Approach to wrong runway.

Attributes
ACN	136912
Time
Date	199002
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : tpa
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1500 msl bound upper : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : tpa tower : tpa
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other descent : approach descent other
Route In Use	approach : visual arrival other enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	136912
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

While being vectored for an ILS 36L approach to tpa we broke out above the field. We were asked by approach if we had the airport to which we replied yes and were cleared for a visibility to runway 36L. We were on a right downwind and when I turned a relatively tight right base to keep us out of the WX I asked the first officer to keep an eye on the field and when we rolled level it appeared we were on about a 3-4 mi final. Unfortunately it was for 36R. At about 2-3 mi just as I glanced down to see full deflection of the localizer tower said it appeared we were on final for the right. I immediately corrected and landed on the left, although somewhat long due to a strong tailwind. The thing that bothered me about all this was the fact that the lights for runway 36R were up full bright while the approach lights for 36L were out and the runway lights on dim. This along with the poor WX conditions and heavy rain made for a possible landing on the wrong runway as it fooled me and the first officer. I think when approachs are being made to a particular runway the lights should be dimmed on the parallel one or at least turned up on the one where an aircraft is making an approach as a matter of SOP.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: APCH TO WRONG RWY.

Narrative: WHILE BEING VECTORED FOR AN ILS 36L APCH TO TPA WE BROKE OUT ABOVE THE FIELD. WE WERE ASKED BY APCH IF WE HAD THE ARPT TO WHICH WE REPLIED YES AND WERE CLRED FOR A VIS TO RWY 36L. WE WERE ON A R DOWNWIND AND WHEN I TURNED A RELATIVELY TIGHT R BASE TO KEEP US OUT OF THE WX I ASKED THE F/O TO KEEP AN EYE ON THE FIELD AND WHEN WE ROLLED LEVEL IT APPEARED WE WERE ON ABOUT A 3-4 MI FINAL. UNFORTUNATELY IT WAS FOR 36R. AT ABOUT 2-3 MI JUST AS I GLANCED DOWN TO SEE FULL DEFLECTION OF THE LOC TWR SAID IT APPEARED WE WERE ON FINAL FOR THE R. I IMMEDIATELY CORRECTED AND LANDED ON THE L, ALTHOUGH SOMEWHAT LONG DUE TO A STRONG TAILWIND. THE THING THAT BOTHERED ME ABOUT ALL THIS WAS THE FACT THAT THE LIGHTS FOR RWY 36R WERE UP FULL BRIGHT WHILE THE APCH LIGHTS FOR 36L WERE OUT AND THE RWY LIGHTS ON DIM. THIS ALONG WITH THE POOR WX CONDITIONS AND HEAVY RAIN MADE FOR A POSSIBLE LNDG ON THE WRONG RWY AS IT FOOLED ME AND THE F/O. I THINK WHEN APCHS ARE BEING MADE TO A PARTICULAR RWY THE LIGHTS SHOULD BE DIMMED ON THE PARALLEL ONE OR AT LEAST TURNED UP ON THE ONE WHERE AN ACFT IS MAKING AN APCH AS A MATTER OF SOP.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.