Narrative:

Inadvertent landing at wrong airport narrowly avoided. Our destination was forbes field, topeka, ks. As we approached from the east, we briefed for a visual approach backed up by the VOR DME approach for runway 21. Our flight path intercepted the final approach course just south of the VOR at 3000 ft MSL. As the captain was making a left turn to intercept the course, one of our capts riding in the jump seat 'called' the airport (the wrong one) and commented that we were too high. The airport in sight appeared to be approximately 5 mi away. The captain instructed me to call the airport and we were cleared for a visual approach and instructed to contact the tower. The captain then made a maximum effort descent and lined up on runway 22 of what I think was phillip billard municipal. I felt uncomfortable in that something was not right but was busy watching outside due to low altitude and high rate of captain's descent and trying to respond to flap and gear and checklist commands by the captain. When I had completed these duties and the airplane was stabilized and on final approach, fully configured for landing and approximately 300 ft AGL, I made a final check on the GPS as I normally do on short final to make sure we had the right airport. The GPS read 8 DME to the airport. I informed the captain of this and called 'go around!' he responded immediately. We made a left turn to the VOR and flew the entire VOR approach, and landed at forbes. I spoke to the ground controller at forbes. He said that he was talking to the tower at the other airport throughout the event and that since there was no traffic conflict they did not need to talk to us.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A B737-200 MADE A VISUAL APCH TO THE WRONG ARPT DUE TO A 'JUMP SEAT' CAPT POINTING OUT THE WRONG ARPT IN SIGHT! THEY RECOGNIZED THEIR MISTAKE ON A SHORT FINAL AT 300 FT AGL WHERE UPON THEY ABANDONED THE APCH AND MADE AN APCH TO THE CORRECT ARPT.

Narrative: INADVERTENT LNDG AT WRONG ARPT NARROWLY AVOIDED. OUR DEST WAS FORBES FIELD, TOPEKA, KS. AS WE APCHED FROM THE E, WE BRIEFED FOR A VISUAL APCH BACKED UP BY THE VOR DME APCH FOR RWY 21. OUR FLT PATH INTERCEPTED THE FINAL APCH COURSE JUST S OF THE VOR AT 3000 FT MSL. AS THE CAPT WAS MAKING A L TURN TO INTERCEPT THE COURSE, ONE OF OUR CAPTS RIDING IN THE JUMP SEAT 'CALLED' THE ARPT (THE WRONG ONE) AND COMMENTED THAT WE WERE TOO HIGH. THE ARPT IN SIGHT APPEARED TO BE APPROX 5 MI AWAY. THE CAPT INSTRUCTED ME TO CALL THE ARPT AND WE WERE CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH AND INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT THE TWR. THE CAPT THEN MADE A MAX EFFORT DSCNT AND LINED UP ON RWY 22 OF WHAT I THINK WAS PHILLIP BILLARD MUNICIPAL. I FELT UNCOMFORTABLE IN THAT SOMETHING WAS NOT RIGHT BUT WAS BUSY WATCHING OUTSIDE DUE TO LOW ALT AND HIGH RATE OF CAPT'S DSCNT AND TRYING TO RESPOND TO FLAP AND GEAR AND CHKLIST COMMANDS BY THE CAPT. WHEN I HAD COMPLETED THESE DUTIES AND THE AIRPLANE WAS STABILIZED AND ON FINAL APCH, FULLY CONFIGURED FOR LNDG AND APPROX 300 FT AGL, I MADE A FINAL CHK ON THE GPS AS I NORMALLY DO ON SHORT FINAL TO MAKE SURE WE HAD THE RIGHT ARPT. THE GPS READ 8 DME TO THE ARPT. I INFORMED THE CAPT OF THIS AND CALLED 'GAR!' HE RESPONDED IMMEDIATELY. WE MADE A L TURN TO THE VOR AND FLEW THE ENTIRE VOR APCH, AND LANDED AT FORBES. I SPOKE TO THE GND CTLR AT FORBES. HE SAID THAT HE WAS TALKING TO THE TWR AT THE OTHER ARPT THROUGHOUT THE EVENT AND THAT SINCE THERE WAS NO TFC CONFLICT THEY DID NOT NEED TO TALK TO US.

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.