2 C172 PLTS; BEING VECTORED FOR AN ILS APCH TO MGM; SAW MAXWELLL AFB (MFX) INSTEAD AND MISTAKENLY PROCEED TO THE WRONG ARPT.

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PIC CALLED MGM APCH AND RECEIVED XPONDER CODE: NO VECTORS. PROB DEVELOPED IN #2 COM (IN USE FOR MGM APCH) DUE TO VOLUME RHEOSTAT EITHER INADVERTENTLY BEING TURNED DOWN OR WORKING ITS WAY DOWN DUE TO LOOSENESS. PIC AND I REALIZED LOSS OF COM BEFORE ENTERING CLASS D. PIC PERFORMED 180 DEG TURN WHILE I WORKED RADIOS. TURNED VOLUME UP; PIC CALLED APCH AGAIN AND GOT RESPONSE INDICATING APCH WAS ATTEMPTING TO CONTACT US FOR A FEW MINS. APCH VECTORED US 'TO THE E/NE;' PRESUMABLY FOR TFC EVIDENCE AND TO INTERCEPT LOC FOR MGM RWY 28 (PIC HAD REQUESTED LOW APCH FOR RWY 28). FLEW ALMOST DIRECTLY OVER MGM VOR; CONTINUED FOR A FEW MINS THEN DIRECTED TO TURN TO 320 DEGS AND TO RPT ARPT IN SIGHT. PIC EXECUTED; VERY SHORTLY WE WERE HEADING ALMOST DIRECTLY TO A RWY; ON A VERY LONG FINAL. I POINTED OUT ARPT TO PIC; WE TURNED SLIGHTLY; AND I RESUMED MONITORING LOC/GS AND MARKER BEACONS (TIED IN FOR ILS RWY 28). WITHIN 2 MINS MGM APCH CALLS AND ASKS PIC THE HEADING FLYING. PIC RESPONDS '33.' MGM APCH ANNOUNCES WE'RE LINED UP FOR MAXWELL AFB AND REQUESTS A TURN TO 285 DEGS AND TO MAINTAIN 2000 FT. MGM APCH ALSO INFORMS US THAT 2 F16'S ARE DSNDING THROUGH 2500 FT (CLOUD BASE AT 2500 FT). PIC TURNS TO 285 DEGS; I WATCH FOR TFC; I GOT TFC IN SIGHT AND NOTICE PIC HAS DSNDED THROUGH 1500 FT (PATTERN ALT AT MAXWELL PRESUMABLY IS APPROX 1400 FT; F16'S ANNOUNCE THEY'RE ENTERING DOWNWIND). WE WERE SLIGHTLY BELOW F16'S AND DSNDING. I SUGGESTED TO PIC WE BREAK OFF ATTEMPTS AT APCH FOR RWY 28 MGM AND HEAD BACK TO 67A. I ALSO TOLD PIC WE SHOULD CLB TO 2000 FT SINCE MGM APCH ASSIGNED US THAT. PIC COMPLIED. WITHIN A FEW MINS MGM APCH CALLED REQUESTING PIC CONTACT TWR AFTER LNDG AND TO COPY PHONE NUMBER. FLT TERMINATED WITHOUT INCIDENT AT 67A SHORTLY THEREAFTER; AND PIC COMPLIED WITH REQUEST TO CALL MGM TWR. PROB INITIATED BY COM ISSUE: VECTORS TOWARDS MAXWELL BY ATC CONTRIBUTED; AS DID PIC UNFAMILIARITY WITH AREA AND MY ATTN TO INSIDE AVIONICS RATHER THAN OUTSIDE (ALTHOUGH I WASN'T FLYING). REALIZING WE WERE NOT LINED UP AT MGM RWY 28 WOULD HAVE ACCOUNTED FOR THE ERRONEOUS LOC READINGS I WAS RECEIVING.