ACR CREW MAKES APCH TO THE WRONG ARPT.
Synopsis
ACR CREW MAKES APCH TO THE WRONG ARPT.
Narrative
PLANNED A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 19R AT DULLES INTL ARPT (IAD). BRIEFED THE ILS RWY 19R AS A BACKUP TO THE VISUAL. FREQ; COURSE; AND ALTIMETER ALL SET FOR THE ILS. DULLES APCH WAS PROVIDING VECTORS TO RWY 19R. WE WERE CLRED TO DSND TO 3000 FT MSL WHILE BTWN 25 AND 28 DME FROM THE ARMEL (AML) VOR; NW OF THE DULLES ARPT. DURING THE APCH BRIEFING; I NOTED THAT THE ARPT INFO PAGE FOR IAD STATED THAT THE RWY 19R ILS MAY BE OTS DUE TO CONSTRUCTION. I RE-EXAMINED THE NOTAMS AND FOUND THAT THE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT WAS SET TO BEGIN ON OR AROUND JUL/XA/00. THE CAPT AND I CONCLUDED THAT THE ILS WOULD BE FUNCTIONAL. WHILE STILL 25 DME FROM IAD; THE CTLR REQUESTED WE CALL THE FIELD IN SIGHT. THE CTLR AGAIN ASKED US TO CALL THE FIELD IN SIGHT A SHORT TIME LATER. WE ACQUIRED A FIELD (LEESBURG MUNI) WITH SIMILAR RWY ALIGNMENT AS IAD. IT 'LOOKED RIGHT;' IE; DOGLEG TO FINAL; JUST A LITTLE HIGH ON GS (DETERMINED VISUALLY). I PROCEEDED TO ALIGN THE ACFT FOR LNDG; COURSE AND GS. AT APPROX 1000 FT MSL; DULLES APCH DIRECTED AN IMMEDIATE GAR. I STRONGLY SUSPECT THAT MY STATEMENT ABOUT THE ILS BEING OTS LED TO THE CREW IGNORING THE INST INDICATIONS OF BEING OFF COURSE AN GS. ALSO; BEING PROMPTED BY THE CTLR TO CALL THE FIELD IN SIGHT AND THE LOW ALT WE WERE AT CONTRIBUTED TO MAKING LEESBURG MUNI 'LOOK RIGHT.' THE VECTOR WAS; BY COINCIDENCE; AN EXCELLENT DOGLEG TO FINAL TO LEESBURG. ONE SUGGESTION I HAVE IS TO PRINT THE EFFECTIVE DATE IN BIG AND BOLD LETTERS ON THE FRONT OF THE ARPT INFO PAGE. I HAVE SEEN IT DONE ON OTHER PAGES. IF I HAD NOT MENTIONED THE ILS BEING OTS; WE MAY HAVE PAID MORE ATTN TO OUR INST INDICATIONS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 476949: AT ABOUT 1000 FT MSL DULLES TWR ADVISED US WE WERE STILL 12 MI FROM DULLES. WE HAD SIGHTED THE LEESBURG; VA; ARPT BY MISTAKE. THE LEESBURG RWY WAS ALIGNED SIMILAR TO RWY 19R AND HAD THE SFL OPERATING.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.