Air carrier tuned to right runway localizer instead of left and began approach to wrong runway.

Attributes
ACN	198609
Time
Date	199201
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 1500 agl bound upper : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : ord tower : ord tower : elp
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	198609
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Inbound to O'hare IFR conditions final would be VFR. Briefed for an IFR approach, as I always do. Asked first officer to tune me to the 27L ILS, and he responded 'tuned and idented.' given a turn on at the marker (still IFR) and keep speed up. I remarked that ord usually gives better turn ONS to final and that the localizer was just coming alive. I felt uncomfortable and looked down at my navigation radio, it was tuned to 27R, not 27L! By now we are with ord tower, inside the marker and on course for 27R. Parallel approachs were not in progress. The tower verified and cleared us to land on 27R. We were now visual and stabilized and landed. The learning point is to try never to be rushed or assume anything is done correctly based on the experiences of the other person.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR TUNED TO R RWY LOC INSTEAD OF L AND BEGAN APCH TO WRONG RWY.

Narrative: INBOUND TO O'HARE IFR CONDITIONS FINAL WOULD BE VFR. BRIEFED FOR AN IFR APCH, AS I ALWAYS DO. ASKED FO TO TUNE ME TO THE 27L ILS, AND HE RESPONDED 'TUNED AND IDENTED.' GIVEN A TURN ON AT THE MARKER (STILL IFR) AND KEEP SPD UP. I REMARKED THAT ORD USUALLY GIVES BETTER TURN ONS TO FINAL AND THAT THE LOC WAS JUST COMING ALIVE. I FELT UNCOMFORTABLE AND LOOKED DOWN AT MY NAV RADIO, IT WAS TUNED TO 27R, NOT 27L! BY NOW WE ARE WITH ORD TWR, INSIDE THE MARKER AND ON COURSE FOR 27R. PARALLEL APCHS WERE NOT IN PROGRESS. THE TWR VERIFIED AND CLRED US TO LAND ON 27R. WE WERE NOW VISUAL AND STABILIZED AND LANDED. THE LEARNING POINT IS TO TRY NEVER TO BE RUSHED OR ASSUME ANYTHING IS DONE CORRECTLY BASED ON THE EXPERIENCES OF THE OTHER PERSON.

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.