Visual approach accepted in marginal or mixed WX conditions. Approach started to wrong runway.

Attributes
ACN	147659
Time
Date	199006
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dfw
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dfw tower : dfw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Heavy Transport
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other 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 flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 10500 flight time type : 80
ASRS Report	147659
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

Approach to dfw. Vector to ILS 35R. Approach cleared us for visibility approach. Captain accepted (first officer flying). Autoplt off, flight director on. Aircraft intercepting localizer, but FMC/map display and visibility check showed runway still left of position. Turned back to intercept when approach switched us to tower. Tower cleared us to land, and asked if we were not landing 31R. We said we were cleared to runway 35R. The tower asked if we had it in sight. We told him we had the airport, but not the runway due to a cloud between us and runway. Tower asked if we had traffic in sight for 35R. We said yes. Then he (tower) said, continue visibility to 35R and cleared to landing 35R. Observation: at dfw one can get several runway changes in the last few mins of the flight. I believe this situation leads to confusion between tower, approach and air crews. I feel there was no coordination between tower and approach control in this case. Also, the turn toward runway 31R for a few seconds might have confused local controller. All 3 ILS's were tuned and idented before approach started (1 tuned, 3 receivers). Aircraft was less than 1 month old and had several ILS write-ups.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: VISUAL APCH ACCEPTED IN MARGINAL OR MIXED WX CONDITIONS. APCH STARTED TO WRONG RWY.

Narrative: APCH TO DFW. VECTOR TO ILS 35R. APCH CLRED US FOR VIS APCH. CAPT ACCEPTED (F/O FLYING). AUTOPLT OFF, FLT DIRECTOR ON. ACFT INTERCEPTING LOC, BUT FMC/MAP DISPLAY AND VIS CHK SHOWED RWY STILL LEFT OF POS. TURNED BACK TO INTERCEPT WHEN APCH SWITCHED US TO TWR. TWR CLRED US TO LAND, AND ASKED IF WE WERE NOT LNDG 31R. WE SAID WE WERE CLRED TO RWY 35R. THE TWR ASKED IF WE HAD IT IN SIGHT. WE TOLD HIM WE HAD THE ARPT, BUT NOT THE RWY DUE TO A CLOUD BTWN US AND RWY. TWR ASKED IF WE HAD TFC IN SIGHT FOR 35R. WE SAID YES. THEN HE (TWR) SAID, CONTINUE VIS TO 35R AND CLRED TO LNDG 35R. OBSERVATION: AT DFW ONE CAN GET SEVERAL RWY CHANGES IN THE LAST FEW MINS OF THE FLT. I BELIEVE THIS SITUATION LEADS TO CONFUSION BTWN TWR, APCH AND AIR CREWS. I FEEL THERE WAS NO COORD BTWN TWR AND APCH CTL IN THIS CASE. ALSO, THE TURN TOWARD RWY 31R FOR A FEW SECS MIGHT HAVE CONFUSED LCL CTLR. ALL 3 ILS'S WERE TUNED AND IDENTED BEFORE APCH STARTED (1 TUNED, 3 RECEIVERS). ACFT WAS LESS THAN 1 MONTH OLD AND HAD SEVERAL ILS WRITE-UPS.

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.