Commuter small transport wrong runway approach into lax on visual approach in haze.

Attributes
ACN	109061
Time
Date	198904
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : lax tower : lax
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	approach : visual enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	109061
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	vertical : 1000
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were heading 140 degrees at 4000', as normal for the approach into lax. We switched to lax approach final controller and checked in. He asked if we had an light transport on base to our right about 3 mi away. My first officer acknowledged and he cleared us for a visibility approach for 24L. The light transport was cleared for 24R. We didn't have the field in sight. Then we were told to contact the tower. We checked in with lax tower and were cleared to land runway 24L. We were still 10-12 mi from the field and lost sight of the light transport in the haze when it went below 2000'. We were at 3100' and were unable to advise the tower that we lost sight of the light transport because of radio congestion. Then the tower advised us that we were too far to the left, crossing over the 25 approach course, and that we had traffic below for the 25 runways at 2000' (we were at 3000'). At the same time I saw the runway and advised the tower that we had the runway in sight (we never saw the 2000' traffic). The runways we saw were at the 12:30 position and I thought they were the 25 runways because of what the tower controller had said about us crossing over the 25 runways approach course. I corrected back far to the right of the runways I saw. The runways I saw, and thought were the 24 runways, were the 25 runways. We were now too far to the right of the 24's and realized they were the 24's when the tower told us that we were now too far right. We corrected again and landed west/O incident. Problems: captain's HSI was OTS (noticed on flight down to lax). Cleared for visibility approach to runway that the airplane we had in sight was not going to. Plus, the other airplane was much faster than us. The visibility reported was 8 mi, but probably 3 mi on the approach side of the airport when you dropped into the haze. I've flown into lax many times in the last 2 yrs and never had problems like this except for the times when the visibility is bad because of the haze. I will not take visibility approachs to the airport anymore unless I have the airport in sight or I'm following an airplane to the same runway.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER SMT WRONG RWY APCH INTO LAX ON VISUAL APCH IN HAZE.

Narrative: WE WERE HDG 140 DEGS AT 4000', AS NORMAL FOR THE APCH INTO LAX. WE SWITCHED TO LAX APCH FINAL CTLR AND CHKED IN. HE ASKED IF WE HAD AN LTT ON BASE TO OUR RIGHT ABOUT 3 MI AWAY. MY F/O ACKNOWLEDGED AND HE CLRED US FOR A VIS APCH FOR 24L. THE LTT WAS CLRED FOR 24R. WE DIDN'T HAVE THE FIELD IN SIGHT. THEN WE WERE TOLD TO CONTACT THE TWR. WE CHKED IN WITH LAX TWR AND WERE CLRED TO LAND RWY 24L. WE WERE STILL 10-12 MI FROM THE FIELD AND LOST SIGHT OF THE LTT IN THE HAZE WHEN IT WENT BELOW 2000'. WE WERE AT 3100' AND WERE UNABLE TO ADVISE THE TWR THAT WE LOST SIGHT OF THE LTT BECAUSE OF RADIO CONGESTION. THEN THE TWR ADVISED US THAT WE WERE TOO FAR TO THE LEFT, XING OVER THE 25 APCH COURSE, AND THAT WE HAD TFC BELOW FOR THE 25 RWYS AT 2000' (WE WERE AT 3000'). AT THE SAME TIME I SAW THE RWY AND ADVISED THE TWR THAT WE HAD THE RWY IN SIGHT (WE NEVER SAW THE 2000' TFC). THE RWYS WE SAW WERE AT THE 12:30 POS AND I THOUGHT THEY WERE THE 25 RWYS BECAUSE OF WHAT THE TWR CTLR HAD SAID ABOUT US XING OVER THE 25 RWYS APCH COURSE. I CORRECTED BACK FAR TO THE RIGHT OF THE RWYS I SAW. THE RWYS I SAW, AND THOUGHT WERE THE 24 RWYS, WERE THE 25 RWYS. WE WERE NOW TOO FAR TO THE RIGHT OF THE 24'S AND REALIZED THEY WERE THE 24'S WHEN THE TWR TOLD US THAT WE WERE NOW TOO FAR RIGHT. WE CORRECTED AGAIN AND LANDED W/O INCIDENT. PROBS: CAPT'S HSI WAS OTS (NOTICED ON FLT DOWN TO LAX). CLRED FOR VIS APCH TO RWY THAT THE AIRPLANE WE HAD IN SIGHT WAS NOT GOING TO. PLUS, THE OTHER AIRPLANE WAS MUCH FASTER THAN US. THE VISIBILITY RPTED WAS 8 MI, BUT PROBABLY 3 MI ON THE APCH SIDE OF THE ARPT WHEN YOU DROPPED INTO THE HAZE. I'VE FLOWN INTO LAX MANY TIMES IN THE LAST 2 YRS AND NEVER HAD PROBS LIKE THIS EXCEPT FOR THE TIMES WHEN THE VISIBILITY IS BAD BECAUSE OF THE HAZE. I WILL NOT TAKE VIS APCHS TO THE ARPT ANYMORE UNLESS I HAVE THE ARPT IN SIGHT OR I'M FOLLOWING AN AIRPLANE TO THE SAME RWY.

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.