Narrative:

At the tampa arrival gate, flight was vectored for either a visual approach active runway 36L or a visual approach runway 18R. A broken ceiling existed around 3000 ft with a layer beginning to form at 2000 ft, visibility was 7 mi. Tpa approach vectored for a right base entry to a visual approach runway 18R. Localizer/GS unusable due to runway 36L being the active runway. Runway 18R was selected both in ILS and FMC modes and a direct intercept leg to the OM was programmed and LNAV selected. Descended to 3000 ft where a 30 KT tailwind was noted by the crew. The tailwind, coupled with tpa approach being busy with military traffic, resulted in a late vector to final with a heading of 220 degrees being assigned for the intercept to runway 18R final. Requested lower and 2000 ft was assigned. Just prior to reaching 2000 ft tpa approach gave the position of runway 18R as our 11 O'clock, 7 mi. Broke out of the scattered layer, idented a visual on the runway by our glide path indications of the VASI approach lighting system. Upon turning final the HSI showed slightly left of course, visual confirmation with runway 18R was rechked and no other runway lighting system was observed. The crew (mistakenly) assumed there was an anomaly in the FMC runway 18R selection and focused their attention on a strong tailwind and completing checklists. Contacting tpa tower surface winds were checked and a normal landing ensued. Tpa tower then advised we had landed runway 18L. The captain should not have accepted the visual approach without an operating localizer. The combination of WX, wind and approach lighting resulted in the aircraft intercepting final at an angle that contributed to the misident. Suspected onboard anomalies would have proved erroneous with an operating localizer. The captain's (crew) perception was he (they) was landing runway 18R.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN LGT ACR ACFT INADVERTENTLY LANDED ON THE RWY PARALLEL RWY AFTER MAKING A VISUAL APCH IN BROKEN CLOUD CONDITIONS.

Narrative: AT THE TAMPA ARR GATE, FLT WAS VECTORED FOR EITHER A VISUAL APCH ACTIVE RWY 36L OR A VISUAL APCH RWY 18R. A BROKEN CEILING EXISTED AROUND 3000 FT WITH A LAYER BEGINNING TO FORM AT 2000 FT, VISIBILITY WAS 7 MI. TPA APCH VECTORED FOR A R BASE ENTRY TO A VISUAL APCH RWY 18R. LOC/GS UNUSABLE DUE TO RWY 36L BEING THE ACTIVE RWY. RWY 18R WAS SELECTED BOTH IN ILS AND FMC MODES AND A DIRECT INTERCEPT LEG TO THE OM WAS PROGRAMMED AND LNAV SELECTED. DSNDED TO 3000 FT WHERE A 30 KT TAILWIND WAS NOTED BY THE CREW. THE TAILWIND, COUPLED WITH TPA APCH BEING BUSY WITH MIL TFC, RESULTED IN A LATE VECTOR TO FINAL WITH A HDG OF 220 DEGS BEING ASSIGNED FOR THE INTERCEPT TO RWY 18R FINAL. REQUESTED LOWER AND 2000 FT WAS ASSIGNED. JUST PRIOR TO REACHING 2000 FT TPA APCH GAVE THE POS OF RWY 18R AS OUR 11 O'CLOCK, 7 MI. BROKE OUT OF THE SCATTERED LAYER, IDENTED A VISUAL ON THE RWY BY OUR GLIDE PATH INDICATIONS OF THE VASI APCH LIGHTING SYS. UPON TURNING FINAL THE HSI SHOWED SLIGHTLY L OF COURSE, VISUAL CONFIRMATION WITH RWY 18R WAS RECHKED AND NO OTHER RWY LIGHTING SYS WAS OBSERVED. THE CREW (MISTAKENLY) ASSUMED THERE WAS AN ANOMALY IN THE FMC RWY 18R SELECTION AND FOCUSED THEIR ATTN ON A STRONG TAILWIND AND COMPLETING CHKLISTS. CONTACTING TPA TWR SURFACE WINDS WERE CHKED AND A NORMAL LNDG ENSUED. TPA TWR THEN ADVISED WE HAD LANDED RWY 18L. THE CAPT SHOULD NOT HAVE ACCEPTED THE VISUAL APCH WITHOUT AN OPERATING LOC. THE COMBINATION OF WX, WIND AND APCH LIGHTING RESULTED IN THE ACFT INTERCEPTING FINAL AT AN ANGLE THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE MISIDENT. SUSPECTED ONBOARD ANOMALIES WOULD HAVE PROVED ERRONEOUS WITH AN OPERATING LOC. THE CAPT'S (CREW) PERCEPTION WAS HE (THEY) WAS LNDG RWY 18R.

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.