Narrative:

We had descended to 6000 ft MSL and were proceeding direct to the hob VOR. We had been in and out of IMC throughout the descent and broke out below the clouds at approximately 10000 ft MSL. The first officer was flying and I was performing PNF duties. When we were approximately 8 NM north of the airport, we saw (what we believed to be) the hob airport. We reported the airport in sight to ZFW, who cleared us for a visual approach to the hob airport and instructed us to contact hob tower. Hob tower then cleared us to land on runway 12. We verified the airport runway layout on the commercial ILS runway 3 approach plate and airport diagram and entered left traffic for runway 12. (There is no localizer for runway 12.) as we turned final, I verified the runway 12 marking at the approach end of the runway and noted that the runway appeared to be in poor condition with cracked pavement, and an unknown obstruction down the runway. I also noted a lack of airport buildings. I told the first officer that this doesn't look right and instructed her to go around. We executed a go around on final and when we reached traffic pattern altitude, I informed hob tower that we were going around due to obstructions on the runway. Tower then informed us that we had flown our approach to the industrial airport and asked if we had hob airport in sight at our 2 O'clock. We both looked out the right window and saw hob airport approximately 3 mi to our right. We reported the correct airport in sight and were again cleared to land on runway 12. We entered left traffic for runway 12 at hob and landed without further incident. As we taxied to the terminal, the tower controller informed us that the industrial airport was not really used for aircraft anymore and was now mostly used for sailplane activity and drag racing. We were the only traffic in the area at the time and caused no conflicts. The controller seemed somewhat amused by the situation and I was very embarrassed. The industrial airport is located approximately 3 mi north of hob and has very similar runway alignments and airport layout. The runways intersect at similar points and especially approaching from the north, the 2 airports look very similar. I believe that contributing factors to this incident were: 1) 2 airports with very similar runway alignments and airport layouts being located in such very close proximity to each other. 2) the flight crew's lack of familiarity with the hob area. The first officer had never been to hob. I had been to hob 3 times in the past, the last time had been approximately 3 months prior, but had never approached the area from the north. 3) the flight crew's failure to carefully study the area on a VFR chart prior to beginning the approach. We were using IFR approach plates to reference the area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A BEECH 1900 AIRLINER BE02 MADE A VISUAL APCH TO THE WRONG ARPT AFTER BEING CLRED TO LAND AT THE DEST NEARBY ARPT. BOTH ARPTS HAVE SIMILAR RWY ALIGNMENTS AND ARPT LAYOUTS AND IN CLOSE PROX TO EACH OTHER. IT WAS THE FIRST TIME TO THE ARPT FOR THE FLYING FO AND ONLY THE THIRD TIME FOR THE CAPT, BUT HAD NEVER APCHED FROM THAT DIRECTION.

Narrative: WE HAD DSNDED TO 6000 FT MSL AND WERE PROCEEDING DIRECT TO THE HOB VOR. WE HAD BEEN IN AND OUT OF IMC THROUGHOUT THE DSCNT AND BROKE OUT BELOW THE CLOUDS AT APPROX 10000 FT MSL. THE FO WAS FLYING AND I WAS PERFORMING PNF DUTIES. WHEN WE WERE APPROX 8 NM N OF THE ARPT, WE SAW (WHAT WE BELIEVED TO BE) THE HOB ARPT. WE RPTED THE ARPT IN SIGHT TO ZFW, WHO CLRED US FOR A VISUAL APCH TO THE HOB ARPT AND INSTRUCTED US TO CONTACT HOB TWR. HOB TWR THEN CLRED US TO LAND ON RWY 12. WE VERIFIED THE ARPT RWY Layout ON THE COMMERCIAL ILS RWY 3 APCH PLATE AND ARPT DIAGRAM AND ENTERED L TFC FOR RWY 12. (THERE IS NO LOC FOR RWY 12.) AS WE TURNED FINAL, I VERIFIED THE RWY 12 MARKING AT THE APCH END OF THE RWY AND NOTED THAT THE RWY APPEARED TO BE IN POOR CONDITION WITH CRACKED PAVEMENT, AND AN UNKNOWN OBSTRUCTION DOWN THE RWY. I ALSO NOTED A LACK OF ARPT BUILDINGS. I TOLD THE FO THAT THIS DOESN'T LOOK RIGHT AND INSTRUCTED HER TO GAR. WE EXECUTED A GAR ON FINAL AND WHEN WE REACHED TFC PATTERN ALT, I INFORMED HOB TWR THAT WE WERE GOING AROUND DUE TO OBSTRUCTIONS ON THE RWY. TWR THEN INFORMED US THAT WE HAD FLOWN OUR APCH TO THE INDUSTRIAL ARPT AND ASKED IF WE HAD HOB ARPT IN SIGHT AT OUR 2 O'CLOCK. WE BOTH LOOKED OUT THE R WINDOW AND SAW HOB ARPT APPROX 3 MI TO OUR R. WE RPTED THE CORRECT ARPT IN SIGHT AND WERE AGAIN CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 12. WE ENTERED L TFC FOR RWY 12 AT HOB AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. AS WE TAXIED TO THE TERMINAL, THE TWR CTLR INFORMED US THAT THE INDUSTRIAL ARPT WAS NOT REALLY USED FOR ACFT ANYMORE AND WAS NOW MOSTLY USED FOR SAILPLANE ACTIVITY AND DRAG RACING. WE WERE THE ONLY TFC IN THE AREA AT THE TIME AND CAUSED NO CONFLICTS. THE CTLR SEEMED SOMEWHAT AMUSED BY THE SIT AND I WAS VERY EMBARRASSED. THE INDUSTRIAL ARPT IS LOCATED APPROX 3 MI N OF HOB AND HAS VERY SIMILAR RWY ALIGNMENTS AND ARPT LAYOUT. THE RWYS INTERSECT AT SIMILAR POINTS AND ESPECIALLY APCHING FROM THE N, THE 2 ARPTS LOOK VERY SIMILAR. I BELIEVE THAT CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS INCIDENT WERE: 1) 2 ARPTS WITH VERY SIMILAR RWY ALIGNMENTS AND ARPT LAYOUTS BEING LOCATED IN SUCH VERY CLOSE PROX TO EACH OTHER. 2) THE FLC'S LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH THE HOB AREA. THE FO HAD NEVER BEEN TO HOB. I HAD BEEN TO HOB 3 TIMES IN THE PAST, THE LAST TIME HAD BEEN APPROX 3 MONTHS PRIOR, BUT HAD NEVER APCHED THE AREA FROM THE N. 3) THE FLC'S FAILURE TO CAREFULLY STUDY THE AREA ON A VFR CHART PRIOR TO BEGINNING THE APCH. WE WERE USING IFR APCH PLATES TO REF THE AREA.

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.