Narrative:

We were flying a beechjet from eagle county, co, to san diego, ca, planning on landing at lindberg field. As we approached california, center advised us that san diego lindberg was below minimums. After checking with flight watch, we elected to land at brown field south of san diego since it was clear. As the PF, I briefed the approach, planning a visual approach and landing to brown. Due to mountains on the east of the airport, the approach was very steep. I was concentrating on looking outside the airplane at the terrain and looking for the airport. We called the airport in sight approximately 10 mi out, and were cleared for a visual approach. We contacted tower and they cleared us to land. I told the copilot that I couldn't yet make out the runway. He told tower, and they flashed the airport lights. I did not see the flash. This should have alerted me to a potential problem. I lined up with the runway, heading west, when tower advised 'turn left if able, you're heading toward mexican airspace.' I then realized I had lined up with tijuana, mexico. I immediately turned and lined up on a 3 mi final with brown field on runway 27R. The landing was uneventful, and I realized the importance of using the FMS to line up with the runway -- especially when it isn't served by any localizer or navaids. I think my preoccupation with looking out the window led to this near airspace violation. I was glad tower spotted the problem and alerted us before we landed in mexico!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE40 MAKES APCH TO WRONG ARPT IN SDM AIRSPACE.

Narrative: WE WERE FLYING A BEECHJET FROM EAGLE COUNTY, CO, TO SAN DIEGO, CA, PLANNING ON LNDG AT LINDBERG FIELD. AS WE APCHED CALIFORNIA, CTR ADVISED US THAT SAN DIEGO LINDBERG WAS BELOW MINIMUMS. AFTER CHKING WITH FLT WATCH, WE ELECTED TO LAND AT BROWN FIELD S OF SAN DIEGO SINCE IT WAS CLR. AS THE PF, I BRIEFED THE APCH, PLANNING A VISUAL APCH AND LNDG TO BROWN. DUE TO MOUNTAINS ON THE E OF THE ARPT, THE APCH WAS VERY STEEP. I WAS CONCENTRATING ON LOOKING OUTSIDE THE AIRPLANE AT THE TERRAIN AND LOOKING FOR THE ARPT. WE CALLED THE ARPT IN SIGHT APPROX 10 MI OUT, AND WERE CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH. WE CONTACTED TWR AND THEY CLRED US TO LAND. I TOLD THE COPLT THAT I COULDN'T YET MAKE OUT THE RWY. HE TOLD TWR, AND THEY FLASHED THE ARPT LIGHTS. I DID NOT SEE THE FLASH. THIS SHOULD HAVE ALERTED ME TO A POTENTIAL PROB. I LINED UP WITH THE RWY, HDG W, WHEN TWR ADVISED 'TURN L IF ABLE, YOU'RE HDG TOWARD MEXICAN AIRSPACE.' I THEN REALIZED I HAD LINED UP WITH TIJUANA, MEXICO. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED AND LINED UP ON A 3 MI FINAL WITH BROWN FIELD ON RWY 27R. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL, AND I REALIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF USING THE FMS TO LINE UP WITH THE RWY -- ESPECIALLY WHEN IT ISN'T SERVED BY ANY LOC OR NAVAIDS. I THINK MY PREOCCUPATION WITH LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW LED TO THIS NEAR AIRSPACE VIOLATION. I WAS GLAD TWR SPOTTED THE PROB AND ALERTED US BEFORE WE LANDED IN MEXICO!

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.