Narrative:

We were descending on the 24/25 profile descent into lax when we were asked by approach control if we had the runway in sight just before we crossed smo VOR. The WX in the los angeles area was clear but hazy. We could see the airport clearly from smo at 10000 ft, but I knew we would have trouble acquiring the runway when looking at it from the east at a greater distance and lower altitude. The controller asked us if we had the airport in sight and we answered affirmatively. Shortly after smo, we were cleared the stadium visual 24R. After making the turn around the stadium, the captain started configuring the aircraft for landing when approach pointed out traffic using runway 25L, and switched us over to the tower frequency. This was a busy time, configuring the aircraft, looking for traffic, and looking for the runway through the haze and the setting sun. With everyone's eyes looking out the window into the haze, we didn't notice the localizer was active until we were almost on the localizer. At about the same time, we finally saw the other aircraft and the tower was advising us that we had overshot the runway. The separation between the 2 aircraft was not a problem. No evasive action was required on our part other than the turn we were already making to correct back to 24R. A normal landing was made. Contributing factors: 1) it is difficult to brief for a particular approach into lax because we don't know which runway to expect. 2) the profile descent states on it to expect radar vectors to final. 3) the approach from the north with the associated traffic callouts, altitude restrictions, and 90 degree turn to final. 4) late afternoon sun and haze. Suggestions: 1) put the approachs to be used on ATIS or give them earlier in the approach. 2) approach controller should follow all approachs until runway alignment is achieved. 3) I will request vectors to final instead of accepting this particular approach when the sun is slow in the west.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WDB ACFT OVERSHOT FINAL DURING A VISUAL APCH WHILE TURNING INTO A SETTING SUN.

Narrative: WE WERE DSNDING ON THE 24/25 PROFILE DSCNT INTO LAX WHEN WE WERE ASKED BY APCH CTL IF WE HAD THE RWY IN SIGHT JUST BEFORE WE CROSSED SMO VOR. THE WX IN THE LOS ANGELES AREA WAS CLR BUT HAZY. WE COULD SEE THE ARPT CLRLY FROM SMO AT 10000 FT, BUT I KNEW WE WOULD HAVE TROUBLE ACQUIRING THE RWY WHEN LOOKING AT IT FROM THE E AT A GREATER DISTANCE AND LOWER ALT. THE CTLR ASKED US IF WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT AND WE ANSWERED AFFIRMATIVELY. SHORTLY AFTER SMO, WE WERE CLRED THE STADIUM VISUAL 24R. AFTER MAKING THE TURN AROUND THE STADIUM, THE CAPT STARTED CONFIGURING THE ACFT FOR LNDG WHEN APCH POINTED OUT TFC USING RWY 25L, AND SWITCHED US OVER TO THE TWR FREQ. THIS WAS A BUSY TIME, CONFIGURING THE ACFT, LOOKING FOR TFC, AND LOOKING FOR THE RWY THROUGH THE HAZE AND THE SETTING SUN. WITH EVERYONE'S EYES LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW INTO THE HAZE, WE DIDN'T NOTICE THE LOC WAS ACTIVE UNTIL WE WERE ALMOST ON THE LOC. AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME, WE FINALLY SAW THE OTHER ACFT AND THE TWR WAS ADVISING US THAT WE HAD OVERSHOT THE RWY. THE SEPARATION BTWN THE 2 ACFT WAS NOT A PROBLEM. NO EVASIVE ACTION WAS REQUIRED ON OUR PART OTHER THAN THE TURN WE WERE ALREADY MAKING TO CORRECT BACK TO 24R. A NORMAL LNDG WAS MADE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) IT IS DIFFICULT TO BRIEF FOR A PARTICULAR APCH INTO LAX BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHICH RWY TO EXPECT. 2) THE PROFILE DSCNT STATES ON IT TO EXPECT RADAR VECTORS TO FINAL. 3) THE APCH FROM THE N WITH THE ASSOCIATED TFC CALLOUTS, ALT RESTRICTIONS, AND 90 DEG TURN TO FINAL. 4) LATE AFTERNOON SUN AND HAZE. SUGGESTIONS: 1) PUT THE APCHS TO BE USED ON ATIS OR GIVE THEM EARLIER IN THE APCH. 2) APCH CTLR SHOULD FOLLOW ALL APCHS UNTIL RWY ALIGNMENT IS ACHIEVED. 3) I WILL REQUEST VECTORS TO FINAL INSTEAD OF ACCEPTING THIS PARTICULAR APCH WHEN THE SUN IS SLOW IN THE W.

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.