Narrative:

Houston approach control cleared us for a visual approach to runway 4 in hou as we were on downwind. We were handed off to hou tower and were cleared to land on runway 4. We turned base leg about 6 mi and saw ellington airport which also has a runway 4. At 1700 ft MSL we realized we were looking at ellington and compared what we saw visually to the mfd and the extended course from hou runway 4; and also the localizer course; and realized it wasn't lining up correctly. At approximately 1600 ft MSL the tower instructed us to turn to a heading of 270 degrees and climb to 2000 ft and that the field would be at our 2 O'clock position. We were asked to report the field in sight. We complied with the instruction; obtained visual on the field; were cleared to land and landed on runway 4 at hou; without incident. Thanks to good CRM; backing up the approach with the localizer; and loading the approach in the FMS for situational awareness; an incident was avoided. We think a possible safety risk exists and crews should be extremely vigilant; especially at night; when commencing visual approachs at hou to runway 4; because ellington airport is approximately 4 mi from hou with the same runway confign.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMB170 WAS CLEARED FOR A VISUAL APCH; BUT INITIATED APCH INTO NEARBY ARPT WITH SIMILAR RWY CONFIGURATION. THE ERROR WAS DISCOVERED; AND AN APCH WAS CONDUCTED TO THE DEST ARPT.

Narrative: HOUSTON APCH CTL CLRED US FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 4 IN HOU AS WE WERE ON DOWNWIND. WE WERE HANDED OFF TO HOU TWR AND WERE CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 4. WE TURNED BASE LEG ABOUT 6 MI AND SAW ELLINGTON ARPT WHICH ALSO HAS A RWY 4. AT 1700 FT MSL WE REALIZED WE WERE LOOKING AT ELLINGTON AND COMPARED WHAT WE SAW VISUALLY TO THE MFD AND THE EXTENDED COURSE FROM HOU RWY 4; AND ALSO THE LOC COURSE; AND REALIZED IT WASN'T LINING UP CORRECTLY. AT APPROX 1600 FT MSL THE TWR INSTRUCTED US TO TURN TO A HDG OF 270 DEGS AND CLB TO 2000 FT AND THAT THE FIELD WOULD BE AT OUR 2 O'CLOCK POS. WE WERE ASKED TO RPT THE FIELD IN SIGHT. WE COMPLIED WITH THE INSTRUCTION; OBTAINED VISUAL ON THE FIELD; WERE CLRED TO LAND AND LANDED ON RWY 4 AT HOU; WITHOUT INCIDENT. THANKS TO GOOD CRM; BACKING UP THE APCH WITH THE LOC; AND LOADING THE APCH IN THE FMS FOR SITUATIONAL AWARENESS; AN INCIDENT WAS AVOIDED. WE THINK A POSSIBLE SAFETY RISK EXISTS AND CREWS SHOULD BE EXTREMELY VIGILANT; ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT; WHEN COMMENCING VISUAL APCHS AT HOU TO RWY 4; BECAUSE ELLINGTON ARPT IS APPROX 4 MI FROM HOU WITH THE SAME RWY CONFIGN.

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.