On May 11, 1997, at 1021 central daylight time, Continental Airlines flight 1760, a Boeing 737-524, landed at the wrong airport near Corpus Christi, Texas. The 5 crew members and 49 passengers were not injured. The aircraft was being operated as a scheduled domestic passenger flight under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 121. Visual meteorological conditions existed at the time, and an instrument flight plan was on file for the flight. The flight departed Houston, Texas, about 0932, with a destination of Corpus Christi International Airport (CRP), Corpus Christi, Texas.
The flight crew reported to the NTSB investigator-in-charge that the First Officer had completed the ground and simulator difference training for the Boeing 737-300/500 series aircraft, and Continental Flight 203 from Newark International Airport (EWR), Newark, New Jersey, to (George Bush) Houston Intercontinental Airport (IAH), Houston, Texas, was the first flight of his initial operating experience (IOE) for differences training in the aircraft. The Captain was the check airman conducting the training. It was decided that the Captain would fly this first leg so the First Officer "could get adjusted to the 737-300 cockpit's normal routine since he hadn't actually flown for about three weeks." The First Officer was then to fly the second leg from Houston to Corpus Christi International Airport (CRP), Corpus Christi, Texas. The First Officer mentioned to the Captain that he had never been to that airport and the Captain said the last time he "had been in there was a little over three years ago."
