Vietjet A320 at Nha Trang on Jun 19th 2014, landed at wrong airport

A Vietjet Air Airbus A320-200, registration VN-A692 performing flight VJ-8861 from Hanoi to Dalat (Vietnam) with nearly 200 passengers, departed Hanoi at about 17:10L (scheduled departure from gate at 15:45L) transponding callsign VJC8575 and landed at Nha Trang's Cam Ranh Airport (Vietnam), about 55nm northeast of Dalat, at about 19:00L (12:00Z) following what appeared to be an uneventful flight.

Passengers reported they were astonished as they could not recognize the airport as their home airport after landing until they discovered they were put down about 140km from their home town. No announcements had been made by the crew, that the aircraft was being diverted.

In the meantime Vietjet's flight VJ-8575 (callsign VJC8575) from Hanoi to Nha Trang with scheduled departure at 16:35L did not depart from Hanoi despite past scheduled departure time, the nearly 200 passengers were waiting for departure in the departure lounge.

Vietnam's Authorities opened an investigation into what appears to be a serious error and required Vietjet to explain the occurrence assuming flights 8861 and 8575 were confused, the similiar number of passengers contributing to the error.

Vietjet reported that the crew did not deem the weather at Dalat suitable for landing and therefore diverted to Cam Ranh Airport.

Following landing at Cam Ranh Airport VN-A692 flew to Dalat delivering the passengers to their destination, picking up the passengers waiting for the return flight VJ-8862 and returned to Hanoi now correctly transponding callsign VJC8862.

Dalat's Lien Khuong Airport offers a runway 09/27 of 3,250 meters/11,560 feet length.

No Metars and local weather data for Dalat are available.

Metars Cam Ranh Airport:

VVCR 191500Z 20009KT 9999 FEW015 SCT050 26/24 Q1006 NOSIG

VVCR 191430Z 23008KT 9999 FEW013 SCT040 26/25 Q1006 NOSIG

VVCR 191330Z 29010KT 9999 -RA FEW013 SCT040 26/24 Q1007 NOSIG

VVCR 191100Z 23012KT 8000 -RA FEW017 BKN050 32/25 Q1005 TEMPO 4000 RA

VVCR 191030Z 14005KT 9999 FEW017 BKN050 33/24 Q1005 NOSIG

VVCR 191000Z 14004KT 9999 FEW017 BKN050 34/24 Q1004 NOSIG

VVCR 190930Z 13003KT 9999 FEW017 BKN050 34/22 Q1004 NOSIG

VVCR 190900Z 13004KT 9999 FEW017 BKN050 34/22 Q1004 NOSIG

VVCR 190830Z 13005KT 9999 FEW017 BKN050 35/22 Q1004 NOSIG