Commuter light transport creates a loss of separation with another aircraft on a wrong runway approa...

Attributes
ACN	138764
Time
Date	199003
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2500 msl bound upper : 3500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : lax artcc : zmp
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach other
Route In Use	approach : visual arrival other enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	descent : approach
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 : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 160 flight time total : 3800 flight time type : 1400
ASRS Report	138764
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 1900 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	138748
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe incursion : runway non adherence : required legal separation other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 700 vertical : 400
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Was flying as PIC and as flying pilot. Had crossed over smo and started turn to 070 degree for downwind at lax. Controller told us to expect visual approach to what I thought was 25L and called traffic out that we were supposed to follow. Traffic was in sight and were cleared for the visual to what I had heard to be 25L. I tuned localizer 109.9 for 25L and started to turn base. Noticed traffic not previously called converging rapidly from left. Continued turn to parallel course of traffic and leveled off so as to keep distance. Conflict was avoided using normal maneuvers. Called ATC and asked them to confirm that we were for runway 25L. He replied that we were for 24L and could we make the runway from our present position. We replied 'affirmative' and then were cleared visual approach 24L and told to contact tower. The major problem I can detect was one of my first officer and I not questioning the other to confirm that both of us had heard the same instructions. Company policy and far's dictate that we should use any NAVAID available for reference during approach. Had the first officer noticed the localizer frequency selected, she could have alerted me to my error. Marginal cockpit communication was the major factor involved.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER LTT CREATES A LOSS OF SEPARATION WITH ANOTHER ACFT ON A WRONG RWY APCH.

Narrative: WAS FLYING AS PIC AND AS FLYING PLT. HAD CROSSED OVER SMO AND STARTED TURN TO 070 DEG FOR DOWNWIND AT LAX. CTLR TOLD US TO EXPECT VISUAL APCH TO WHAT I THOUGHT WAS 25L AND CALLED TFC OUT THAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO FOLLOW. TFC WAS IN SIGHT AND WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL TO WHAT I HAD HEARD TO BE 25L. I TUNED LOC 109.9 FOR 25L AND STARTED TO TURN BASE. NOTICED TFC NOT PREVIOUSLY CALLED CONVERGING RAPIDLY FROM LEFT. CONTINUED TURN TO PARALLEL COURSE OF TFC AND LEVELED OFF SO AS TO KEEP DISTANCE. CONFLICT WAS AVOIDED USING NORMAL MANEUVERS. CALLED ATC AND ASKED THEM TO CONFIRM THAT WE WERE FOR RWY 25L. HE REPLIED THAT WE WERE FOR 24L AND COULD WE MAKE THE RWY FROM OUR PRESENT POSITION. WE REPLIED 'AFFIRMATIVE' AND THEN WERE CLRED VISUAL APCH 24L AND TOLD TO CONTACT TWR. THE MAJOR PROBLEM I CAN DETECT WAS ONE OF MY F/O AND I NOT QUESTIONING THE OTHER TO CONFIRM THAT BOTH OF US HAD HEARD THE SAME INSTRUCTIONS. COMPANY POLICY AND FAR'S DICTATE THAT WE SHOULD USE ANY NAVAID AVAILABLE FOR REFERENCE DURING APCH. HAD THE F/O NOTICED THE LOC FREQ SELECTED, SHE COULD HAVE ALERTED ME TO MY ERROR. MARGINAL COCKPIT COM WAS THE MAJOR FACTOR INVOLVED.

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.

Commuter light transport creates a loss of separation with another aircraft on a wrong runway approach.