Narrative:

The approach controller didn't tell me there was an aircraft ahead of me going 30-40 KTS slower than I. We were both on a 20 mi left base for 19L. It wasn't until we were 3 mi apart that the controller told me about this aircraft and to reduce my airspeed from 170 KTS to 120 KTS. I told him unable but I could reduce to 140 KTS. I was still to high to reduce to 120 KTS and still make the airport. My manifold was already pulled back as far as I could go I dumped gear & flaps. I'm still faster than the single aircraft ahead of me. His approach to landing speed is 80 KTS, mine is 90 KTS. The controller handed us off to the tower and told me we were 1 1/2 mi apart. I did have the traffic in sight. With some planning I could slow down some more and still land behind him. A passenger behind me got excited about seeing the city in front of us and asked me which hotel was the one he was to stay at. As a fool I pointed it out and didn't watch my traffic. I knew I was higher than him and at that time of day it's very easy to lose traffic due to haze and the position of the sun. I turned my eyes back looking for the traffic thinking he should be on final now and close to landing. I looked once at 12 O'clock and didn't see him so I fixed my eyes back and forth on final no sight of him. The tower yelled with excitement for me to change runways and land on runway 19R. I looked in front of me and there was the single. If I had kept up with my descent I would have landed on top of him. As it was we both touched down at the same time on different runways. How to prevent this situation? Don't talk to passenger during critical stages of flight no matter how excited they are. Focus everything on landing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW AF ACR SMT COMPLAINS OF SEPARATION WHILE ARRIVING INTO LAS, BUT THEN GETS DISTR ON FINAL AND ALMOST OVERRUNS AN SMA LNDG AHEAD BEFORE CTLR TELLS HIM TO SWITCH TO ANOTHER RWY.

Narrative: THE APCH CTLR DIDN'T TELL ME THERE WAS AN ACFT AHEAD OF ME GOING 30-40 KTS SLOWER THAN I. WE WERE BOTH ON A 20 MI L BASE FOR 19L. IT WASN'T UNTIL WE WERE 3 MI APART THAT THE CTLR TOLD ME ABOUT THIS ACFT AND TO REDUCE MY AIRSPD FROM 170 KTS TO 120 KTS. I TOLD HIM UNABLE BUT I COULD REDUCE TO 140 KTS. I WAS STILL TO HIGH TO REDUCE TO 120 KTS AND STILL MAKE THE ARPT. MY MANIFOLD WAS ALREADY PULLED BACK AS FAR AS I COULD GO I DUMPED GEAR & FLAPS. I'M STILL FASTER THAN THE SINGLE ACFT AHEAD OF ME. HIS APCH TO LNDG SPD IS 80 KTS, MINE IS 90 KTS. THE CTLR HANDED US OFF TO THE TWR AND TOLD ME WE WERE 1 1/2 MI APART. I DID HAVE THE TFC IN SIGHT. WITH SOME PLANNING I COULD SLOW DOWN SOME MORE AND STILL LAND BEHIND HIM. A PAX BEHIND ME GOT EXCITED ABOUT SEEING THE CITY IN FRONT OF US AND ASKED ME WHICH HOTEL WAS THE ONE HE WAS TO STAY AT. AS A FOOL I POINTED IT OUT AND DIDN'T WATCH MY TFC. I KNEW I WAS HIGHER THAN HIM AND AT THAT TIME OF DAY IT'S VERY EASY TO LOSE TFC DUE TO HAZE AND THE POS OF THE SUN. I TURNED MY EYES BACK LOOKING FOR THE TFC THINKING HE SHOULD BE ON FINAL NOW AND CLOSE TO LNDG. I LOOKED ONCE AT 12 O'CLOCK AND DIDN'T SEE HIM SO I FIXED MY EYES BACK AND FORTH ON FINAL NO SIGHT OF HIM. THE TWR YELLED WITH EXCITEMENT FOR ME TO CHANGE RWYS AND LAND ON RWY 19R. I LOOKED IN FRONT OF ME AND THERE WAS THE SINGLE. IF I HAD KEPT UP WITH MY DSCNT I WOULD HAVE LANDED ON TOP OF HIM. AS IT WAS WE BOTH TOUCHED DOWN AT THE SAME TIME ON DIFFERENT RWYS. HOW TO PREVENT THIS SITUATION? DON'T TALK TO PAX DURING CRITICAL STAGES OF FLT NO MATTER HOW EXCITED THEY ARE. FOCUS EVERYTHING ON LNDG.

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.