A cpr PIC overshoots his assigned runway for a visual approach when following the wrong traffic issu...

Attributes
ACN	505090
Time
Date	200103
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sna.airport
State Reference	CA
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Weather Elements	Fog
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sct.tracon
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	approach : traffic pattern approach : visual arrival : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sct.tracon
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 8500 flight time type : 1100
ASRS Report	505090
Person 2
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 4500 vertical : 1000
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While being radar vectored for a visual approach to runway 19R sna, we were told to expect to be vectored across final. The ATIS reported 9 mi visibility, but as we crossed final at 3000 ft MSL we could barely make out the runway only 4 mi away. Clearly an ocean mist was blowing in. This, coupled with a setting sun, reduced in-flight visibility. While turning an extended right base we were told to report the airport and a brasilia in sight. I was hand flying and due to the bank angle unable to see either. The first officer reported the brasilia in sight and we were cleared to follow the brasilia to runway 19R. As the turn to final progressed, I was still unable to see the airport, but the first officer pointed out the traffic we were following and the picture on the navigation display made sense. Descending below 2500 ft MSL and in the late stages of the final turn (and still following our traffic) we were instructed to 'climb and turn right, 4000 ft and heading 280 degrees.' at once we responded. I did see a brasilia out the left window below our aircraft and approximately 3/4 mi distant. (No TCASII alert or warning.) after the breakout, socal approach said 'I don't know what you were following, but it wasn't the brasilia.' socal tried to clear us for another visual approach, but we declined due to the visibility and received vectors to the OM for the ILS to runway 19R. The only thing I can figure is there must have been some optical illusion with the aircraft we followed. Now, I don't think it was even going to sna. Contributing factors: 1) we fly regularly into cle where the brasilias are in light, bright colors, and the aircraft we were following was bright. The real target was in darker colors. 2) reduced visibility due to ocean mist and sun angle allowed a misident. 3) the bank angle allowed only 1 pilot to identify the traffic. 4) busy traffic environment allowed us to identify and follow the wrong aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CPR PIC OVERSHOOTS HIS ASSIGNED RWY FOR A VISUAL APCH WHEN FOLLOWING THE WRONG TFC ISSUED BY SCT CTLR 5 MI N OF SNA, CA.

Narrative: WHILE BEING RADAR VECTORED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 19R SNA, WE WERE TOLD TO EXPECT TO BE VECTORED ACROSS FINAL. THE ATIS RPTED 9 MI VISIBILITY, BUT AS WE CROSSED FINAL AT 3000 FT MSL WE COULD BARELY MAKE OUT THE RWY ONLY 4 MI AWAY. CLRLY AN OCEAN MIST WAS BLOWING IN. THIS, COUPLED WITH A SETTING SUN, REDUCED INFLT VISIBILITY. WHILE TURNING AN EXTENDED R BASE WE WERE TOLD TO RPT THE ARPT AND A BRASILIA IN SIGHT. I WAS HAND FLYING AND DUE TO THE BANK ANGLE UNABLE TO SEE EITHER. THE FO RPTED THE BRASILIA IN SIGHT AND WE WERE CLRED TO FOLLOW THE BRASILIA TO RWY 19R. AS THE TURN TO FINAL PROGRESSED, I WAS STILL UNABLE TO SEE THE ARPT, BUT THE FO POINTED OUT THE TFC WE WERE FOLLOWING AND THE PICTURE ON THE NAV DISPLAY MADE SENSE. DSNDING BELOW 2500 FT MSL AND IN THE LATE STAGES OF THE FINAL TURN (AND STILL FOLLOWING OUR TFC) WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO 'CLB AND TURN R, 4000 FT AND HDG 280 DEGS.' AT ONCE WE RESPONDED. I DID SEE A BRASILIA OUT THE L WINDOW BELOW OUR ACFT AND APPROX 3/4 MI DISTANT. (NO TCASII ALERT OR WARNING.) AFTER THE BREAKOUT, SOCAL APCH SAID 'I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU WERE FOLLOWING, BUT IT WASN'T THE BRASILIA.' SOCAL TRIED TO CLR US FOR ANOTHER VISUAL APCH, BUT WE DECLINED DUE TO THE VISIBILITY AND RECEIVED VECTORS TO THE OM FOR THE ILS TO RWY 19R. THE ONLY THING I CAN FIGURE IS THERE MUST HAVE BEEN SOME OPTICAL ILLUSION WITH THE ACFT WE FOLLOWED. NOW, I DON'T THINK IT WAS EVEN GOING TO SNA. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) WE FLY REGULARLY INTO CLE WHERE THE BRASILIAS ARE IN LIGHT, BRIGHT COLORS, AND THE ACFT WE WERE FOLLOWING WAS BRIGHT. THE REAL TARGET WAS IN DARKER COLORS. 2) REDUCED VISIBILITY DUE TO OCEAN MIST AND SUN ANGLE ALLOWED A MISIDENT. 3) THE BANK ANGLE ALLOWED ONLY 1 PLT TO IDENT THE TFC. 4) BUSY TFC ENVIRONMENT ALLOWED US TO IDENT AND FOLLOW THE WRONG ACFT.

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.

A cpr PIC overshoots his assigned runway for a visual approach when following the wrong traffic issued by sct controller 5 mi north of sna, ca.