Narrative:

First officer was flying air carrier X made a right downwind visual approach to airport at night. WX was clear/visibility 10 plus mi. Approach controller told us just before turning us over to tower that the 'runway lights are up and VASI is on' first officer made normal approach. We made our approach to runway at approximately 300 ft AGL. Tower controller and cockpit crew realized we had lined up for runway 31R after being cleared for visual to runway 31L. Immediately, we made a go around and made normal landing on 31L. Contributing factors: 1) GA traffic had been heavy that day due to convention. Lights for runway 31R were on full bright. Runway 31L lights were extremely dim. 2) REIL lights for both runways were notamed OTS. However, REIL lights for runway 31R were on. NOAA and X charts do not show REIL lights for runway 31R. Only shown for larger runway 31L, which we were cleared for approach to. Saw REIL lights, thought runway 31L. 3) controller stated that lighting system for 2 runways were not the best. Runway 31L had control panel of steps 1-5. Runway 31R's control panel was 10 percent or 30 percent or 100 percent. Lights for runway 31R were on 100 percent for heavy flow of GA traffic. Both myself and first officer stated to each other that neither one of us saw lights for runway 31L until second approach and landing. Tower must have had lights so dim compared to runway 31R that we couldn't pick them out adequately. 4) made normal G/a and controller adjusted lights for runway 31L and made normal landing. 5) PNF had not been into psp at night in several yrs. Was familiar with airport layout, but not in discrepancy in runway lighting. Several items here need to be addressed. A)total familiarity with airport surroundings/lighting etc. B) consistent use of runway lighting. C) error in published lighting on plates. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: psp air traffic manager verified there are REIL lights on both runways. Air traffic manager verified there is a problem with the brightness settings of the parallel runways. Air traffic manager stated runway 31R lights are omnidirectional.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X MADE APCH TO WRONG RWY EXECUTED A GAR. ARPT RWY LIGHT PROB PARALLEL RWYS.

Narrative: FO WAS FLYING ACR X MADE A R DOWNWIND VISUAL APCH TO ARPT AT NIGHT. WX WAS CLR/VISIBILITY 10 PLUS MI. APCH CTLR TOLD US JUST BEFORE TURNING US OVER TO TWR THAT THE 'RWY LIGHTS ARE UP AND VASI IS ON' FO MADE NORMAL APCH. WE MADE OUR APCH TO RWY AT APPROX 300 FT AGL. TWR CTLR AND COCKPIT CREW REALIZED WE HAD LINED UP FOR RWY 31R AFTER BEING CLRED FOR VISUAL TO RWY 31L. IMMEDIATELY, WE MADE A GAR AND MADE NORMAL LNDG ON 31L. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) GA TFC HAD BEEN HVY THAT DAY DUE TO CONVENTION. LIGHTS FOR RWY 31R WERE ON FULL BRIGHT. RWY 31L LIGHTS WERE EXTREMELY DIM. 2) REIL LIGHTS FOR BOTH RWYS WERE NOTAMED OTS. HOWEVER, REIL LIGHTS FOR RWY 31R WERE ON. NOAA AND X CHARTS DO NOT SHOW REIL LIGHTS FOR RWY 31R. ONLY SHOWN FOR LARGER RWY 31L, WHICH WE WERE CLRED FOR APCH TO. SAW REIL LIGHTS, THOUGHT RWY 31L. 3) CTLR STATED THAT LIGHTING SYS FOR 2 RWYS WERE NOT THE BEST. RWY 31L HAD CTL PANEL OF STEPS 1-5. RWY 31R'S CTL PANEL WAS 10 PERCENT OR 30 PERCENT OR 100 PERCENT. LIGHTS FOR RWY 31R WERE ON 100 PERCENT FOR HVY FLOW OF GA TFC. BOTH MYSELF AND FO STATED TO EACH OTHER THAT NEITHER ONE OF US SAW LIGHTS FOR RWY 31L UNTIL SECOND APCH AND LNDG. TWR MUST HAVE HAD LIGHTS SO DIM COMPARED TO RWY 31R THAT WE COULDN'T PICK THEM OUT ADEQUATELY. 4) MADE NORMAL G/A AND CTLR ADJUSTED LIGHTS FOR RWY 31L AND MADE NORMAL LNDG. 5) PNF HAD NOT BEEN INTO PSP AT NIGHT IN SEVERAL YRS. WAS FAMILIAR WITH ARPT LAYOUT, BUT NOT IN DISCREPANCY IN RWY LIGHTING. SEVERAL ITEMS HERE NEED TO BE ADDRESSED. A)TOTAL FAMILIARITY WITH ARPT SURROUNDINGS/LIGHTING ETC. B) CONSISTENT USE OF RWY LIGHTING. C) ERROR IN PUBLISHED LIGHTING ON PLATES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: PSP AIR TFC MGR VERIFIED THERE ARE REIL LIGHTS ON BOTH RWYS. AIR TFC MGR VERIFIED THERE IS A PROB WITH THE BRIGHTNESS SETTINGS OF THE PARALLEL RWYS. AIR TFC MGR STATED RWY 31R LIGHTS ARE OMNIDIRECTIONAL.

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.