Narrative:

After a reduced rest right.O.north., our first flight of morning was from oxr to lax. The first officer was flying. I was talking to lax approach, who was vectoring us toward the airport for a visibility approach to runways 24 (the north runways at lax). We were given a base vector about 2000' MSL. The ceiling was approximately 2500'. The controller asked us 3 times if we had the airport in sight. Each time he asked, his voice had more urgency to it. The third time he asked if we were on base, he said 'the airport is 2 O'clock and 5 mi--do you have it in sight!?' I saw the south complex (runways 25), but not the 24's [which we were being assigned (24L)], so I called it in sight. Lax approach then said, 'cleared for visibility 24L, contact tower on 120.95, maintain at or above 1500' till contacting tower.' I thought that frequency was for the south complex, which slightly confused me, but I still went to it. I pointed out to the first officer the south complex. He didn't see it. I told him to start descending, but he was worried about going below 1500'. By the time I called tower and was watching things inside, we were already south to the 25 runways. I told the first officer to turn right immediately to the 24's--about the time the south tower told us to immediately turn right and contact the north tower on 133.9. We shifted over and landed west/O incident. To the best of my knowledge, we didn't come near any other aircraft. I see a multiplicity of problems in this case. I shouldn't have called the airport west/O seeing the 24's and west/O the first officer seeing the airport. I also should have queried the frequency change to tower. If I'd queried and got the correct frequency (113.9), they might have called before we got too far south. Also, I shouldn't have let the lax approach controller get to me on calling the airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER LTT WRONG RWY APCH ON A VISUAL TO LAX RWY 24L.

Narrative: AFTER A REDUCED REST R.O.N., OUR FIRST FLT OF MORNING WAS FROM OXR TO LAX. THE F/O WAS FLYING. I WAS TALKING TO LAX APCH, WHO WAS VECTORING US TOWARD THE ARPT FOR A VIS APCH TO RWYS 24 (THE N RWYS AT LAX). WE WERE GIVEN A BASE VECTOR ABOUT 2000' MSL. THE CEILING WAS APPROX 2500'. THE CTLR ASKED US 3 TIMES IF WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT. EACH TIME HE ASKED, HIS VOICE HAD MORE URGENCY TO IT. THE THIRD TIME HE ASKED IF WE WERE ON BASE, HE SAID 'THE ARPT IS 2 O'CLOCK AND 5 MI--DO YOU HAVE IT IN SIGHT!?' I SAW THE S COMPLEX (RWYS 25), BUT NOT THE 24'S [WHICH WE WERE BEING ASSIGNED (24L)], SO I CALLED IT IN SIGHT. LAX APCH THEN SAID, 'CLRED FOR VIS 24L, CONTACT TWR ON 120.95, MAINTAIN AT OR ABOVE 1500' TILL CONTACTING TWR.' I THOUGHT THAT FREQ WAS FOR THE S COMPLEX, WHICH SLIGHTLY CONFUSED ME, BUT I STILL WENT TO IT. I POINTED OUT TO THE F/O THE S COMPLEX. HE DIDN'T SEE IT. I TOLD HIM TO START DSNDING, BUT HE WAS WORRIED ABOUT GOING BELOW 1500'. BY THE TIME I CALLED TWR AND WAS WATCHING THINGS INSIDE, WE WERE ALREADY S TO THE 25 RWYS. I TOLD THE F/O TO TURN RIGHT IMMEDIATELY TO THE 24'S--ABOUT THE TIME THE S TWR TOLD US TO IMMEDIATELY TURN RIGHT AND CONTACT THE N TWR ON 133.9. WE SHIFTED OVER AND LANDED W/O INCIDENT. TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, WE DIDN'T COME NEAR ANY OTHER ACFT. I SEE A MULTIPLICITY OF PROBS IN THIS CASE. I SHOULDN'T HAVE CALLED THE ARPT W/O SEEING THE 24'S AND W/O THE F/O SEEING THE ARPT. I ALSO SHOULD HAVE QUERIED THE FREQ CHANGE TO TWR. IF I'D QUERIED AND GOT THE CORRECT FREQ (113.9), THEY MIGHT HAVE CALLED BEFORE WE GOT TOO FAR S. ALSO, I SHOULDN'T HAVE LET THE LAX APCH CTLR GET TO ME ON CALLING THE ARPT.

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.