Narrative:

On the runway 25L localizer at 10 DME and couldn't see the airport (lax) was cleared for ILS 25L. At 8 DME, socal warned me of an aircraft civil turbojet was overshooting his final for runway 24L/right. This aircraft flew through my final before turning back to the north side. This aircraft was cleared for a visual to runway 24R. Due to visibility restrs, they probably lost the airport on base leg. Had the 'gunter' strobe been operating at full intensity and properly noted on approach (stadium visual) charts, the flight crew would have had the visual cue available to start the turn to final. The gunter strobe has been inoperative for sometime, but now is operational. Why do they (FAA) run the strobe at such a low power setting making it almost useless? I've been flying out of lax for 7 plus yrs and remember when the strobe went in -- it was superb in poor visibility sits. At low power, you don't see it until your right over it! Please turn the power up. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: call to the FAA airway facilities at lax reveals that there are 2 strobe lights located on a 35 to 40 ft tower near the race track on final approach. The strobes are shaded with one used for runway 24L and the other used for runway 24R. It is not monitored. There is a photocell that determines the intensity setting with a low setting and a high setting. Apparently, it will operate on the high setting at night and low during the day. Suspect that reduced visibility during the day is not dark enough to change the setting to high.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR Y IN OVERSHOOTING TURN TO FINAL CREATED A POTENTIAL CONFLICT WITH ARR TFC.

Narrative: ON THE RWY 25L LOC AT 10 DME AND COULDN'T SEE THE ARPT (LAX) WAS CLRED FOR ILS 25L. AT 8 DME, SOCAL WARNED ME OF AN ACFT CIVIL TURBOJET WAS OVERSHOOTING HIS FINAL FOR RWY 24L/R. THIS ACFT FLEW THROUGH MY FINAL BEFORE TURNING BACK TO THE N SIDE. THIS ACFT WAS CLRED FOR A VISUAL TO RWY 24R. DUE TO VISIBILITY RESTRS, THEY PROBABLY LOST THE ARPT ON BASE LEG. HAD THE 'GUNTER' STROBE BEEN OPERATING AT FULL INTENSITY AND PROPERLY NOTED ON APCH (STADIUM VISUAL) CHARTS, THE FLT CREW WOULD HAVE HAD THE VISUAL CUE AVAILABLE TO START THE TURN TO FINAL. THE GUNTER STROBE HAS BEEN INOP FOR SOMETIME, BUT NOW IS OPERATIONAL. WHY DO THEY (FAA) RUN THE STROBE AT SUCH A LOW PWR SETTING MAKING IT ALMOST USELESS? I'VE BEEN FLYING OUT OF LAX FOR 7 PLUS YRS AND REMEMBER WHEN THE STROBE WENT IN -- IT WAS SUPERB IN POOR VISIBILITY SITS. AT LOW PWR, YOU DON'T SEE IT UNTIL YOUR RIGHT OVER IT! PLEASE TURN THE PWR UP. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CALL TO THE FAA AIRWAY FACILITIES AT LAX REVEALS THAT THERE ARE 2 STROBE LIGHTS LOCATED ON A 35 TO 40 FT TWR NEAR THE RACE TRACK ON FINAL APCH. THE STROBES ARE SHADED WITH ONE USED FOR RWY 24L AND THE OTHER USED FOR RWY 24R. IT IS NOT MONITORED. THERE IS A PHOTOCELL THAT DETERMINES THE INTENSITY SETTING WITH A LOW SETTING AND A HIGH SETTING. APPARENTLY, IT WILL OPERATE ON THE HIGH SETTING AT NIGHT AND LOW DURING THE DAY. SUSPECT THAT REDUCED VISIBILITY DURING THE DAY IS NOT DARK ENOUGH TO CHANGE THE SETTING TO HIGH.

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.