F18 MIL PLT MADE APCH TO THE WRONG ARPT IN ANC CLASS C AIRSPACE.

Date: 2001-05 · Aircraft: Fighter · Phase: approach

Anomalies: airspace-violation-all-types|deviation-track-heading-all-types|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-clearance|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy

Synopsis

F18 MIL PLT MADE APCH TO THE WRONG ARPT IN ANC CLASS C AIRSPACE.

Narrative

ACFT X WAS ON THE DESKA 2 ARR; ILS GND TRACK TO RWY 5 AT ELMENDORF AFB. ACFT X WAS A FLT OF 2 MIL ACFT. ACFT Y LOST SIGHT AND APCH GAVE THE LEAD ACFT A VECTOR OF 180 DEGS TO CLR THE FLT. AFTER SOME DISCUSSION OF WHO SHOULD SQUAWK WHAT; AND THE ORIENTATION OF THE FLT (WHO WAS IN POS; IE; CLOSER TO FIELD TO HEAD IN FIRST); ACFT X BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS; LEVELING AT 2000 FT. ACFT X WAS CLOSEST TO THE FIELD; AND LOOKING OUT SAW ANC AND MISTOOK IT FOR ELMENDORF. ACFT X WAS POSITIONED APPROX 3-5 MI FROM ANC; PERPENDICULAR TO RWY 6 AT 2000 FT MSL. ACFT X RPTED FIELD IN SIGHT AND REQUESTED TO SWITCH TWR. APCH INSTRUCTED ACFT X TO CLB TO 2500 FT AND SWITCH. ACFT X CHKED IN WITH TWR FOR THE BREAK; AND TURNED TOWARD ANC; AT 2500 FT MSL AND OVER THE RWY EXECUTED THE STARTING OF A BREAK MANEUVER. THROUGH 90 DEGS OF TURN; TWR RPTED ACFT X WAS NOT IN SIGHT AT THE SAME TIME ACFT X LOOKED DOWN AT THE FIELD AND REALIZED THE MISTAKE. ACFT X IMMEDIATELY REVERSED THE TURN TO THE R AND PROCEEDED TO ELMENDORF AFB. THERE WERE NO ACFT IN THE TFC PATTERN OR ON THE RWY AT ANC.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.