Narrative:

New copilot flying and cleared for visual approach to runway 24L at lax (after clearance to runway 25L then runway 24R). Copilot mistook runway 25L for runway 24 complex. Violated clearance and lined up on runway 25L. First officer's in my seat position could not see runways or first officer's localizer display. Also, involved with traffic watch with captain. After aircraft rolled level captain and I discovered error and tried to direct copilot back to correct runway. Tower issued go around to uneventful second approach and landing. Runway 24 complex is markedly less brightly lit than the runway 25 complex. Makes runway identify difficult especially at lax with persistent haze and smog. Hardly makes up for missing swing of localizer, but copilot was cleared for visual approach. Like a moth to a flame he went for brightly lit runway 25! Supplemental information from acn 283540: factors contributing to problem of making a visual approach to runway 24L and trying to see it were: 3 runway changes by intensity runway lights on the north runways (24's) and high intensity lights on the south runways (25's). Cockpit workload for PNF looking for traffic, tuning/identing ILS and radios, MCP (mode control panel) functions, configuring and checklists. Low-time first officer. Poor horizontal visibility to the west at lax. Frequency changes in pattern. High assigned speed (210 KTS). Closeness abeam to north complex. First officer misidenting runway. Corrected toward north complex as soon as ILS was tuned and visual made with south runways. A go around was issued by lax tower. We were told to turn in now for runway 24L visual (3RD runway change in last 3 mins). I asked him if he saw the runway, and if he could make the visual comfortably as I couldn't see it (being on other side of cockpit). The first officer (PF) said yes, he could see it and make it. He started turning and I was busy looking up the third ILS frequency in the approach, looking for traffic, changing to tower frequency, reconfiguring aircraft, running the MCP for PF and answering final checklist items. The situation could have been avoided, had controller put us far enough abeam for the runway 24's (he had originally set us up for the 25 runways). Had the 24 runway lights been on as bright as the runway 25's. Had the controllers not changed runways 3 times on downwind leg. Had they slowed us prior to turn.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WRONG RWY APCH IN A NIGHT OP. RWY CHANGE IN PROGRESS, RWY IN USE SELECTION PROC.

Narrative: NEW COPLT FLYING AND CLRED FOR VISUAL APCH TO RWY 24L AT LAX (AFTER CLRNC TO RWY 25L THEN RWY 24R). COPLT MISTOOK RWY 25L FOR RWY 24 COMPLEX. VIOLATED CLRNC AND LINED UP ON RWY 25L. FO'S IN MY SEAT POS COULD NOT SEE RWYS OR FO'S LOC DISPLAY. ALSO, INVOLVED WITH TFC WATCH WITH CAPT. AFTER ACFT ROLLED LEVEL CAPT AND I DISCOVERED ERROR AND TRIED TO DIRECT COPLT BACK TO CORRECT RWY. TWR ISSUED GAR TO UNEVENTFUL SECOND APCH AND LNDG. RWY 24 COMPLEX IS MARKEDLY LESS BRIGHTLY LIT THAN THE RWY 25 COMPLEX. MAKES RWY IDENT DIFFICULT ESPECIALLY AT LAX WITH PERSISTENT HAZE AND SMOG. HARDLY MAKES UP FOR MISSING SWING OF LOC, BUT COPLT WAS CLRED FOR VISUAL APCH. LIKE A MOTH TO A FLAME HE WENT FOR BRIGHTLY LIT RWY 25! SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 283540: FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO PROB OF MAKING A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 24L AND TRYING TO SEE IT WERE: 3 RWY CHANGES BY INTENSITY RWY LIGHTS ON THE N RWYS (24'S) AND HIGH INTENSITY LIGHTS ON THE S RWYS (25'S). COCKPIT WORKLOAD FOR PNF LOOKING FOR TFC, TUNING/IDENTING ILS AND RADIOS, MCP (MODE CTL PANEL) FUNCTIONS, CONFIGURING AND CHKLISTS. LOW-TIME FO. POOR HORIZ VISIBILITY TO THE W AT LAX. FREQ CHANGES IN PATTERN. HIGH ASSIGNED SPD (210 KTS). CLOSENESS ABEAM TO N COMPLEX. FO MISIDENTING RWY. CORRECTED TOWARD N COMPLEX AS SOON AS ILS WAS TUNED AND VISUAL MADE WITH S RWYS. A GAR WAS ISSUED BY LAX TWR. WE WERE TOLD TO TURN IN NOW FOR RWY 24L VISUAL (3RD RWY CHANGE IN LAST 3 MINS). I ASKED HIM IF HE SAW THE RWY, AND IF HE COULD MAKE THE VISUAL COMFORTABLY AS I COULDN'T SEE IT (BEING ON OTHER SIDE OF COCKPIT). THE FO (PF) SAID YES, HE COULD SEE IT AND MAKE IT. HE STARTED TURNING AND I WAS BUSY LOOKING UP THE THIRD ILS FREQ IN THE APCH, LOOKING FOR TFC, CHANGING TO TWR FREQ, RECONFIGURING ACFT, RUNNING THE MCP FOR PF AND ANSWERING FINAL CHKLIST ITEMS. THE SIT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED, HAD CTLR PUT US FAR ENOUGH ABEAM FOR THE RWY 24'S (HE HAD ORIGINALLY SET US UP FOR THE 25 RWYS). HAD THE 24 RWY LIGHTS BEEN ON AS BRIGHT AS THE RWY 25'S. HAD THE CTLRS NOT CHANGED RWYS 3 TIMES ON DOWNWIND LEG. HAD THEY SLOWED US PRIOR TO TURN.

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.