Date: 201703
Local time of day: 0001-0600
Location: PHL.Airport, PA
Flight conditions: VMC
Light: Night
Aircraft: B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Initial Approach
Airspace: Class B PHL
ATC / advisory: TRACON PHL
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Pilot Not Flying; First Officer
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Human factors: Situational Awareness; Confusion
Second reporter function: Pilot Flying; Captain
Anomaly: ATC Issue All Types; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance
Detector: Person Air Traffic Control
When detected: In-flight
Result: Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Contributing factors: Aircraft; Human Factors; Procedure
Primary problem: Human Factors

Narrative: We thought we were flying downwind for Runway 27R in PHL. We really had Wilmington Delaware in site and thought that was PHL. As we flew further and further from the airport that we thought we were going to land; we questioned the Controller and he said 'when you get the airport in site; I'll clear you'. We called the airport and started turning towards it (ILM). Tower questioned us due to our location to PHL then handed us back to ATC to vector us back to the correct airport. Approach Control never gave us any indication where the airport was (airport XX miles XX o'clock). We were in an older model aircraft which didn't help our situational awareness.I should have told the Controller that we couldn't see the airport at that point because it was behind us. That would have clued him in on the fact that we were looking at the wrong airport.


Second narrative: While on vectors for an approach to 27R at 10;000 ft we were on an extended downwind; which is not unusual for PHL. At approximately 10 DME from the field; I mentioned to the FO; wondering when the Controller was going to turn us in for the approach. He queried ATC and the Controller responded 'soon as you call it in sight' so we called the airport in sight and were given vectors to intercept the Localizer Runway 27R. By now we were approximately 15 to 18 DME from the field and I no longer had the field in sight coming out of the turn. When handed off to the next Controller. He had to re-vector us back onto the Localizer since we were now so far from the field and not aligned with the Localizer or runway. The nonchalant attitude of the Controller was a major factor to this escalating to the point it did. It was not busy in PHL that night and if he had simply communicated to us that we were number one for the field instead of just letting us continue flying away from the airport on a downwind this would have never happened. Normally calling the field in sight is of no help in PHL which is why we didn't that night. His smart aleck response and tone of voice was very unprofessional and not what I was expecting when descending to 3000 almost 20 miles from the field.


Synopsis: B737 flight crew reported confusing ILM for PHL during a night arrival. When cleared for the visual; the crew turned toward ILM and ATC issued new vectors for Runway 27R at PHL.