Narrative:

I was on a relocation flight from vny to lax and was being vectored for a visual to runway 24R. I was given a rapid descent from 4000 to 2500 and also advise of a beech 1900 on 1 mi final and advised to follow. I could not find traffic and was told he was on the runway. I looked and saw what I thought was the be-1900 on the runway and began a visual approach to that runway. I had asked to verify the runway, runway 25 or 24 that I had been cleared to. There was a lot of radio traffic and it was hard to communicate. Then, ATC advised an immediate climb and right turn. In the confusion, I turned left, then back right. I was turned back to runway 24L. I realized then that I had lined up on runway 25R. I feel that the rapid descent and tight vectors to visual, change from my original flight plan, plus the rapid, sometimes covered communication led to this error and incident. I think ATC should have additional frequencys and controllers due to the high volume of traffic that lax handles, would help this problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PIC RADAR VECTORED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 24R BUT INADVERTENTLY LINED UP WITH RWY 25R DUE TO THE RESTR VISIBILITY.

Narrative: I WAS ON A RELOCATION FLT FROM VNY TO LAX AND WAS BEING VECTORED FOR A VISUAL TO RWY 24R. I WAS GIVEN A RAPID DSCNT FROM 4000 TO 2500 AND ALSO ADVISE OF A BEECH 1900 ON 1 MI FINAL AND ADVISED TO FOLLOW. I COULD NOT FIND TFC AND WAS TOLD HE WAS ON THE RWY. I LOOKED AND SAW WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE BE-1900 ON THE RWY AND BEGAN A VISUAL APCH TO THAT RWY. I HAD ASKED TO VERIFY THE RWY, RWY 25 OR 24 THAT I HAD BEEN CLRED TO. THERE WAS A LOT OF RADIO TFC AND IT WAS HARD TO COMMUNICATE. THEN, ATC ADVISED AN IMMEDIATE CLB AND R TURN. IN THE CONFUSION, I TURNED L, THEN BACK R. I WAS TURNED BACK TO RWY 24L. I REALIZED THEN THAT I HAD LINED UP ON RWY 25R. I FEEL THAT THE RAPID DSCNT AND TIGHT VECTORS TO VISUAL, CHANGE FROM MY ORIGINAL FLT PLAN, PLUS THE RAPID, SOMETIMES COVERED COM LED TO THIS ERROR AND INCIDENT. I THINK ATC SHOULD HAVE ADDITIONAL FREQS AND CTLRS DUE TO THE HIGH VOLUME OF TFC THAT LAX HANDLES, WOULD HELP THIS PROB.

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.