Tower cleared aircraft onto runway while a widebody transport was on close final.

Attributes
ACN	105044
Time
Date	198902
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 500 agl bound upper : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : lax
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	105044
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 5000
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

We were cleared for a visibility approach to runway 24L at lax by approach control. Abeam the OM (romen), approach turned us over to the tower (133.9). I called the tower and reported in at the OM inbound for runway 24L. The tower cleared us to land runway 24L. I then repeated the clearance, 'cleared to land 24L.' at 800' AGL the tower cleared air carrier B flight into position on 24L. I heard the air carrier B pilot tell the tower that we were landing on runway 24L. By this time we were at 500' AGL. The tower then quickly cleared us to land 24R. Then, because we were so close to T/D, the tower cleared us to land any runway. The copilot executed a close-in sidestep to runway 24R to an uneventful landing. I believe the contributing factors to this incident were: 1) the tower controller was talking at too fast a rate and then not pausing to hear and understand the readback of the clearance he just issued. 2) the la tower is so situated physically as to make it impossible for anyone to tell what runway an aircraft is aligned with-24L/24R.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TWR CLEARED ACFT ONTO RWY WHILE A WDB WAS ON CLOSE FINAL.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED FOR A VIS APCH TO RWY 24L AT LAX BY APCH CTL. ABEAM THE OM (ROMEN), APCH TURNED US OVER TO THE TWR (133.9). I CALLED THE TWR AND RPTED IN AT THE OM INBND FOR RWY 24L. THE TWR CLRED US TO LAND RWY 24L. I THEN REPEATED THE CLRNC, 'CLRED TO LAND 24L.' AT 800' AGL THE TWR CLRED ACR B FLT INTO POS ON 24L. I HEARD THE ACR B PLT TELL THE TWR THAT WE WERE LNDG ON RWY 24L. BY THIS TIME WE WERE AT 500' AGL. THE TWR THEN QUICKLY CLRED US TO LAND 24R. THEN, BECAUSE WE WERE SO CLOSE TO T/D, THE TWR CLRED US TO LAND ANY RWY. THE COPLT EXECUTED A CLOSE-IN SIDESTEP TO RWY 24R TO AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. I BELIEVE THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS INCIDENT WERE: 1) THE TWR CTLR WAS TALKING AT TOO FAST A RATE AND THEN NOT PAUSING TO HEAR AND UNDERSTAND THE READBACK OF THE CLRNC HE JUST ISSUED. 2) THE LA TWR IS SO SITUATED PHYSICALLY AS TO MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR ANYONE TO TELL WHAT RWY AN ACFT IS ALIGNED WITH-24L/24R.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.