Narrative:

On approach into lax we were cleared for the ILS 25R and were on approach at 3500'. Approach asked if we had traffic in sight at 1 O'clock. The traffic was a company (flight YYY) on a right base turn to runway 25R. We were on a collision course with this aircraft. The captain was flying the approach and leveled off at 3300' then climbed up to 3500'. Flight YYY passed directly beneath us approximately 500'. From talking to the crew on flight YYY we learned that they had originally been cleared for an approach to the north complex (runways 24). We knew nothing of their presence nor were we told to expect another aircraft until they were pointed out to us as mentioned. We were then switched to tower where more confusion occurred. It appeared to us that flight YYY was heading to runway 25L but tower cleared him to runway 25R then tower cleared us for a visual to runway 25L. The problem seemed to be caused by several last minute runway changes and by ATC not telling us to expect another aircraft to be sequenced in front of us. We did run into their wake turbulence as we transitioned to the left runway but the landing was uneventful. Supplemental information from acn 112486: he passed under our nose at 2700' (company flight YYY). Approach asked us to stop descent at 2500' but that would have caused a collision. We crossed his wake turbulence at about 2000'. Supplemental information from acn 112919: after bayst, cleared for lax 24R approach and descent to 2500' after crossing smo VOR. At approximately 3000' our runway was changed to 25R. Radios were retuned, identified and new briefing accomplished. At approximately 2800' traffic was pointed out and sighting was confirmed. Traffic was at our 1 O'clock position (our heading 070 degree). There were 2 targets, both for the same runway. Our flight cleared for visual approach to 25R. When the traffic was at our 3 O'clock position and we were just east of limma, we commenced our turn to base leg. The traffic went to our 5 O'clock and sighting was lost, however, additional traffic was observed at our 10 O'clock position. When approach control was questioned, they replied it was a company flight and that it has us in sight, continue turn to final. I expressed, to approach control, my concern about the closeness and that I didn't think this would work. We were told company flight was above us, had us in sight, and would follow us to runway 25R. We were given a heading of 250 (?) and told to tighten our turn now! Autoplt was disconnected, bank angle increased beyond 30 degree. My last sighting of the company flight was very close, probably less than 1000'. We landed 25R, other flight landed 25L. Visual apches cannot be safety conducted in such high density airports, such as lax. Aircraft are being vectored too close together, in anticipation of their acceptance of a 'visual'. I'm not sure, but I don't think these flts were on the same frequency. Normally I'll que in on who's in my area, especially on apches.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLOSE PROX ACR-LGT ACR-LGT BOTH ON VISUAL APCH TO LAX. ONE COMING STRAIGHT IN THE OTHER APCHING FROM OVER SMO.

Narrative: ON APCH INTO LAX WE WERE CLRED FOR THE ILS 25R AND WERE ON APCH AT 3500'. APCH ASKED IF WE HAD TFC IN SIGHT AT 1 O'CLOCK. THE TFC WAS A COMPANY (FLT YYY) ON A RIGHT BASE TURN TO RWY 25R. WE WERE ON A COLLISION COURSE WITH THIS ACFT. THE CAPT WAS FLYING THE APCH AND LEVELED OFF AT 3300' THEN CLIMBED UP TO 3500'. FLT YYY PASSED DIRECTLY BENEATH US APPROX 500'. FROM TALKING TO THE CREW ON FLT YYY WE LEARNED THAT THEY HAD ORIGINALLY BEEN CLRED FOR AN APCH TO THE NORTH COMPLEX (RWYS 24). WE KNEW NOTHING OF THEIR PRESENCE NOR WERE WE TOLD TO EXPECT ANOTHER ACFT UNTIL THEY WERE POINTED OUT TO US AS MENTIONED. WE WERE THEN SWITCHED TO TWR WHERE MORE CONFUSION OCCURRED. IT APPEARED TO US THAT FLT YYY WAS HDG TO RWY 25L BUT TWR CLRED HIM TO RWY 25R THEN TWR CLRED US FOR A VISUAL TO RWY 25L. THE PROBLEM SEEMED TO BE CAUSED BY SEVERAL LAST MINUTE RWY CHANGES AND BY ATC NOT TELLING US TO EXPECT ANOTHER ACFT TO BE SEQUENCED IN FRONT OF US. WE DID RUN INTO THEIR WAKE TURBULENCE AS WE TRANSITIONED TO THE LEFT RWY BUT THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 112486: HE PASSED UNDER OUR NOSE AT 2700' (COMPANY FLT YYY). APCH ASKED US TO STOP DSCNT AT 2500' BUT THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED A COLLISION. WE CROSSED HIS WAKE TURBULENCE AT ABOUT 2000'. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 112919: AFTER BAYST, CLRED FOR LAX 24R APCH AND DSCNT TO 2500' AFTER XING SMO VOR. AT APPROX 3000' OUR RWY WAS CHANGED TO 25R. RADIOS WERE RETUNED, IDENTIFIED AND NEW BRIEFING ACCOMPLISHED. AT APPROX 2800' TFC WAS POINTED OUT AND SIGHTING WAS CONFIRMED. TFC WAS AT OUR 1 O'CLOCK POSITION (OUR HDG 070 DEG). THERE WERE 2 TARGETS, BOTH FOR THE SAME RWY. OUR FLT CLRED FOR VISUAL APCH TO 25R. WHEN THE TFC WAS AT OUR 3 O'CLOCK POSITION AND WE WERE JUST EAST OF LIMMA, WE COMMENCED OUR TURN TO BASE LEG. THE TFC WENT TO OUR 5 O'CLOCK AND SIGHTING WAS LOST, HOWEVER, ADDITIONAL TFC WAS OBSERVED AT OUR 10 O'CLOCK POSITION. WHEN APCH CTL WAS QUESTIONED, THEY REPLIED IT WAS A COMPANY FLT AND THAT IT HAS US IN SIGHT, CONTINUE TURN TO FINAL. I EXPRESSED, TO APCH CTL, MY CONCERN ABOUT THE CLOSENESS AND THAT I DIDN'T THINK THIS WOULD WORK. WE WERE TOLD COMPANY FLT WAS ABOVE US, HAD US IN SIGHT, AND WOULD FOLLOW US TO RWY 25R. WE WERE GIVEN A HDG OF 250 (?) AND TOLD TO TIGHTEN OUR TURN NOW! AUTOPLT WAS DISCONNECTED, BANK ANGLE INCREASED BEYOND 30 DEG. MY LAST SIGHTING OF THE COMPANY FLT WAS VERY CLOSE, PROBABLY LESS THAN 1000'. WE LANDED 25R, OTHER FLT LANDED 25L. VISUAL APCHES CANNOT BE SAFETY CONDUCTED IN SUCH HIGH DENSITY ARPTS, SUCH AS LAX. ACFT ARE BEING VECTORED TOO CLOSE TOGETHER, IN ANTICIPATION OF THEIR ACCEPTANCE OF A 'VISUAL'. I'M NOT SURE, BUT I DON'T THINK THESE FLTS WERE ON THE SAME FREQ. NORMALLY I'LL QUE IN ON WHO'S IN MY AREA, ESPECIALLY ON APCHES.

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.