Narrative:

I was captain of a scheduled air carrier arriving flight into dfw in 10/89. We had been cleared for and were flying the scurry STAR to the airport. Several flts preceding us had been cleared to depart the refill intersection on headings across the airport for right downwind vectors to land on runway 18R. We did not receive contrary instructions, so upon reaching refill we turned to a 350 degree heading, as charted, and were cleared to descend to 6000' by the arrival controller on 119.05. I assumed that I was on a left downwind for runway 17L, the closest runway to me, and therefore briefed my crew for a visibility approach with ILS backup. We tuned our navigation radios to the 17L ILS frequency, and completed our approach preparations. At approximately 14 mi north of the airport on downwind, I began to suspect that the controller had failed to hand us off, or forgotten us. We were finally changed to the final controller on 119.4, who directed a turn to the west and issued descend clearance to 4000'. A further turn to 190 degrees was issued and we were cleared to intercept the localizer. I noticed that we were already overshooting the 17L localizer and questioned the controller about his intentions. He stated to the effect, '18R, of course!' we proceeded to the airport and landed on 18R west/O incident. After arrival at the gate, I called the TRACON supervisor to voice my unhappiness with not receiving timely information re: runway assignment, and the illogical selection of the runway I was assigned to use! He essentially told me that runway assignment is often not made until base leg, and that I had no reason to expect 17L as my landing runway. He did admit to me that the controller would have been in error if he had failed to tell me the runway of expected landing, which he did fail to do. My problem with the procedures at dfw is that as a pilot, I must have an opportunity to adequately plan in advance for the approach to be flown. There should be some consistency of procedures so that the crew may plan and brief in advance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PIC OF ACR LGT COMPLAINS ABOUT LATE RWY ASSIGNMENT BY DFW TRACON.

Narrative: I WAS CAPT OF A SCHEDULED ACR ARRIVING FLT INTO DFW IN 10/89. WE HAD BEEN CLRED FOR AND WERE FLYING THE SCURRY STAR TO THE ARPT. SEVERAL FLTS PRECEDING US HAD BEEN CLRED TO DEPART THE REFILL INTXN ON HDGS ACROSS THE ARPT FOR RIGHT DOWNWIND VECTORS TO LAND ON RWY 18R. WE DID NOT RECEIVE CONTRARY INSTRUCTIONS, SO UPON REACHING REFILL WE TURNED TO A 350 DEG HDG, AS CHARTED, AND WERE CLRED TO DSND TO 6000' BY THE ARR CTLR ON 119.05. I ASSUMED THAT I WAS ON A LEFT DOWNWIND FOR RWY 17L, THE CLOSEST RWY TO ME, AND THEREFORE BRIEFED MY CREW FOR A VIS APCH WITH ILS BACKUP. WE TUNED OUR NAV RADIOS TO THE 17L ILS FREQ, AND COMPLETED OUR APCH PREPARATIONS. AT APPROX 14 MI N OF THE ARPT ON DOWNWIND, I BEGAN TO SUSPECT THAT THE CTLR HAD FAILED TO HAND US OFF, OR FORGOTTEN US. WE WERE FINALLY CHANGED TO THE FINAL CTLR ON 119.4, WHO DIRECTED A TURN TO THE W AND ISSUED DSND CLRNC TO 4000'. A FURTHER TURN TO 190 DEGS WAS ISSUED AND WE WERE CLRED TO INTERCEPT THE LOC. I NOTICED THAT WE WERE ALREADY OVERSHOOTING THE 17L LOC AND QUESTIONED THE CTLR ABOUT HIS INTENTIONS. HE STATED TO THE EFFECT, '18R, OF COURSE!' WE PROCEEDED TO THE ARPT AND LANDED ON 18R W/O INCIDENT. AFTER ARR AT THE GATE, I CALLED THE TRACON SUPVR TO VOICE MY UNHAPPINESS WITH NOT RECEIVING TIMELY INFO RE: RWY ASSIGNMENT, AND THE ILLOGICAL SELECTION OF THE RWY I WAS ASSIGNED TO USE! HE ESSENTIALLY TOLD ME THAT RWY ASSIGNMENT IS OFTEN NOT MADE UNTIL BASE LEG, AND THAT I HAD NO REASON TO EXPECT 17L AS MY LNDG RWY. HE DID ADMIT TO ME THAT THE CTLR WOULD HAVE BEEN IN ERROR IF HE HAD FAILED TO TELL ME THE RWY OF EXPECTED LNDG, WHICH HE DID FAIL TO DO. MY PROB WITH THE PROCS AT DFW IS THAT AS A PLT, I MUST HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADEQUATELY PLAN IN ADVANCE FOR THE APCH TO BE FLOWN. THERE SHOULD BE SOME CONSISTENCY OF PROCS SO THAT THE CREW MAY PLAN AND BRIEF IN ADVANCE.

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.