Narrative:

On an IFR ferry flight from phx to mer, we called the airport in sight over hyp VOR. Reported landing assured to sck approach control who gave us traffic on approach to the mce airport. Told us to squawk 1200 and change to advisory frequency. We proceeded line-up on runway 30 at mce. Both of us went outside the cockpit and ran the checklists and proceeded to land. There was an aircraft on final in front of us and we wondered why he did not reply on unicom. I was also surprised when he turned off to the right side because I did not remember anything to the right of runway 31 at mer. Right at touchdown, the PF commented that this was a very short 12000 ft runway. We rolled all the way to the end and with calm winds did a 180 degree turn, took off and landed at mer. There were many contributing factors to this incident and many times to make it right and I missed all the clues. The first chance was to stay on instruments and fly the approach. The ILS has been OTS for some time, but there is a VOR approach off of hyp. Had either one of us looked at the DME, that would have been a big clue. The second clue for me (the other pilot had never been to mer) was the brightness of the approach lights. We have always had problems getting the lights on at mer. (I have just discovered since this incident that it takes 3 clicks to turn them on and 5 to turn off. I had been told 5 turned them on and have never found anywhere on the approach page that spelled it out.) the next opportunity to save ourselves was the aircraft on final. Approach control had reported an aircraft on final to mce. When the aircraft turned off to the right, a large light should have gone off in my head. Ways this could have been prevented: a working ILS. I know that I will look at an ILS even when VFR for glide path guidance. Lacking that staying with the approach that was available. Much more awareness on the part of the PIC I had many clues and missed them all. Had approach control given a mileage to mer when we reported it in sight, that might have helped. This flight was the end of a long day by 2 ATP's with over 30000 hours between them. I was checking out the other pilot who had never been to the airport of planned landing. This landing was his second in the airplane after many yrs. Even though he is very current in large jet aircraft, he was busy just feeling at home in the aircraft and was relying on his copilot (me) for help. We had a total breakdown of sops by 2 pilots who know better. Hopefully this incident will be remembered and not repeated. Supplemental information from acn 529682: PIC captain saw lights of merced municipal airport and had IOE pilot make approach and landing and takeoff from wrong airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LNDG AT THE WRONG UNCTLED ARPT.

Narrative: ON AN IFR FERRY FLT FROM PHX TO MER, WE CALLED THE ARPT IN SIGHT OVER HYP VOR. RPTED LNDG ASSURED TO SCK APCH CTL WHO GAVE US TFC ON APCH TO THE MCE ARPT. TOLD US TO SQUAWK 1200 AND CHANGE TO ADVISORY FREQ. WE PROCEEDED LINE-UP ON RWY 30 AT MCE. BOTH OF US WENT OUTSIDE THE COCKPIT AND RAN THE CHKLISTS AND PROCEEDED TO LAND. THERE WAS AN ACFT ON FINAL IN FRONT OF US AND WE WONDERED WHY HE DID NOT REPLY ON UNICOM. I WAS ALSO SURPRISED WHEN HE TURNED OFF TO THE R SIDE BECAUSE I DID NOT REMEMBER ANYTHING TO THE R OF RWY 31 AT MER. RIGHT AT TOUCHDOWN, THE PF COMMENTED THAT THIS WAS A VERY SHORT 12000 FT RWY. WE ROLLED ALL THE WAY TO THE END AND WITH CALM WINDS DID A 180 DEG TURN, TOOK OFF AND LANDED AT MER. THERE WERE MANY CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS INCIDENT AND MANY TIMES TO MAKE IT RIGHT AND I MISSED ALL THE CLUES. THE FIRST CHANCE WAS TO STAY ON INSTS AND FLY THE APCH. THE ILS HAS BEEN OTS FOR SOME TIME, BUT THERE IS A VOR APCH OFF OF HYP. HAD EITHER ONE OF US LOOKED AT THE DME, THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A BIG CLUE. THE SECOND CLUE FOR ME (THE OTHER PLT HAD NEVER BEEN TO MER) WAS THE BRIGHTNESS OF THE APCH LIGHTS. WE HAVE ALWAYS HAD PROBS GETTING THE LIGHTS ON AT MER. (I HAVE JUST DISCOVERED SINCE THIS INCIDENT THAT IT TAKES 3 CLICKS TO TURN THEM ON AND 5 TO TURN OFF. I HAD BEEN TOLD 5 TURNED THEM ON AND HAVE NEVER FOUND ANYWHERE ON THE APCH PAGE THAT SPELLED IT OUT.) THE NEXT OPPORTUNITY TO SAVE OURSELVES WAS THE ACFT ON FINAL. APCH CTL HAD RPTED AN ACFT ON FINAL TO MCE. WHEN THE ACFT TURNED OFF TO THE R, A LARGE LIGHT SHOULD HAVE GONE OFF IN MY HEAD. WAYS THIS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED: A WORKING ILS. I KNOW THAT I WILL LOOK AT AN ILS EVEN WHEN VFR FOR GLIDE PATH GUIDANCE. LACKING THAT STAYING WITH THE APCH THAT WAS AVAILABLE. MUCH MORE AWARENESS ON THE PART OF THE PIC I HAD MANY CLUES AND MISSED THEM ALL. HAD APCH CTL GIVEN A MILEAGE TO MER WHEN WE RPTED IT IN SIGHT, THAT MIGHT HAVE HELPED. THIS FLT WAS THE END OF A LONG DAY BY 2 ATP'S WITH OVER 30000 HRS BTWN THEM. I WAS CHKING OUT THE OTHER PLT WHO HAD NEVER BEEN TO THE ARPT OF PLANNED LNDG. THIS LNDG WAS HIS SECOND IN THE AIRPLANE AFTER MANY YRS. EVEN THOUGH HE IS VERY CURRENT IN LARGE JET ACFT, HE WAS BUSY JUST FEELING AT HOME IN THE ACFT AND WAS RELYING ON HIS COPLT (ME) FOR HELP. WE HAD A TOTAL BREAKDOWN OF SOPS BY 2 PLTS WHO KNOW BETTER. HOPEFULLY THIS INCIDENT WILL BE REMEMBERED AND NOT REPEATED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 529682: PIC CAPT SAW LIGHTS OF MERCED MUNICIPAL ARPT AND HAD IOE PLT MAKE APCH AND LNDG AND TKOF FROM WRONG ARPT.

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.