Narrative:

Air carrier X normal start and taxi clearance to runway 25R at lax. After switching to tower frequency at appropriate spot on taxiway we were first cleared to taxi full length and hold short of runway 25R. Prior to reaching hold point, we received clearance to taxi into position runway 25R and hold. A smaller aircraft would be departing at intersection in front of us. As we approached end of taxiway for runway 25R I could see air carrier Z on final, all lights on approximately 2-3 mi out. Due to angle off I could not positively confirm which runway he was lined up on which I commented to crew. My aircraft had navigation lights, logo light and inbound landing lights on at the time. As I began my turn onto active runway it became obvious that air carrier Z on final was lined up for runway 25R. I then asked copilot to confirm our clearance into position and landing. Air carrier Z was for left parallel runway. Tower confirmed this to us, then I immediately instructed landing air carrier Z to land on runway 25L or go around. At this point air carrier X was partially on runway and landing air carrier Z was positively lined up on my runway 25R. The next radio transmission was from landing air carrier Z stating he was going around. Seconds later air carrier Z passed overhead. I then reconfirmed with tower our clearance onto active runway and air carrier Z on go around had been cleared to land runway 25L. This was confirmed by tower we were cleared for takeoff. In light of the recent disaster on the 24L runway at lax and the similarity of circumstances with my experience, it would appear that serious deficiencies are evident at lax. Perhaps the problems go beyond the ATC system. Since both incidents occurred at night, perhaps, the array of lights from sources other than the airport come into play and an investigation may be in order to determine why a captain landing cannot see another aircraft with lights on, in a place or moving onto the active runway at lax.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MULTIPLE RWY OPERATION PARALLEL RWYS. ACR Z WAS LINED UP FOR WRONG RWY. PLTDEV. ACFT Y IN POSITION AT RWY INTERSECTION AT NIGHT IN VIOLATION OF NEW PROC. NON ADHERENCE TO ATC PROC. OPDEV.

Narrative: ACR X NORMAL START AND TAXI CLRNC TO RWY 25R AT LAX. AFTER SWITCHING TO TWR FREQ AT APPROPRIATE SPOT ON TXWY WE WERE FIRST CLRED TO TAXI FULL LENGTH AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 25R. PRIOR TO REACHING HOLD POINT, WE RECEIVED CLRNC TO TAXI INTO POS RWY 25R AND HOLD. A SMALLER ACFT WOULD BE DEPARTING AT INTXN IN FRONT OF US. AS WE APCHED END OF TXWY FOR RWY 25R I COULD SEE ACR Z ON FINAL, ALL LIGHTS ON APPROX 2-3 MI OUT. DUE TO ANGLE OFF I COULD NOT POSITIVELY CONFIRM WHICH RWY HE WAS LINED UP ON WHICH I COMMENTED TO CREW. MY ACFT HAD NAV LIGHTS, LOGO LIGHT AND INBND LNDG LIGHTS ON AT THE TIME. AS I BEGAN MY TURN ONTO ACTIVE RWY IT BECAME OBVIOUS THAT ACR Z ON FINAL WAS LINED UP FOR RWY 25R. I THEN ASKED COPLT TO CONFIRM OUR CLRNC INTO POS AND LNDG. ACR Z WAS FOR L PARALLEL RWY. TWR CONFIRMED THIS TO US, THEN I IMMEDIATELY INSTRUCTED LNDG ACR Z TO LAND ON RWY 25L OR GO AROUND. AT THIS POINT ACR X WAS PARTIALLY ON RWY AND LNDG ACR Z WAS POSITIVELY LINED UP ON MY RWY 25R. THE NEXT RADIO XMISSION WAS FROM LNDG ACR Z STATING HE WAS GOING AROUND. SECS LATER ACR Z PASSED OVERHEAD. I THEN RECONFIRMED WITH TWR OUR CLRNC ONTO ACTIVE RWY AND ACR Z ON GO AROUND HAD BEEN CLRED TO LAND RWY 25L. THIS WAS CONFIRMED BY TWR WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF. IN LIGHT OF THE RECENT DISASTER ON THE 24L RWY AT LAX AND THE SIMILARITY OF CIRCUMSTANCES WITH MY EXPERIENCE, IT WOULD APPEAR THAT SERIOUS DEFICIENCIES ARE EVIDENT AT LAX. PERHAPS THE PROBS GO BEYOND THE ATC SYS. SINCE BOTH INCIDENTS OCCURRED AT NIGHT, PERHAPS, THE ARRAY OF LIGHTS FROM SOURCES OTHER THAN THE ARPT COME INTO PLAY AND AN INVESTIGATION MAY BE IN ORDER TO DETERMINE WHY A CAPT LNDG CANNOT SEE ANOTHER ACFT WITH LIGHTS ON, IN A PLACE OR MOVING ONTO THE ACTIVE RWY AT LAX.

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.