Narrative:

Company had us divert into south bend. We were at FL330 just south of south bend. While I was talking to the company on communication #2, the first officer was flying the talking to ZAU. By the time I finished getting WX and rerouting information from the company we were already below 17000 ft. At this time I had to get out my approach plates, perform company checklists, talk to ZAU, and tune and identify frequencys. We were initially given runway 09 for the approach at south bend. This was quickly followed by a change to runway 27. I rebriefed the approach, and center told us the position of the airport in relation to us. There was an airport and the confign looked right. At this time the localizer was coming alive. I keyed the microphone to bring up the runway lighting and it did. Mistaking this airport for south bend we landed visually. Upon landing we discovered our mistake. The company was notified and after an hour we were able to continue on to south bend. The delay was in getting the airport analysis information. Some of the contributing factors were that we were tired (fatigued). We had been in the aircraft for over six and one half hours coming from anchorage, alaska, with a quick 30 min stop in billings, to pick up freight. We allowed ourselves to become rushed trying to do a good job for our company. Also the layout of the runways at south bend and elkhart, in, are very similar. Both have a runway 09-27 and a n-s runway. Both airports are uncontrolled at that time of night with only ZAU for vectors. Also the airports are about 15 mi apart and the runways 09-27 are almost in line with each other. We did not realize this at the time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC9-41 WAS DIVERTED TO SBN. ARTCC PROVIDED VECTORS AND AN ARPT POINTOUT. THE FLC THOUGHT THEY SAW THE ARPT, WHICH WAS UNCONTROLLED AT THIS TIME, AND LANDED. WELCOME TO EKM.

Narrative: COMPANY HAD US DIVERT INTO SOUTH BEND. WE WERE AT FL330 JUST S OF SOUTH BEND. WHILE I WAS TALKING TO THE COMPANY ON COM #2, THE FO WAS FLYING THE TALKING TO ZAU. BY THE TIME I FINISHED GETTING WX AND REROUTING INFO FROM THE COMPANY WE WERE ALREADY BELOW 17000 FT. AT THIS TIME I HAD TO GET OUT MY APCH PLATES, PERFORM COMPANY CHKLISTS, TALK TO ZAU, AND TUNE AND IDENT FREQS. WE WERE INITIALLY GIVEN RWY 09 FOR THE APCH AT SOUTH BEND. THIS WAS QUICKLY FOLLOWED BY A CHANGE TO RWY 27. I REBRIEFED THE APCH, AND CTR TOLD US THE POS OF THE ARPT IN RELATION TO US. THERE WAS AN ARPT AND THE CONFIGN LOOKED RIGHT. AT THIS TIME THE LOC WAS COMING ALIVE. I KEYED THE MIKE TO BRING UP THE RWY LIGHTING AND IT DID. MISTAKING THIS ARPT FOR SOUTH BEND WE LANDED VISUALLY. UPON LNDG WE DISCOVERED OUR MISTAKE. THE COMPANY WAS NOTIFIED AND AFTER AN HR WE WERE ABLE TO CONTINUE ON TO SOUTH BEND. THE DELAY WAS IN GETTING THE ARPT ANALYSIS INFO. SOME OF THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE THAT WE WERE TIRED (FATIGUED). WE HAD BEEN IN THE ACFT FOR OVER SIX AND ONE HALF HRS COMING FROM ANCHORAGE, ALASKA, WITH A QUICK 30 MIN STOP IN BILLINGS, TO PICK UP FREIGHT. WE ALLOWED OURSELVES TO BECOME RUSHED TRYING TO DO A GOOD JOB FOR OUR COMPANY. ALSO THE LAYOUT OF THE RWYS AT SOUTH BEND AND ELKHART, IN, ARE VERY SIMILAR. BOTH HAVE A RWY 09-27 AND A N-S RWY. BOTH ARPTS ARE UNCONTROLLED AT THAT TIME OF NIGHT WITH ONLY ZAU FOR VECTORS. ALSO THE ARPTS ARE ABOUT 15 MI APART AND THE RWYS 09-27 ARE ALMOST IN LINE WITH EACH OTHER. WE DID NOT REALIZE THIS AT THE TIME.

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.