Narrative:

Flight was a regularly scheduled flight from sjc-lax on jun/thu/93. I, the first officer, was flying the leg and we were cleared on the sadde 4 arrival, vectors off smo VOR on a 070 degree heading for downwind lax to runway 24R approach. About 6 DME past or east of lax with field in sight, we were turned 160 degree heading for base and cleared for visual approach 24R. The 160 degree heading put us inside romen OM and above GS on the ILS 24R (typical setup for a slam/dunk approach). The real problems arose when turning to a 160 degree heading for the 90 degree base. We lost sight of lax airport due to setting sun angle and haze. This delayed our turn to establish a visual final to 24R. The autoplt was on and both navigation displays had the ILS 24R selected, however, the 90 to 60 degree turn to final caused us to fly through the ILS/localizer and overshoot toward the parallel ILS 25L localizer flight path. There was a call from lax tower to continue our turn back on course and a warning of another air carrier large transport on final as we returned back on course about 3 DME on the ILS 24R. Main contributing factors -- a low sun angle and la basin haze and calling field 'in sight' on downwind and not anticipating turning back into the sun on final. Turned on a base leg 'inside' of the OM and above GS (slam/dunk approach) when we lost sight of lax due to sun and haze, we delayed our visual turn to final and relied on the ILS/localizer to capture, however, the 90 degree base leg caused us to fly through the localizer. Corrective actions -- as pilots, never fail to account for all meteorological conditions such as sun angle, haze, ragged ceiling, etc. Don't let ATC rush or hurry you into making a decision you're not ready to comply with.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HDG TRACK DEV ON A VISUAL APCH PROC AT LAX ARPT.

Narrative: FLT WAS A REGULARLY SCHEDULED FLT FROM SJC-LAX ON JUN/THU/93. I, THE FO, WAS FLYING THE LEG AND WE WERE CLRED ON THE SADDE 4 ARR, VECTORS OFF SMO VOR ON A 070 DEG HDG FOR DOWNWIND LAX TO RWY 24R APCH. ABOUT 6 DME PAST OR E OF LAX WITH FIELD IN SIGHT, WE WERE TURNED 160 DEG HDG FOR BASE AND CLRED FOR VISUAL APCH 24R. THE 160 DEG HDG PUT US INSIDE ROMEN OM AND ABOVE GS ON THE ILS 24R (TYPICAL SETUP FOR A SLAM/DUNK APCH). THE REAL PROBS AROSE WHEN TURNING TO A 160 DEG HDG FOR THE 90 DEG BASE. WE LOST SIGHT OF LAX ARPT DUE TO SETTING SUN ANGLE AND HAZE. THIS DELAYED OUR TURN TO ESTABLISH A VISUAL FINAL TO 24R. THE AUTOPLT WAS ON AND BOTH NAV DISPLAYS HAD THE ILS 24R SELECTED, HOWEVER, THE 90 TO 60 DEG TURN TO FINAL CAUSED US TO FLY THROUGH THE ILS/LOC AND OVERSHOOT TOWARD THE PARALLEL ILS 25L LOC FLT PATH. THERE WAS A CALL FROM LAX TWR TO CONTINUE OUR TURN BACK ON COURSE AND A WARNING OF ANOTHER ACR LGT ON FINAL AS WE RETURNED BACK ON COURSE ABOUT 3 DME ON THE ILS 24R. MAIN CONTRIBUTING FACTORS -- A LOW SUN ANGLE AND LA BASIN HAZE AND CALLING FIELD 'IN SIGHT' ON DOWNWIND AND NOT ANTICIPATING TURNING BACK INTO THE SUN ON FINAL. TURNED ON A BASE LEG 'INSIDE' OF THE OM AND ABOVE GS (SLAM/DUNK APCH) WHEN WE LOST SIGHT OF LAX DUE TO SUN AND HAZE, WE DELAYED OUR VISUAL TURN TO FINAL AND RELIED ON THE ILS/LOC TO CAPTURE, HOWEVER, THE 90 DEG BASE LEG CAUSED US TO FLY THROUGH THE LOC. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS -- AS PLTS, NEVER FAIL TO ACCOUNT FOR ALL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS SUCH AS SUN ANGLE, HAZE, RAGGED CEILING, ETC. DON'T LET ATC RUSH OR HURRY YOU INTO MAKING A DECISION YOU'RE NOT READY TO COMPLY WITH.

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.