Narrative:

ZAB cleared us to pande (LOM) and down to 5000 ft MSL. Upon reaching 5000 ft and a heading of about 300 degrees I had what I thought was the rotating beacon at ama at my 12:30 O'clock position. After pointing to it and saying, 'I think I have it in sight at 12:30 O'clock,' the captain (PNF) told approach we had field in sight. Center then cleared us for visual to ama and to contact tower, which was done and we were given landing clearance. Both the ILS and LOM were tuned and in use. The captain then said a heading of about 270 degrees should put us on a right base, at which time I turned to that heading. I proceeded to enter an extended right base, turned to final, brought flaps down and gear down. The localizer needle was slightly deflected to the right and I had runway lights in sight making me think I was just slightly off centerline. Continuing the descent we then got a GPWS -- 'GS' warning, at which point I knew something was not correct. The captain asked tower to raise the runway lights to runway 4 at ama, tower complied and told us we appear to be lined up at tradewinds airport. Immediately (at about 1000 ft AGL) I called for 'go around' and initiated a climb. Tower told us to climb to 5000 ft and ama was at our 1 O'clock position. We then picked up the airport visually, intercepted the localizer/ILS and landed without incident. Being unfamiliar with amarillo at night I/we, 1) should not have accepted the visual until the localizer was intercepted, 2) should have noticed tradewinds airport and its location during the approach brief, and 3) should not have been relying solely on visual sight and the localizer needle. The LOM indicator should also have been included into my/our scan. I also believe there was a breakdown in communication.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF LTT MAKES APCH TO WRONG ARPT ON NIGHT FLT. GPWS ALERTS THEM AND THEY REQUEST RWY LIGHTS BE TURNED UP. CTLR VECTORS TO CORRECT ARPT.

Narrative: ZAB CLRED US TO PANDE (LOM) AND DOWN TO 5000 FT MSL. UPON REACHING 5000 FT AND A HDG OF ABOUT 300 DEGS I HAD WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE ROTATING BEACON AT AMA AT MY 12:30 O'CLOCK POS. AFTER POINTING TO IT AND SAYING, 'I THINK I HAVE IT IN SIGHT AT 12:30 O'CLOCK,' THE CAPT (PNF) TOLD APCH WE HAD FIELD IN SIGHT. CTR THEN CLRED US FOR VISUAL TO AMA AND TO CONTACT TWR, WHICH WAS DONE AND WE WERE GIVEN LNDG CLRNC. BOTH THE ILS AND LOM WERE TUNED AND IN USE. THE CAPT THEN SAID A HDG OF ABOUT 270 DEGS SHOULD PUT US ON A R BASE, AT WHICH TIME I TURNED TO THAT HEADING. I PROCEEDED TO ENTER AN EXTENDED R BASE, TURNED TO FINAL, BROUGHT FLAPS DOWN AND GEAR DOWN. THE LOC NEEDLE WAS SLIGHTLY DEFLECTED TO THE R AND I HAD RWY LIGHTS IN SIGHT MAKING ME THINK I WAS JUST SLIGHTLY OFF CTRLINE. CONTINUING THE DSCNT WE THEN GOT A GPWS -- 'GS' WARNING, AT WHICH POINT I KNEW SOMETHING WAS NOT CORRECT. THE CAPT ASKED TWR TO RAISE THE RWY LIGHTS TO RWY 4 AT AMA, TWR COMPLIED AND TOLD US WE APPEAR TO BE LINED UP AT TRADEWINDS ARPT. IMMEDIATELY (AT ABOUT 1000 FT AGL) I CALLED FOR 'GAR' AND INITIATED A CLB. TWR TOLD US TO CLB TO 5000 FT AND AMA WAS AT OUR 1 O'CLOCK POS. WE THEN PICKED UP THE ARPT VISUALLY, INTERCEPTED THE LOC/ILS AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. BEING UNFAMILIAR WITH AMARILLO AT NIGHT I/WE, 1) SHOULD NOT HAVE ACCEPTED THE VISUAL UNTIL THE LOC WAS INTERCEPTED, 2) SHOULD HAVE NOTICED TRADEWINDS ARPT AND ITS LOCATION DURING THE APCH BRIEF, AND 3) SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN RELYING SOLELY ON VISUAL SIGHT AND THE LOC NEEDLE. THE LOM INDICATOR SHOULD ALSO HAVE BEEN INCLUDED INTO MY/OUR SCAN. I ALSO BELIEVE THERE WAS A BREAKDOWN IN COM.

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.