Narrative:

We were level at 11000 ft eastbound and navigating to swf. The L-2 window shattered just as we were getting a frequency change to wilkes-barre approach. We checked in and wilkes-barre immediately gave us a new vector routing for our arrival. Captain explained the problem; requested an immediate descent to 9000 ft with a vector towards swf; and was cleared as requested. We handled the shattered window using the red tabs and pressed on to stewart. We were given a series of step-down dscnts; all while we were IMC. Under control of stewart approach; we were given a descent to 2500 ft well away from the field. First officer was flying. There is no VOR anywhere near the field. The VASI was NOTAM'ed out and we could not identify the localizer to runway 9. Captain queried stewart approach and asked them if the ILS was up. They replied; 'don't worry; you'll see the runway descending out of 3500 ft.' we broke out at 3000 ft (2500 ft AGL). Visibility was day underneath but milky in early morning daylight. Ground was entirely snow covered. Vector was 090 degrees for runway 9. At about 2800 ft; we saw a runway straight ahead for which we were lined up. We called the runway and were cleared to do a visual approach and cleared to land. We were fully configured to land. The captain realized once we got closer that this was not stewart airport. We did a go around; contacted approach and got vectors to stewart. We also firmly requested them to turn the ILS on. Landing was uneventful.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727 CREW APCHING SWF'S SNOW COVERED TERRAIN MISTOOK MGJ FOR SWF DURING THE SUNRISE. THE CREW WENT AROUND FOLLOWING A LOW APCH.

Narrative: WE WERE LEVEL AT 11000 FT EBOUND AND NAVING TO SWF. THE L-2 WINDOW SHATTERED JUST AS WE WERE GETTING A FREQ CHANGE TO WILKES-BARRE APCH. WE CHKED IN AND WILKES-BARRE IMMEDIATELY GAVE US A NEW VECTOR ROUTING FOR OUR ARR. CAPT EXPLAINED THE PROB; REQUESTED AN IMMEDIATE DSCNT TO 9000 FT WITH A VECTOR TOWARDS SWF; AND WAS CLRED AS REQUESTED. WE HANDLED THE SHATTERED WINDOW USING THE RED TABS AND PRESSED ON TO STEWART. WE WERE GIVEN A SERIES OF STEP-DOWN DSCNTS; ALL WHILE WE WERE IMC. UNDER CTL OF STEWART APCH; WE WERE GIVEN A DSCNT TO 2500 FT WELL AWAY FROM THE FIELD. FO WAS FLYING. THERE IS NO VOR ANYWHERE NEAR THE FIELD. THE VASI WAS NOTAM'ED OUT AND WE COULD NOT IDENT THE LOC TO RWY 9. CAPT QUERIED STEWART APCH AND ASKED THEM IF THE ILS WAS UP. THEY REPLIED; 'DON'T WORRY; YOU'LL SEE THE RWY DSNDING OUT OF 3500 FT.' WE BROKE OUT AT 3000 FT (2500 FT AGL). VISIBILITY WAS DAY UNDERNEATH BUT MILKY IN EARLY MORNING DAYLIGHT. GND WAS ENTIRELY SNOW COVERED. VECTOR WAS 090 DEGS FOR RWY 9. AT ABOUT 2800 FT; WE SAW A RWY STRAIGHT AHEAD FOR WHICH WE WERE LINED UP. WE CALLED THE RWY AND WERE CLRED TO DO A VISUAL APCH AND CLRED TO LAND. WE WERE FULLY CONFIGURED TO LAND. THE CAPT REALIZED ONCE WE GOT CLOSER THAT THIS WAS NOT STEWART ARPT. WE DID A GAR; CONTACTED APCH AND GOT VECTORS TO STEWART. WE ALSO FIRMLY REQUESTED THEM TO TURN THE ILS ON. LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.