Narrative:

Entered TCA from north at 4000 ft heading 140 degree. Copilot was flying. Los angeles approach advised to expect a visual to 24L to follow air carrier Y on right downwind to 24R. A marine layer of low clouds was over the airport with broken spots. Inland was clear. ATIS reported 1200 scattered, 4 mi visibility. Los angeles approach asked air carrier Y if he had airport in sight. Y responded no, not at this time but maybe a different angle. Approach turned him to a heading of 140 degree descend to 2500 ft. Los angeles approach asked us if we had air carrier Y turning base. We replied we had Y in sight but not the airport. He said we did not have to have airport in sight, and cleared us for the visual 24L to follow air carrier Y going to 24R. Approach turned Y to 220 degree and asked if he had airport in sight, he replied no and approach cleared him for ILS 24R approach. Approach asked us if we had the ability to follow Y to airport. We replied negative. He then gave us turn, 360 degree maintain 2500 ft. This was to get us out of the way of 24 and 25 finals which we were about to pass through. I asked left or right turn. He did not acknowledge my call (may have been stepped on), but issued clrncs to other aircraft. I could see we were about to go through 24 finals and heading toward 25 finals (aircraft lined up). Glancing down at directional gyroscope heading 140 degree I could see left turn was shortest to get out of there. After rolling out 360 degree ATC said the turn was supposed to be to the right, then proceeded to give vectors to the ILS. After landing, talking over with first officer, he said he heard the call for right turn. If time was not so short in the situation at the time further clarification could have been made for the turn. But we had to get out of there fast. Also, I will see if I could've better used cockpit resource management then and in the future. Supplemental information from acn 187613: commuter X was on a visual approach behind air carrier Y. The WX conditions changed and aircraft X was told to cancel approach clearance. Aircraft X was given a right turn heading 360 degree and climb and maintain 3500. The next transmission on the tape was a readback of '360 degree, a left turn?' this readback was done without benefit of call sign. The readback was not caught by the radar controller or the handoff person. Aircraft X was next observed in a left turn in confliction with traffic (air carrier Z) south of him. Aircraft X was then given a left turn to resolve the conflict.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LTSS BTWN COMMUTER AND ACR. PLTDEV.

Narrative: ENTERED TCA FROM N AT 4000 FT HDG 140 DEG. COPLT WAS FLYING. LOS ANGELES APCH ADVISED TO EXPECT A VISUAL TO 24L TO FOLLOW ACR Y ON R DOWNWIND TO 24R. A MARINE LAYER OF LOW CLOUDS WAS OVER THE ARPT WITH BROKEN SPOTS. INLAND WAS CLR. ATIS RPTED 1200 SCATTERED, 4 MI VISIBILITY. LOS ANGELES APCH ASKED ACR Y IF HE HAD ARPT IN SIGHT. Y RESPONDED NO, NOT AT THIS TIME BUT MAYBE A DIFFERENT ANGLE. APCH TURNED HIM TO A HDG OF 140 DEG DSND TO 2500 FT. LOS ANGELES APCH ASKED US IF WE HAD ACR Y TURNING BASE. WE REPLIED WE HAD Y IN SIGHT BUT NOT THE ARPT. HE SAID WE DID NOT HAVE TO HAVE ARPT IN SIGHT, AND CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL 24L TO FOLLOW ACR Y GOING TO 24R. APCH TURNED Y TO 220 DEG AND ASKED IF HE HAD ARPT IN SIGHT, HE REPLIED NO AND APCH CLRED HIM FOR ILS 24R APCH. APCH ASKED US IF WE HAD THE ABILITY TO FOLLOW Y TO ARPT. WE REPLIED NEGATIVE. HE THEN GAVE US TURN, 360 DEG MAINTAIN 2500 FT. THIS WAS TO GET US OUT OF THE WAY OF 24 AND 25 FINALS WHICH WE WERE ABOUT TO PASS THROUGH. I ASKED L OR R TURN. HE DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE MY CALL (MAY HAVE BEEN STEPPED ON), BUT ISSUED CLRNCS TO OTHER ACFT. I COULD SEE WE WERE ABOUT TO GO THROUGH 24 FINALS AND HDG TOWARD 25 FINALS (ACFT LINED UP). GLANCING DOWN AT DIRECTIONAL GYROSCOPE HDG 140 DEG I COULD SEE L TURN WAS SHORTEST TO GET OUT OF THERE. AFTER ROLLING OUT 360 DEG ATC SAID THE TURN WAS SUPPOSED TO BE TO THE R, THEN PROCEEDED TO GIVE VECTORS TO THE ILS. AFTER LNDG, TALKING OVER WITH FO, HE SAID HE HEARD THE CALL FOR R TURN. IF TIME WAS NOT SO SHORT IN THE SITUATION AT THE TIME FURTHER CLARIFICATION COULD HAVE BEEN MADE FOR THE TURN. BUT WE HAD TO GET OUT OF THERE FAST. ALSO, I WILL SEE IF I COULD'VE BETTER USED COCKPIT RESOURCE MGMNT THEN AND IN THE FUTURE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 187613: COMMUTER X WAS ON A VISUAL APCH BEHIND ACR Y. THE WX CONDITIONS CHANGED AND ACFT X WAS TOLD TO CANCEL APCH CLRNC. ACFT X WAS GIVEN A R TURN HDG 360 DEG AND CLB AND MAINTAIN 3500. THE NEXT XMISSION ON THE TAPE WAS A READBACK OF '360 DEG, A L TURN?' THIS READBACK WAS DONE WITHOUT BENEFIT OF CALL SIGN. THE READBACK WAS NOT CAUGHT BY THE RADAR CTLR OR THE HDOF PERSON. ACFT X WAS NEXT OBSERVED IN A L TURN IN CONFLICTION WITH TFC (ACR Z) S OF HIM. ACFT X WAS THEN GIVEN A L TURN TO RESOLVE THE CONFLICT.

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.