequency to mia tower the flight engineer stated that he did not feel that this was final for mia, but rather it was final for opa locka. I looked up from switching the frequency and felt the same way. I confirmed that suspicion with the navaids and stated that I believed mia was to our right. Several more statements, questions and confirmations were made. We were in the process of correcting when I checked in with mia tower. Mia tower gave us a left turn to the west and to contact approach control. We made another, more successful, approach to mia. We then landed at mia. I think the flight engineer should be commended for his actions and heads up work.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 BEGAN A NIGHT VISUAL APCH TO OPA LOCKA RATHER THAN MIAMI.

Narrative: FLYING INTO MIA ON A NIGHT VISUAL FROM THE NNE TO RWY 12, THE CAPT WAS FLYING. THE APCH CTLR ASKED IF WE HAD A VISUAL ON THE ARPT. THE CAPT SAID YES, SO I INFORMED APCH CTL THAT WE DID. A SHORT TIME LATER THE CAPT TURNED BASE. THE FE AND MYSELF WERE BACKING UP THE APCH WITH THE NAVAIDS SINCE WE COULD NOT SEE THE ARPT FROM OUR SEAT POS. WHILE TURNING INBOUND THE CAPT ASKED ME TO RPT THAT WE WERE TURNING FINAL. THE CTLR SWITCHED US TO MIA TWR. AS I SWITCHED THE RADIO FREQ TO MIA TWR THE FE STATED THAT HE DID NOT FEEL THAT THIS WAS FINAL FOR MIA, BUT RATHER IT WAS FINAL FOR OPA LOCKA. I LOOKED UP FROM SWITCHING THE FREQ AND FELT THE SAME WAY. I CONFIRMED THAT SUSPICION WITH THE NAVAIDS AND STATED THAT I BELIEVED MIA WAS TO OUR R. SEVERAL MORE STATEMENTS, QUESTIONS AND CONFIRMATIONS WERE MADE. WE WERE IN THE PROCESS OF CORRECTING WHEN I CHKED IN WITH MIA TWR. MIA TWR GAVE US A L TURN TO THE W AND TO CONTACT APCH CTL. WE MADE ANOTHER, MORE SUCCESSFUL, APCH TO MIA. WE THEN LANDED AT MIA. I THINK THE FE SHOULD BE COMMENDED FOR HIS ACTIONS AND HEADS UP WORK.

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.