Narrative:

Air carrier X approaching dtw metropolitan from northwest on 160 degree heading, approximately 8 DME. Dtw ATIS called visual runway 21L. We had had runway 21L localizer tuned on captain's side and dxo VOR on first officer's side. Approach asked if we had the airport in sight. We did not and continued on the 160 degree heading. As we flew closer the runway 21R approach light became visible. At that point we were flying through the runway 21R localizer. Controller at that moment became a little frustrated with the fact that we could not see the runway and airport and instructed us to intercept the runway 21L localizer. We complied and flew the aircraft inbound to approximately 2-3 mi and tower instructed us to change runways to runway 21R and cleared us to land on runway 21R which we did. Supplemental information from acn 253538: on taxi in tower gave us the radar room phone number and asked us to call the supervisor. I called and spoke with the supervisor. He asked me 'what happened out there.' I said what do you mean? He said, you were cleared the visual to runway 21R and you flew runway 21L. I told him the approach controller told us that we were cleared the visual runway 21L after we had the field in sight. He had not pulled the tapes. The supervisor said he was not going to pursue the incident any further than this phone call. I feel this incident could have been avoided if the controller had not been in such a hurry to get us to accept the visual approach.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X APCH TO WRONG RWY. MULTIPLE RWY OP PARALLEL RWYS.

Narrative: ACR X APCHING DTW METRO FROM NW ON 160 DEG HDG, APPROX 8 DME. DTW ATIS CALLED VISUAL RWY 21L. WE HAD HAD RWY 21L LOC TUNED ON CAPT'S SIDE AND DXO VOR ON FO'S SIDE. APCH ASKED IF WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT. WE DID NOT AND CONTINUED ON THE 160 DEG HDG. AS WE FLEW CLOSER THE RWY 21R APCH LIGHT BECAME VISIBLE. AT THAT POINT WE WERE FLYING THROUGH THE RWY 21R LOC. CTLR AT THAT MOMENT BECAME A LITTLE FRUSTRATED WITH THE FACT THAT WE COULD NOT SEE THE RWY AND ARPT AND INSTRUCTED US TO INTERCEPT THE RWY 21L LOC. WE COMPLIED AND FLEW THE ACFT INBOUND TO APPROX 2-3 MI AND TWR INSTRUCTED US TO CHANGE RWYS TO RWY 21R AND CLRED US TO LAND ON RWY 21R WHICH WE DID. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 253538: ON TAXI IN TWR GAVE US THE RADAR ROOM PHONE NUMBER AND ASKED US TO CALL THE SUPVR. I CALLED AND SPOKE WITH THE SUPVR. HE ASKED ME 'WHAT HAPPENED OUT THERE.' I SAID WHAT DO YOU MEAN? HE SAID, YOU WERE CLRED THE VISUAL TO RWY 21R AND YOU FLEW RWY 21L. I TOLD HIM THE APCH CTLR TOLD US THAT WE WERE CLRED THE VISUAL RWY 21L AFTER WE HAD THE FIELD IN SIGHT. HE HAD NOT PULLED THE TAPES. THE SUPVR SAID HE WAS NOT GOING TO PURSUE THE INCIDENT ANY FURTHER THAN THIS PHONE CALL. I FEEL THIS INCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF THE CTLR HAD NOT BEEN IN SUCH A HURRY TO GET US TO ACCEPT THE VISUAL APCH.

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.