Flight crew of an medium large transport mistakenly lined up with the wrong parallel runway.

Attributes
ACN	298961
Time
Date	199412
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : phl
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1500 msl bound upper : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : phl
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 11000
ASRS Report	298961
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other other spatial deviation other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

Lined up to land on runway 27L instead of runway 27R. Visibility unlimited but runway 27L appeared to stand out much better than runway 27R. Due to late turn to final by controllers and crosswind correction, the aircraft was aimed at runway 27R but 27L was the only runway visible. As we came closer, runway 27R appeared to have a darker surface making it more difficult to identify. At about 1500 ft we did recognize the problem and correct it with no difficulty. Dark surface runways seem to be cropping up at more airports. These make the identify and depth perception much more difficult. Lexington, ky also has this problem. At night in precipitation, landing is a lot more difficult due to landing lights reflecting only on runway #south and distance markings.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN MLG MISTAKENLY LINED UP WITH THE WRONG PARALLEL RWY.

Narrative: LINED UP TO LAND ON RWY 27L INSTEAD OF RWY 27R. VISIBILITY UNLIMITED BUT RWY 27L APPEARED TO STAND OUT MUCH BETTER THAN RWY 27R. DUE TO LATE TURN TO FINAL BY CTLRS AND XWIND CORRECTION, THE ACFT WAS AIMED AT RWY 27R BUT 27L WAS THE ONLY RWY VISIBLE. AS WE CAME CLOSER, RWY 27R APPEARED TO HAVE A DARKER SURFACE MAKING IT MORE DIFFICULT TO IDENT. AT ABOUT 1500 FT WE DID RECOGNIZE THE PROB AND CORRECT IT WITH NO DIFFICULTY. DARK SURFACE RWYS SEEM TO BE CROPPING UP AT MORE ARPTS. THESE MAKE THE IDENT AND DEPTH PERCEPTION MUCH MORE DIFFICULT. LEXINGTON, KY ALSO HAS THIS PROB. AT NIGHT IN PRECIPITATION, LNDG IS A LOT MORE DIFFICULT DUE TO LNDG LIGHTS REFLECTING ONLY ON RWY #S AND DISTANCE MARKINGS.

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.