Narrative:

On the arrival to lax we departed santa monica heading east and from the copilot seat I observed aircraft landing at lax on runway 24 and runway 25. However, there was a 'finger' of fog over the northern runways from the threshold and west. As we turn base and descended from 5000 ft we were cleared to 2600 ft, tuned the ILS and OM. Lax approach asked if we had the runway in sight, I said 'negative' and they replied 'then maintain 3000 ft.' the captain said 'you don't have it yet?' and I leaned back in my seat so he could see beyond me and I said, 'do you want to call it?' and he said 'I have it, call it.' I called 'runway in sight' and we were cleared for the visual to runway 24R. The captain asked for gear, landing checklist, and flaps 28 degrees, plus we had a TCASII TA, so I was 'heads down' in the cockpit, plus looking out left and behind the captain for traffic. At this time the jumpseater and lax tower (north) said you're lined up on the wrong runways. We adjusted to the right to align with runway 24R and landed without incident. From santa monica inbound I was talking about the fog over the north complex, how I saw aircraft landing disappear under it. Also, I knew the north complex was going to be more difficult to discern. I thought the captain realized the difficulty of seeing the runway 24R runway and that's why I was reluctant to call it in sight. When he said 'call it' I deferred to his experience and went about my PNF duties. In retrospect, I should have ensured final alignment with the ILS and OM to back him up and could have communicated the visibility difficulties more clearly.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT MAKING VISUAL APCH LINED UP ON THE WRONG RWY.

Narrative: ON THE ARR TO LAX WE DEPARTED SANTA MONICA HDG E AND FROM THE COPLT SEAT I OBSERVED ACFT LNDG AT LAX ON RWY 24 AND RWY 25. HOWEVER, THERE WAS A 'FINGER' OF FOG OVER THE NORTHERN RWYS FROM THE THRESHOLD AND W. AS WE TURN BASE AND DSNDED FROM 5000 FT WE WERE CLRED TO 2600 FT, TUNED THE ILS AND OM. LAX APCH ASKED IF WE HAD THE RWY IN SIGHT, I SAID 'NEGATIVE' AND THEY REPLIED 'THEN MAINTAIN 3000 FT.' THE CAPT SAID 'YOU DON'T HAVE IT YET?' AND I LEANED BACK IN MY SEAT SO HE COULD SEE BEYOND ME AND I SAID, 'DO YOU WANT TO CALL IT?' AND HE SAID 'I HAVE IT, CALL IT.' I CALLED 'RWY IN SIGHT' AND WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL TO RWY 24R. THE CAPT ASKED FOR GEAR, LNDG CHKLIST, AND FLAPS 28 DEGS, PLUS WE HAD A TCASII TA, SO I WAS 'HEADS DOWN' IN THE COCKPIT, PLUS LOOKING OUT L AND BEHIND THE CAPT FOR TFC. AT THIS TIME THE JUMPSEATER AND LAX TWR (N) SAID YOU'RE LINED UP ON THE WRONG RWYS. WE ADJUSTED TO THE R TO ALIGN WITH RWY 24R AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. FROM SANTA MONICA INBOUND I WAS TALKING ABOUT THE FOG OVER THE N COMPLEX, HOW I SAW ACFT LNDG DISAPPEAR UNDER IT. ALSO, I KNEW THE N COMPLEX WAS GOING TO BE MORE DIFFICULT TO DISCERN. I THOUGHT THE CAPT REALIZED THE DIFFICULTY OF SEEING THE RWY 24R RWY AND THAT'S WHY I WAS RELUCTANT TO CALL IT IN SIGHT. WHEN HE SAID 'CALL IT' I DEFERRED TO HIS EXPERIENCE AND WENT ABOUT MY PNF DUTIES. IN RETROSPECT, I SHOULD HAVE ENSURED FINAL ALIGNMENT WITH THE ILS AND OM TO BACK HIM UP AND COULD HAVE COMMUNICATED THE VISIBILITY DIFFICULTIES MORE CLRLY.

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.