Narrative:

Approaching pit via hlg, vectored for runway 32, copilot flying, given 'heading 090 degrees, 4000 ft,' then 'descend to 3000 ft, heading 070 degrees,' then 'heading 060 degrees, call airport in sight.' next transmission from approach was 'cleared visual approach, contact tower 119.1.' I had not called the airport in sight, even though I had the rotating beacon, I did not have the runway in sight. Copilot, because of relationship of airport on left side of aircraft and 100 degrees off runway heading, did not see airport. Copilot recalls another aircraft not using a call sign, call airport in sight, I did not hear that transmission. My mistake was accepting the clearance and switching to tower. On turning toward runway, we realized we were too high and asked for a spacing turn. Tower asked if we could do a visual approach to runway 28L. Initially thought we could, however, soon realized we were crossing the centerline of runway 28L and there was traffic for runway 28R. We asked for a heading of 360 degrees. Tower asked if we had runway 28R in sight. We answered affirmative. We were cleared for a visual approach to runway 28R and landed. We were told to call the approach supervisor, did so and discussed the approach. Talking over the approach with the copilot, he was anticipating a turn downwind and then a left turn into runway 32. In retrospect, when we were cleared for the visual, I should have said 'negative, I want vectors to the ILS runway 32.' supplemental information from acn 528271: the airport had been obstructed part of the time by the cockpit structure. After the other airplane called the airport in sight and we were cleared for the visual, the captain accepted the approach and switched to tower. Our final radar vector had me intercepting the final approach inside the marker. I finally saw the runway just prior to crossing the runway centerline. Because of our altitude and speed, I told the captain I couldn't make the approach. He told the tower this and then gave us a visual to runway 28L. I didn't have this runway in sight, so I started a shallow turn to a downwind. The shallow turn took me past runway 28L final toward runway 28R final where an airplane was on approach, still pretty far away. That airplane still on approach frequency was radar vectored to runway 28L. I was subsequently cleared for a visual on runway 28R, which is where I landed. In retrospect, I should have lined up on runway 32 during the original approach then gone around on this landing. I'm certain the airplane that called the airport in sight was mistaken for our airplane.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PIC ACCEPTS A VISUAL APCH WITHOUT HE OR THE FO ACTUALLY SEEING THE ARPT, REQUIRING ACFT TO BE MOVED AND ANOTHER RWY CLRNC TO BE ISSUED.

Narrative: APCHING PIT VIA HLG, VECTORED FOR RWY 32, COPLT FLYING, GIVEN 'HDG 090 DEGS, 4000 FT,' THEN 'DSND TO 3000 FT, HDG 070 DEGS,' THEN 'HDG 060 DEGS, CALL ARPT IN SIGHT.' NEXT XMISSION FROM APCH WAS 'CLRED VISUAL APCH, CONTACT TWR 119.1.' I HAD NOT CALLED THE ARPT IN SIGHT, EVEN THOUGH I HAD THE ROTATING BEACON, I DID NOT HAVE THE RWY IN SIGHT. COPLT, BECAUSE OF RELATIONSHIP OF ARPT ON L SIDE OF ACFT AND 100 DEGS OFF RWY HDG, DID NOT SEE ARPT. COPLT RECALLS ANOTHER ACFT NOT USING A CALL SIGN, CALL ARPT IN SIGHT, I DID NOT HEAR THAT XMISSION. MY MISTAKE WAS ACCEPTING THE CLRNC AND SWITCHING TO TWR. ON TURNING TOWARD RWY, WE REALIZED WE WERE TOO HIGH AND ASKED FOR A SPACING TURN. TWR ASKED IF WE COULD DO A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 28L. INITIALLY THOUGHT WE COULD, HOWEVER, SOON REALIZED WE WERE XING THE CTRLINE OF RWY 28L AND THERE WAS TFC FOR RWY 28R. WE ASKED FOR A HDG OF 360 DEGS. TWR ASKED IF WE HAD RWY 28R IN SIGHT. WE ANSWERED AFFIRMATIVE. WE WERE CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 28R AND LANDED. WE WERE TOLD TO CALL THE APCH SUPVR, DID SO AND DISCUSSED THE APCH. TALKING OVER THE APCH WITH THE COPLT, HE WAS ANTICIPATING A TURN DOWNWIND AND THEN A L TURN INTO RWY 32. IN RETROSPECT, WHEN WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL, I SHOULD HAVE SAID 'NEGATIVE, I WANT VECTORS TO THE ILS RWY 32.' SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 528271: THE ARPT HAD BEEN OBSTRUCTED PART OF THE TIME BY THE COCKPIT STRUCTURE. AFTER THE OTHER AIRPLANE CALLED THE ARPT IN SIGHT AND WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL, THE CAPT ACCEPTED THE APCH AND SWITCHED TO TWR. OUR FINAL RADAR VECTOR HAD ME INTERCEPTING THE FINAL APCH INSIDE THE MARKER. I FINALLY SAW THE RWY JUST PRIOR TO XING THE RWY CTRLINE. BECAUSE OF OUR ALT AND SPD, I TOLD THE CAPT I COULDN'T MAKE THE APCH. HE TOLD THE TWR THIS AND THEN GAVE US A VISUAL TO RWY 28L. I DIDN'T HAVE THIS RWY IN SIGHT, SO I STARTED A SHALLOW TURN TO A DOWNWIND. THE SHALLOW TURN TOOK ME PAST RWY 28L FINAL TOWARD RWY 28R FINAL WHERE AN AIRPLANE WAS ON APCH, STILL PRETTY FAR AWAY. THAT AIRPLANE STILL ON APCH FREQ WAS RADAR VECTORED TO RWY 28L. I WAS SUBSEQUENTLY CLRED FOR A VISUAL ON RWY 28R, WHICH IS WHERE I LANDED. IN RETROSPECT, I SHOULD HAVE LINED UP ON RWY 32 DURING THE ORIGINAL APCH THEN GONE AROUND ON THIS LNDG. I'M CERTAIN THE AIRPLANE THAT CALLED THE ARPT IN SIGHT WAS MISTAKEN FOR OUR AIRPLANE.

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.