Narrative:

I was the non-flying pilot. I was running checklists after being vectored to the downwind (right). We were asked by the approach controller if we had the airport in sight. We reported that we did. At this point, we were at 5000 ft. The airport had a scattered layer of clouds at about 1600 ft. At this point, we were cleared for a visual to 24R and handed off to the tower controller. Before we were established on base, the scattered clouds and haze made it very difficult to remain in visual contact with the runway. The captain was high and fast and things were happening very quickly. It was everything I could do just to keep up with the checklists required. Needless to say, I was very busy inside the cockpit and having a hard time keeping track of where the captain was in relation to the runway. In the haze, the captain evidently mistook the south complex for the north complex and was headed for the parallel landing runway. About the time I got a good look at where we were, the captain and the tower controller had already realized he had overflown the final for 24R. The captain was turning steeply to the right to get back on course, and the controller questioned whether we had the proper runway in sight and issued an urgent clearance to turn 30 degrees right to intercept the final approach course. He also asked whether we had the air carrier jet in sight which was landing on the 25 complex. The captain did have the aircraft in sight and we were higher because of our approach. However, I believe we may have been closer than allowed! I believe this all could have been avoided by not accepting a visual in marginal conditions. Another factor that may very well have helped would have been for the captain to slow down earlier and maybe fly a little bit larger pattern.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AT LTT ACR CREW FOULED UP THEIR APCH SO BADLY THAT THEY GOT INTO A LTSS SITUATION WITH AN ACFT ON A PARALLEL RWY.

Narrative: I WAS THE NON-FLYING PLT. I WAS RUNNING CHKLISTS AFTER BEING VECTORED TO THE DOWNWIND (R). WE WERE ASKED BY THE APCH CTLR IF WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT. WE RPTED THAT WE DID. AT THIS POINT, WE WERE AT 5000 FT. THE ARPT HAD A SCATTERED LAYER OF CLOUDS AT ABOUT 1600 FT. AT THIS POINT, WE WERE CLRED FOR A VISUAL TO 24R AND HANDED OFF TO THE TWR CTLR. BEFORE WE WERE ESTABLISHED ON BASE, THE SCATTERED CLOUDS AND HAZE MADE IT VERY DIFFICULT TO REMAIN IN VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE RWY. THE CAPT WAS HIGH AND FAST AND THINGS WERE HAPPENING VERY QUICKLY. IT WAS EVERYTHING I COULD DO JUST TO KEEP UP WITH THE CHKLISTS REQUIRED. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I WAS VERY BUSY INSIDE THE COCKPIT AND HAVING A HARD TIME KEEPING TRACK OF WHERE THE CAPT WAS IN RELATION TO THE RWY. IN THE HAZE, THE CAPT EVIDENTLY MISTOOK THE S COMPLEX FOR THE N COMPLEX AND WAS HEADED FOR THE PARALLEL LNDG RWY. ABOUT THE TIME I GOT A GOOD LOOK AT WHERE WE WERE, THE CAPT AND THE TWR CTLR HAD ALREADY REALIZED HE HAD OVERFLOWN THE FINAL FOR 24R. THE CAPT WAS TURNING STEEPLY TO THE R TO GET BACK ON COURSE, AND THE CTLR QUESTIONED WHETHER WE HAD THE PROPER RWY IN SIGHT AND ISSUED AN URGENT CLRNC TO TURN 30 DEGS R TO INTERCEPT THE FINAL APCH COURSE. HE ALSO ASKED WHETHER WE HAD THE ACR JET IN SIGHT WHICH WAS LNDG ON THE 25 COMPLEX. THE CAPT DID HAVE THE ACFT IN SIGHT AND WE WERE HIGHER BECAUSE OF OUR APCH. HOWEVER, I BELIEVE WE MAY HAVE BEEN CLOSER THAN ALLOWED! I BELIEVE THIS ALL COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BY NOT ACCEPTING A VISUAL IN MARGINAL CONDITIONS. ANOTHER FACTOR THAT MAY VERY WELL HAVE HELPED WOULD HAVE BEEN FOR THE CAPT TO SLOW DOWN EARLIER AND MAYBE FLY A LITTLE BIT LARGER PATTERN.

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.