Flight crew of air carrier medium large transport aircraft making a visual approach lost sight of the designated runway due to haze and setting sun resulting in overshooting final approach course.

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Attributes
ACN	227843
Time
Date	199211
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2200 msl bound upper : 2500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : lax
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual arrival other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 3400
ASRS Report	227843
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Approaching lax from north, visibility unlimited. Call airport in sight when 20 mi north of airport. Visibility excellent. Turning base and descending on visual clearance, visibility dropped to about 5 mi because sun is now in front of us. Turning an angled base as per procedure and continuing descent, visibility decreased further as we entered the haze layer. Maintaining visual contact with 24R became difficult and we 1) momentarily flew through the localizer, 2) reacquired the airport, 3) received at TCASII alert. The elevation through the localizer took us about half way between the 24 and 25 complexes and was immediately corrected. I do not know if aircraft on 25 localizer also received TCASII alert. This experience was very unexpected as the perceived visibility appeared to be at least 50 mi when approaching from the north. The loss of airport visually was probably not more than a min as we hit the top of the haze layer but the timing could not have been worse.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF ACR MLG ACFT MAKING A VISUAL APCH LOST SIGHT OF THE DESIGNATED RWY DUE TO HAZE AND SETTING SUN RESULTING IN OVERSHOOTING FINAL APCH COURSE.

Narrative: APCHING LAX FROM N, VISIBILITY UNLIMITED. CALL ARPT IN SIGHT WHEN 20 MI N OF ARPT. VISIBILITY EXCELLENT. TURNING BASE AND DSNDING ON VISUAL CLRNC, VISIBILITY DROPPED TO ABOUT 5 MI BECAUSE SUN IS NOW IN FRONT OF US. TURNING AN ANGLED BASE AS PER PROC AND CONTINUING DSCNT, VISIBILITY DECREASED FURTHER AS WE ENTERED THE HAZE LAYER. MAINTAINING VISUAL CONTACT WITH 24R BECAME DIFFICULT AND WE 1) MOMENTARILY FLEW THROUGH THE LOC, 2) REACQUIRED THE ARPT, 3) RECEIVED AT TCASII ALERT. THE ELEVATION THROUGH THE LOC TOOK US ABOUT HALF WAY BTWN THE 24 AND 25 COMPLEXES AND WAS IMMEDIATELY CORRECTED. I DO NOT KNOW IF ACFT ON 25 LOC ALSO RECEIVED TCASII ALERT. THIS EXPERIENCE WAS VERY UNEXPECTED AS THE PERCEIVED VISIBILITY APPEARED TO BE AT LEAST 50 MI WHEN APCHING FROM THE N. THE LOSS OF ARPT VISUALLY WAS PROBABLY NOT MORE THAN A MIN AS WE HIT THE TOP OF THE HAZE LAYER BUT THE TIMING COULD NOT HAVE BEEN WORSE.

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.