Narrative:

We were arriving in bur, using the fern 5 arrival, when socal approach asked if we would like a visual approach to runway 15. The WX was clear, 8 mi visibility, so we replied in the affirmative. Socal assigned a heading of 110 degrees and shortly thereafter cleared us to descend to 3000 ft. I made a positive identify on the vny airport because I know the runway arrangement was similar to bur, and I wanted to make sure I had both airports in sight. Soon I picked up another rotating beacon at the right bearing from our location and pointed it out to the first officer, who was flying. He configured for landing, and began to descend out of 3000 ft. Soon, I realized the picture didn't look right and told him I thought we were lined up on the wrong airport. At about this time bur tower directed a go around, saying we were lined up on whiteman airport (whp). They gave us a left turn which put us on a nice right base for bur. We spotted the runway immediately and landed without incident. If we had set up the INS to display a 3 mi final to bur, perhaps we could have avoided this problem. Supplemental information from acn 425797: the captain told socal that we had bur in sight and they cleared us for the four stacks visual approach to runway 15 at bur, and to bur tower frequency. Bur tower had also caught our error and issued a traffic alert to us and gave us a snap vector toward bur airport. That vector allowed us to quickly acquire bur, cleared the considerable confusion we both felt at that time, and allowed us to easily transition to an otherwise uneventful landing at bur. Bur tower told us that the airport we had begun our approach to was whiteman airport, located 4.5 NM northwest of bur. Bur tower's actions were noteworthy. They caught our error as quickly as I believe would have been possible, and provided clear and concise guidance which was very helpful in our recovery from this situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC LINED UP ON WHP ARPT RATHER THAN BUR.

Narrative: WE WERE ARRIVING IN BUR, USING THE FERN 5 ARR, WHEN SOCAL APCH ASKED IF WE WOULD LIKE A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 15. THE WX WAS CLR, 8 MI VISIBILITY, SO WE REPLIED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. SOCAL ASSIGNED A HDG OF 110 DEGS AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER CLRED US TO DSND TO 3000 FT. I MADE A POSITIVE IDENT ON THE VNY ARPT BECAUSE I KNOW THE RWY ARRANGEMENT WAS SIMILAR TO BUR, AND I WANTED TO MAKE SURE I HAD BOTH ARPTS IN SIGHT. SOON I PICKED UP ANOTHER ROTATING BEACON AT THE R BEARING FROM OUR LOCATION AND POINTED IT OUT TO THE FO, WHO WAS FLYING. HE CONFIGURED FOR LNDG, AND BEGAN TO DSND OUT OF 3000 FT. SOON, I REALIZED THE PICTURE DIDN'T LOOK R AND TOLD HIM I THOUGHT WE WERE LINED UP ON THE WRONG ARPT. AT ABOUT THIS TIME BUR TWR DIRECTED A GAR, SAYING WE WERE LINED UP ON WHITEMAN ARPT (WHP). THEY GAVE US A L TURN WHICH PUT US ON A NICE R BASE FOR BUR. WE SPOTTED THE RWY IMMEDIATELY AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. IF WE HAD SET UP THE INS TO DISPLAY A 3 MI FINAL TO BUR, PERHAPS WE COULD HAVE AVOIDED THIS PROB. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 425797: THE CAPT TOLD SOCAL THAT WE HAD BUR IN SIGHT AND THEY CLRED US FOR THE FOUR STACKS VISUAL APCH TO RWY 15 AT BUR, AND TO BUR TWR FREQ. BUR TWR HAD ALSO CAUGHT OUR ERROR AND ISSUED A TFC ALERT TO US AND GAVE US A SNAP VECTOR TOWARD BUR ARPT. THAT VECTOR ALLOWED US TO QUICKLY ACQUIRE BUR, CLRED THE CONSIDERABLE CONFUSION WE BOTH FELT AT THAT TIME, AND ALLOWED US TO EASILY TRANSITION TO AN OTHERWISE UNEVENTFUL LNDG AT BUR. BUR TWR TOLD US THAT THE ARPT WE HAD BEGUN OUR APCH TO WAS WHITEMAN ARPT, LOCATED 4.5 NM NW OF BUR. BUR TWR'S ACTIONS WERE NOTEWORTHY. THEY CAUGHT OUR ERROR AS QUICKLY AS I BELIEVE WOULD HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE, AND PROVIDED CLR AND CONCISE GUIDANCE WHICH WAS VERY HELPFUL IN OUR RECOVERY FROM THIS SIT.

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.