Narrative:

We were inbound to ord and we were being vectored for an approach to runway 22R. We were heading approximately 330 degrees and at 7000'. Approach told us to be ready for a rapid descent so we slowed up to 190 KTS. At about 7 to 9 DME still at 7000' and heading approximately 330 degrees they gave us a left turn and asked if we had the field in sight. We called the field in sight and they cleared us for a visibility approach to runway 22R. We then started a slam-dunk descent to the runway. The ILS was tuned in on the captain's side and the copilot had the VOR tuned in since the ILS to runway 22R has no DME. At the time the ILS was of no assistance due to the close in turn and the high altitude the aircraft was at when cleared for the approach. Both localizer and G/south were pegged at maximum deviation. While concentrating on getting down I ended up picking up runway 22L and aligned the aircraft up on it. At about 5 mi out approach called us and told us we were lined up on runway 22L, we then corrected to runway 22R and made a normal landing. The distraction of the in close approximately 90 degree turn at 7000' at about 7 to 9 DME helped to distract the crew from their normal visibility approach placement. Also since runway 22R does not have DME on the ILS the copilot was still on the VOR so we could have DME and his resultant switching of his radios to the ILS while I was making the turn to final resulted in his being out of the picture or a few important seconds. He was just completing the radio switch to the ILS when approach called. DME to ILS runway 22R at such a busy airport as ord would have kept the copilot in the loop as he would not have been distracted in close doing a NAVAID change. Also my preoccupation with the slam dunk descent distracted me from concentrating on a proper visibility scan to outside visibility references. A more normal vector placement and altitude for a visibility approach plus better attention by the flight crew could prevent things like this. Include in this DME for all ILS's at ord and other airports such as ord.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WRONG RWY APCH.

Narrative: WE WERE INBND TO ORD AND WE WERE BEING VECTORED FOR AN APCH TO RWY 22R. WE WERE HDG APPROX 330 DEGS AND AT 7000'. APCH TOLD US TO BE READY FOR A RAPID DSNT SO WE SLOWED UP TO 190 KTS. AT ABOUT 7 TO 9 DME STILL AT 7000' AND HDG APPROX 330 DEGS THEY GAVE US A L TURN AND ASKED IF WE HAD THE FIELD IN SIGHT. WE CALLED THE FIELD IN SIGHT AND THEY CLRED US FOR A VIS APCH TO RWY 22R. WE THEN STARTED A SLAM-DUNK DSNT TO THE RWY. THE ILS WAS TUNED IN ON THE CAPT'S SIDE AND THE COPLT HAD THE VOR TUNED IN SINCE THE ILS TO RWY 22R HAS NO DME. AT THE TIME THE ILS WAS OF NO ASSISTANCE DUE TO THE CLOSE IN TURN AND THE HIGH ALT THE ACFT WAS AT WHEN CLRED FOR THE APCH. BOTH LOC AND G/S WERE PEGGED AT MAX DEV. WHILE CONCENTRATING ON GETTING DOWN I ENDED UP PICKING UP RWY 22L AND ALIGNED THE ACFT UP ON IT. AT ABOUT 5 MI OUT APCH CALLED US AND TOLD US WE WERE LINED UP ON RWY 22L, WE THEN CORRECTED TO RWY 22R AND MADE A NORMAL LNDG. THE DISTR OF THE IN CLOSE APPROX 90 DEG TURN AT 7000' AT ABOUT 7 TO 9 DME HELPED TO DISTRACT THE CREW FROM THEIR NORMAL VIS APCH PLACEMENT. ALSO SINCE RWY 22R DOES NOT HAVE DME ON THE ILS THE COPLT WAS STILL ON THE VOR SO WE COULD HAVE DME AND HIS RESULTANT SWITCHING OF HIS RADIOS TO THE ILS WHILE I WAS MAKING THE TURN TO FINAL RESULTED IN HIS BEING OUT OF THE PICTURE OR A FEW IMPORTANT SECS. HE WAS JUST COMPLETING THE RADIO SWITCH TO THE ILS WHEN APCH CALLED. DME TO ILS RWY 22R AT SUCH A BUSY ARPT AS ORD WOULD HAVE KEPT THE COPLT IN THE LOOP AS HE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DISTRACTED IN CLOSE DOING A NAVAID CHANGE. ALSO MY PREOCCUPATION WITH THE SLAM DUNK DSNT DISTRACTED ME FROM CONCENTRATING ON A PROPER VIS SCAN TO OUTSIDE VIS REFERENCES. A MORE NORMAL VECTOR PLACEMENT AND ALT FOR A VIS APCH PLUS BETTER ATTN BY THE FLT CREW COULD PREVENT THINGS LIKE THIS. INCLUDE IN THIS DME FOR ALL ILS'S AT ORD AND OTHER ARPTS SUCH AS ORD.

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.