FLC OF A DC10-10 MADE APCH TO THE WRONG ARPT AND DISCOVERED MISTAKE WHEN THEY OBSERVED THE RWY NUMBERS DIFFERENT FROM THE RWY TO WHICH THEY HAD BEEN CLRED TO FOR A VISUAL APCH. FLC THEN INITIATED A GAR AND LOCATED THE INTENDED ARPT AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER DIFFICULTY.
Synopsis
FLC OF A DC10-10 MADE APCH TO THE WRONG ARPT AND DISCOVERED MISTAKE WHEN THEY OBSERVED THE RWY NUMBERS DIFFERENT FROM THE RWY TO WHICH THEY HAD BEEN CLRED TO FOR A VISUAL APCH. FLC THEN INITIATED A GAR AND LOCATED THE INTENDED ARPT AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER DIFFICULTY.
Narrative
ACR X; SVN-VCV SOUTHERN CA INTL; DAY IFR PAX FLT. JOSHUA APCH SAID RPT THE ARPT IN SIGHT FOR THE VISUAL WHILE WE WERE DSNDING. SAW AN ARPT IN CORRECT LOCATION; AND FO CONFIRMED IT. DID NOT PICK UP LOC OR GS AND I DIDN'T LIKE THE ARPT LAYOUT; SO I QUESTIONED IT. APCH GAVE US TO TWR AND WE ASKED IF THE LOC AND GS WAS OKAY AND IF HE HAD US IN SIGHT. WHEN CLOSER; SAW THAT RWY WAS NUMBERED RWY 18 INSTEAD OF RWY 17. EXECUTED GAR AT APPROX 1000 FT; STEERED TOWARD VCV VOR AND CLBED. WENT BACK TO APCH AND WHILE TRYING TO CONTACT THEM; SAW VCV ARPT OVER A RIDGE; A FEW NM AWAY TO THE W. FINALLY TALKED TO APCH; WE CONFIRMED VCV ARPT AND CONTINUED. APCH CTLR COMMENTED THAT IT WAS HAZY AND THAT IT MIGHT'VE BEEN APPLE VALLEY ARPT WE SAW (APV). TRANSITIONED BACK TO VCV TWR AND LANDED FROM VISUAL DOWNWIND LEG WITHOUT INCIDENT. AT NO TIME WERE WE IN ANY DANGER DUE TO TERRAIN OR TFC. JOSHUA APCH AND VCV TWR SAID NOTHING FURTHER. IN RETROSPECT; APCH CTLR IS SPRING-LOADED TO GIVE A VISUAL EVEN THOUGH RELATIVELY HIGH TERRAIN EXISTS. THE ONLY TRANSITION TO THE ILS RWY 17 IS VIA A 13 DME ARC. I DOUBT A VECTOR FOR THE ILS WOULD BE AVAILABLE DUE TO TERRAIN. IN THE FUTURE; AS I DO WITH OTHER LIMITED VISUAL APCHS OR UNFAMILIAR APCHS; I WILL INSIST UPON FLYING THE APCH. WE WERE FAMILIAR WITH THE LAYOUT OF THE AREA AS WE HAD BEEN IN VCV A FEW DAYS BEFORE; BUT THE APV ARPT WAS NOT PICTURED ON OUR APCH CHART. IT WAS PICTURED ON THE LOW ENRTE CHART; HOWEVER.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.