Narrative:

We approached slc from the south over fairfield VOR. Approachs in progress were the ILS to 34L and visibility to 34R. We were cleared for the 34L ILS about 16 NM south of the airport. The ILS was tuned and idented and the F/D approach mode was armed to provide F/D guidance. I tracked the localizer and G/south down final and transitioned to the VASI and runway about 4 NM from what I thought was runway 34L. I continued to follow the VASI which was actually located on runway 34R. At approximately 500' AGL the captain realized we were lined up with the wrong runway and called my attention to the same. I made an immediate correction to the left to line up with runway 34L but realized our distance from the runway and low altitude and descent rate would not permit a safe approach and landing to runway 34L. I called I was going around and about 5 mins later landed on runway 34L from a visibility pattern. Even though the airport visibility was reported at 8 mi, the sun had just set and haze/fog was beginning to form in the valley around the airport restricting slant range visibility to about 6 mi and possibly less. Also, the terrain around this airport tends to blend the blacktop runways into the backgnd. A phone conversation with the tower shift supervisor after landing revealed the runway edge lights on runway 34L were set on dim but the VASI and runway lights on runway 34R were very bright. Even though we had the runway 34L ILS tuned in, I should have crosschecked the localizer as we approached closer to the runway since these parallel runway aren't in fact parallel to each other. The extended ctrlines actually converge a few mi south of the airport. Had I checked the lighting page in the commercial chart manual for runway 34L I would have known that runway 34L didn't have a VASI and I probably wouldn't be sending in this report. In the future I plan to doublechk all the aids serving a particular runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WRONG RWY APCH.

Narrative: WE APCHED SLC FROM THE S OVER FAIRFIELD VOR. APCHS IN PROGRESS WERE THE ILS TO 34L AND VIS TO 34R. WE WERE CLRED FOR THE 34L ILS ABOUT 16 NM S OF THE ARPT. THE ILS WAS TUNED AND IDENTED AND THE F/D APCH MODE WAS ARMED TO PROVIDE F/D GUIDANCE. I TRACKED THE LOC AND G/S DOWN FINAL AND TRANSITIONED TO THE VASI AND RWY ABOUT 4 NM FROM WHAT I THOUGHT WAS RWY 34L. I CONTINUED TO FOLLOW THE VASI WHICH WAS ACTUALLY LOCATED ON RWY 34R. AT APPROX 500' AGL THE CAPT REALIZED WE WERE LINED UP WITH THE WRONG RWY AND CALLED MY ATTN TO THE SAME. I MADE AN IMMEDIATE CORRECTION TO THE L TO LINE UP WITH RWY 34L BUT REALIZED OUR DISTANCE FROM THE RWY AND LOW ALT AND DSNT RATE WOULD NOT PERMIT A SAFE APCH AND LNDG TO RWY 34L. I CALLED I WAS GOING AROUND AND ABOUT 5 MINS LATER LANDED ON RWY 34L FROM A VIS PATTERN. EVEN THOUGH THE ARPT VISIBILITY WAS RPTED AT 8 MI, THE SUN HAD JUST SET AND HAZE/FOG WAS BEGINNING TO FORM IN THE VALLEY AROUND THE ARPT RESTRICTING SLANT RANGE VISIBILITY TO ABOUT 6 MI AND POSSIBLY LESS. ALSO, THE TERRAIN AROUND THIS ARPT TENDS TO BLEND THE BLACKTOP RWYS INTO THE BACKGND. A PHONE CONVERSATION WITH THE TWR SHIFT SUPVR AFTER LNDG REVEALED THE RWY EDGE LIGHTS ON RWY 34L WERE SET ON DIM BUT THE VASI AND RWY LIGHTS ON RWY 34R WERE VERY BRIGHT. EVEN THOUGH WE HAD THE RWY 34L ILS TUNED IN, I SHOULD HAVE XCHKED THE LOC AS WE APCHED CLOSER TO THE RWY SINCE THESE PARALLEL RWY AREN'T IN FACT PARALLEL TO EACH OTHER. THE EXTENDED CTRLINES ACTUALLY CONVERGE A FEW MI S OF THE ARPT. HAD I CHKED THE LIGHTING PAGE IN THE COMMERCIAL CHART MANUAL FOR RWY 34L I WOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT RWY 34L DIDN'T HAVE A VASI AND I PROBABLY WOULDN'T BE SENDING IN THIS RPT. IN THE FUTURE I PLAN TO DOUBLECHK ALL THE AIDS SERVING A PARTICULAR RWY.

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.