Air ambulance crew makes approach to right runway instead of left.

Attributes
ACN	154143
Time
Date	199008
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sfo
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1500 msl bound upper : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : oak tower : sfo
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Small Transport
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 2000 flight time type : 1200
ASRS Report	154143
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
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	other

Narrative:

Radar vectored to what we thought was ILS 28R sfo, cleared for approach and to cross ramnd intersection at 4000'. My copilot idented the intersection as 14.6 DME, but failed to specify that it was on intersection for the left localizer. We were handed off to the tower about at the OM 6.1 DME and were cleared to land runway 28L. Copilot verified this. We checked the runway 28L localizer and found we weren't full scale deflection so we continued the approach for left runway and landed west/O incident. No NOTAMS that localizer runway 28R was out of service from FSS, and ILS idented correctly. Once on the ground ATIS was changed and idented runway 28L as landing runway. Also, airline jet liner behind us questioned sfo as to verify landing runway. Neither my copilot or myself recall if we were vectored and cleared for the right or the left, but had expected the right, the usual runway used for ILS approachs.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIR AMBULANCE CREW MAKES APCH TO RIGHT RWY INSTEAD OF LEFT.

Narrative: RADAR VECTORED TO WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS ILS 28R SFO, CLRED FOR APCH AND TO CROSS RAMND INTXN AT 4000'. MY COPLT IDENTED THE INTXN AS 14.6 DME, BUT FAILED TO SPECIFY THAT IT WAS ON INTXN FOR THE L LOC. WE WERE HANDED OFF TO THE TWR ABOUT AT THE OM 6.1 DME AND WERE CLRED TO LAND RWY 28L. COPLT VERIFIED THIS. WE CHKED THE RWY 28L LOC AND FOUND WE WEREN'T FULL SCALE DEFLECTION SO WE CONTINUED THE APCH FOR L RWY AND LANDED W/O INCIDENT. NO NOTAMS THAT LOC RWY 28R WAS OUT OF SVC FROM FSS, AND ILS IDENTED CORRECTLY. ONCE ON THE GND ATIS WAS CHANGED AND IDENTED RWY 28L AS LNDG RWY. ALSO, AIRLINE JET LINER BEHIND US QUESTIONED SFO AS TO VERIFY LNDG RWY. NEITHER MY COPLT OR MYSELF RECALL IF WE WERE VECTORED AND CLRED FOR THE R OR THE L, BUT HAD EXPECTED THE R, THE USUAL RWY USED FOR ILS APCHS.

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.