EMB ERJ 170/175 ER/LR
Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Multiengine
Other / Unknown; Confusion; Human-Machine Interface; Distraction
Airspace Violation All Types; Deviation - Altitude Excursion From Assigned Altitude; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Inflight Event / Encounter Unstabilized Approach
Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Overcame Equipment Problem
Human Factors
Cleared for visual approach to Runway XX at ZZZ. Had RNAV XX loaded for guidance and briefed the possibility of erroneous [airport] alignment on approach. Hand flying approach where final of [erroneous airport] crosses final of ZZZ.Cause of [the incorrect runway alignment with erroneous airport] was altitude low by 200 ft. nearing FAF area as we were turning final and lack of scan of instruments with complacency after briefing the possible wrong airport alignment. PF (Pilot Flying) saw we were lined up with a runway and commenced descent and approach. Shortly after I noticed a slight course deviation and low on the published RNAV approach glidepath. We had not been cleared to land yet and seemed like we were closer than normal to not have a landing clearance. Upon further review of the visual of the airport it appeared to be a [different] airport and at that point started becoming apparent that was the incorrect airport. We arrested descent to rejoin glidepath and made a right course correction to maintain course to proper runway. We were still above 1000 ft. and able to restabilize the approach safely to the correct runway. Shortly after we initiated correction ATC queried us for proper airport identification and we confirmed rejoining Runway XX alignment to ZZZ.Suggestion - Maintain strict course and glidepath guidance to ensure not mistaking the wrong runway. Also adding in an alert to the company page of the risk of aligning and landing at [erroneous airport] as the only mention of it is in a small parenthetical note in the plainview of the approach plate for IMC operations. Having an alert to potential wrong airport landing on ACARS and/or Company Chart would help in avoiding this as well.
We were given a visual approach clearance to Runway XX at ZZZ. The Captain and I thought it'd be a good idea to practice a full flap fully hand-flown visual approach since there was no other traffic. We had the RNAV Runway XX loaded and properly sequenced. When I turned base; I saw the runway for [different airport] and immediately assumed it was Runway XX to ZZZ. Because the Final Approach Course of the RNAV Runway XX into ZZZ crosses the final approach of [different airport] it 'confirmed' that I was in fact lined up for the correct runway. It wasn't until I saw a dot deviation on our lateral course that I became aware we were not lined up at ZZZ and realized it was [different airport]. I arrested my descent and made a slight turn to the right to line up with the RNAV course to Runway XX into ZZZ. ATC notified us of our error shortly after we began to maneuver back on course. [The incorrect course was caused by] Overconfidence. Since we briefed the threat; our guard went down. Expectation bias. I have never in my flying career been to this airport and never have I ever lined up for a wrong runway let alone an airport. I had set myself up for a typical right traffic visual approach and when I made my base turn and saw [different airport]; instinctively my brain told me that's where I was going to land and my instruments initially confirmed my assumption. [Reporter suggested to] add a note to company pages to alert crew of close proximity airport. Tighter tolerances on course and glide path deviation.
EMB-175 flight crew reported mistakenly aligned with a wrong airport during approach. Flight crew was correcting low altitude and course error when ATC notified flight crew of the error.