A vigilant ATCT controller at sju prevents an air carrier B737 from landing at the wrong airport.

Attributes
ACN	461918
Time
Date	200001
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sju.airport
State Reference	PR
Altitude	msl single value : 300
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : sju.tower tower : cgf.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : radar
ASRS Report	461918
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory controller : issued new clearance flight crew : returned to original clearance
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Air carrier X (B737) cleared on visual approach to runway 10 at sju. Air carrier X reported airport in sight. Air carrier X was switched to me by approach control. I observed aircraft descending into sig airport (approximately 5 mi northwest of sju). I issued missed approach instructions. When aircraft returned to sju, the crew made an ILS approach to runway 10. When B737 landed, I asked the crew to call the tower. After speaking with the crew, we concluded that due to the close proximity of the 2 airports, visual approachs should not be conducted at night that far out at this airport. The crew said they were cleared for a visual approach too far away.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A VIGILANT ATCT CTLR AT SJU PREVENTS AN ACR B737 FROM LNDG AT THE WRONG ARPT.

Narrative: ACR X (B737) CLRED ON VISUAL APCH TO RWY 10 AT SJU. ACR X RPTED ARPT IN SIGHT. ACR X WAS SWITCHED TO ME BY APCH CTL. I OBSERVED ACFT DSNDING INTO SIG ARPT (APPROX 5 MI NW OF SJU). I ISSUED MISSED APCH INSTRUCTIONS. WHEN ACFT RETURNED TO SJU, THE CREW MADE AN ILS APCH TO RWY 10. WHEN B737 LANDED, I ASKED THE CREW TO CALL THE TWR. AFTER SPEAKING WITH THE CREW, WE CONCLUDED THAT DUE TO THE CLOSE PROX OF THE 2 ARPTS, VISUAL APCHS SHOULD NOT BE CONDUCTED AT NIGHT THAT FAR OUT AT THIS ARPT. THE CREW SAID THEY WERE CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TOO FAR AWAY.

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.