Narrative:

We approached den from the west. First officer still flying. Den was landing 8R, 17L per ATIS. WX was good VFR but night. We set up for 8R approach, at 11000 ft runway was changed to 17R. We were vectored on a right downwind, cleared to 8000 ft. Next came a right turn to base leg. Approach told us we were being turned in close, to put us in front of a heavy widebody transport. The TCASII gave us a TA from an aircraft on final for runway 17L. Approach cleared us to 7000 ft (we were still at 9000 ft) and asked us if we had the field in sight. They also asked us if we had an aircraft in front of us landing on 17R. We did at this time. First officer said he had the field in sight. I did not! I reported field (not runway, I think) in sight and we were cleared for a visual to runway 17R. First officer had runway 18 in sight and turned final for it. We were still very high. Tower asked us what runway we were lined up for 17R or 18. We were lined up for runway 18 and we went around at 800 ft. Normal landing on next approach. What went wrong? We briefed for runway 8R. When the runway was changed, as there is no instrument (ILS) approach for runway 17R, we did not brief for runway conditions. When we turned final, something didn't look right. Of course it was not the correct approach light system. If we had briefed the runway lighting system, this would not have happened. After we landed, I had to convince the first officer we had lined up on the wrong runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LGT MAKES WRONG RWY APCH AT NIGHT AFTER RWY CHANGE.

Narrative: WE APCHED DEN FROM THE W. FO STILL FLYING. DEN WAS LNDG 8R, 17L PER ATIS. WX WAS GOOD VFR BUT NIGHT. WE SET UP FOR 8R APCH, AT 11000 FT RWY WAS CHANGED TO 17R. WE WERE VECTORED ON A R DOWNWIND, CLRED TO 8000 FT. NEXT CAME A R TURN TO BASE LEG. APCH TOLD US WE WERE BEING TURNED IN CLOSE, TO PUT US IN FRONT OF A HVY WDB. THE TCASII GAVE US A TA FROM AN ACFT ON FINAL FOR RWY 17L. APCH CLRED US TO 7000 FT (WE WERE STILL AT 9000 FT) AND ASKED US IF WE HAD THE FIELD IN SIGHT. THEY ALSO ASKED US IF WE HAD AN ACFT IN FRONT OF US LNDG ON 17R. WE DID AT THIS TIME. FO SAID HE HAD THE FIELD IN SIGHT. I DID NOT! I RPTED FIELD (NOT RWY, I THINK) IN SIGHT AND WE WERE CLRED FOR A VISUAL TO RWY 17R. FO HAD RWY 18 IN SIGHT AND TURNED FINAL FOR IT. WE WERE STILL VERY HIGH. TWR ASKED US WHAT RWY WE WERE LINED UP FOR 17R OR 18. WE WERE LINED UP FOR RWY 18 AND WE WENT AROUND AT 800 FT. NORMAL LNDG ON NEXT APCH. WHAT WENT WRONG? WE BRIEFED FOR RWY 8R. WHEN THE RWY WAS CHANGED, AS THERE IS NO INST (ILS) APCH FOR RWY 17R, WE DID NOT BRIEF FOR RWY CONDITIONS. WHEN WE TURNED FINAL, SOMETHING DIDN'T LOOK RIGHT. OF COURSE IT WAS NOT THE CORRECT APCH LIGHT SYS. IF WE HAD BRIEFED THE RWY LIGHTING SYS, THIS WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. AFTER WE LANDED, I HAD TO CONVINCE THE FO WE HAD LINED UP ON THE WRONG RWY.

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.