Narrative:

While on a harbor visual approach from over smo at dusk, we were cleared for a visual approach to runway 24R. WX was reported as clear with 12 mi visibility. The visual clearance was given without us reporting the airport or traffic. After clearance was issued we reported traffic on final approximately 4 mi away and 3000 ft below us. Told to follow that traffic we were obviously too high to turn yet on base. Over the harbor freeway we were requested to turn base. When sbound, we realized that with the haze in the area and the setting sun that visibility was not 12 mi, but about 2-3 mi with an obscured sky. We could no longer see our traffic we were following to the airport, much less the airport. We quickly reached the localizer and started a turn to final, but because of our 90 degree intercept on a 'visual' approach we went through the localizer. Efforts to inform the controller were difficult because of frequency congestion and our and his workload. The next transmission from the controller was 'turn right immediately,' pointing out parallel traffic for the south complex. This turn required greater than 30 degrees of bank, even though we were already in the turn. While this incident was resolved without difficulty, the practice of conducting visual approachs in IFR WX at a facility like lax I2 indeed an 'accident waiting to happen.' because of the obviously heavy controller workload, and heavy frequency congestion, flcs are left out in the 'haze' with an impossible clearance to an airport that can't be seen. With the pervasive maritime haze and setting sun this must be a daily occurrence. Further, those of us who are conducting approachs from the north, expecting clear and 12 mi conditions, are shocked when expected to conduct VFR operations in little or no visibility.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR PLT IS CLRED FOR VISUAL APCH TO FOLLOW ANOTHER ACR AND LOSES BOTH THE OTHER ACR AND THE ARPT, RESULTING IN THE ACFT GOING THROUGH THE FINAL APCH COURSE.

Narrative: WHILE ON A HARBOR VISUAL APCH FROM OVER SMO AT DUSK, WE WERE CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 24R. WX WAS RPTED AS CLR WITH 12 MI VISIBILITY. THE VISUAL CLRNC WAS GIVEN WITHOUT US RPTING THE ARPT OR TFC. AFTER CLRNC WAS ISSUED WE RPTED TFC ON FINAL APPROX 4 MI AWAY AND 3000 FT BELOW US. TOLD TO FOLLOW THAT TFC WE WERE OBVIOUSLY TOO HIGH TO TURN YET ON BASE. OVER THE HARBOR FREEWAY WE WERE REQUESTED TO TURN BASE. WHEN SBOUND, WE REALIZED THAT WITH THE HAZE IN THE AREA AND THE SETTING SUN THAT VISIBILITY WAS NOT 12 MI, BUT ABOUT 2-3 MI WITH AN OBSCURED SKY. WE COULD NO LONGER SEE OUR TFC WE WERE FOLLOWING TO THE ARPT, MUCH LESS THE ARPT. WE QUICKLY REACHED THE LOC AND STARTED A TURN TO FINAL, BUT BECAUSE OF OUR 90 DEG INTERCEPT ON A 'VISUAL' APCH WE WENT THROUGH THE LOC. EFFORTS TO INFORM THE CTLR WERE DIFFICULT BECAUSE OF FREQ CONGESTION AND OUR AND HIS WORKLOAD. THE NEXT XMISSION FROM THE CTLR WAS 'TURN R IMMEDIATELY,' POINTING OUT PARALLEL TFC FOR THE S COMPLEX. THIS TURN REQUIRED GREATER THAN 30 DEGS OF BANK, EVEN THOUGH WE WERE ALREADY IN THE TURN. WHILE THIS INCIDENT WAS RESOLVED WITHOUT DIFFICULTY, THE PRACTICE OF CONDUCTING VISUAL APCHS IN IFR WX AT A FACILITY LIKE LAX I2 INDEED AN 'ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN.' BECAUSE OF THE OBVIOUSLY HVY CTLR WORKLOAD, AND HVY FREQ CONGESTION, FLCS ARE LEFT OUT IN THE 'HAZE' WITH AN IMPOSSIBLE CLRNC TO AN ARPT THAT CAN'T BE SEEN. WITH THE PERVASIVE MARITIME HAZE AND SETTING SUN THIS MUST BE A DAILY OCCURRENCE. FURTHER, THOSE OF US WHO ARE CONDUCTING APCHS FROM THE N, EXPECTING CLR AND 12 MI CONDITIONS, ARE SHOCKED WHEN EXPECTED TO CONDUCT VFR OPS IN LITTLE OR NO VISIBILITY.

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.