Narrative:

Vectored for visual to runway 24R after being vectored to north side of airport. Misidented runway 25R as runway 24R and crossed the approach path to runway 24L in attempting to line up for approach. Had requested and expected approach to runway 25L. Was vectored to other side of airport. Set up for ILS to runway 24R and requested vectors to ILS. Was denied. In haze, failed to see runway 24L/right and assumed runway 25R/left, which were visible to be the correct runways. Pilot errors: accepting visual approach without fully identing runway. Failure to use electronic aids (localizer) during visual approach to identify position. (When controller pointed out error, localizer was indicating that I had crossed the localizer and was now on south side. Had I continued checking localizer, the error would have been apparent immediately.) controller errors: insisting on visual approach under marginal visibility conditions. Said did not have time for ILS. General note: the controllers at lax seemed very stressed. Heard 1 aircraft being cleared for wrong runway -- caught by the pilot. My request for ILS could have been answered by 'intercept the localizer' rather than a threat to deny the approach. I believe this would have guided my thinking to catch the error more quickly. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter flies the PA 28R-200. He admits that he had tuned in the ILS but was not paying any attention to it as he thought that he had the correct runway in sight. It was very hazy that day, and the reporter could not see all of the runways. He has not heard further from the FAA on this.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TRACK DEV, WRONG RWY APCH.

Narrative: VECTORED FOR VISUAL TO RWY 24R AFTER BEING VECTORED TO N SIDE OF ARPT. MISIDENTED RWY 25R AS RWY 24R AND CROSSED THE APCH PATH TO RWY 24L IN ATTEMPTING TO LINE UP FOR APCH. HAD REQUESTED AND EXPECTED APCH TO RWY 25L. WAS VECTORED TO OTHER SIDE OF ARPT. SET UP FOR ILS TO RWY 24R AND REQUESTED VECTORS TO ILS. WAS DENIED. IN HAZE, FAILED TO SEE RWY 24L/R AND ASSUMED RWY 25R/L, WHICH WERE VISIBLE TO BE THE CORRECT RWYS. PLT ERRORS: ACCEPTING VISUAL APCH WITHOUT FULLY IDENTING RWY. FAILURE TO USE ELECTRONIC AIDS (LOC) DURING VISUAL APCH TO IDENT POS. (WHEN CTLR POINTED OUT ERROR, LOC WAS INDICATING THAT I HAD CROSSED THE LOC AND WAS NOW ON S SIDE. HAD I CONTINUED CHKING LOC, THE ERROR WOULD HAVE BEEN APPARENT IMMEDIATELY.) CTLR ERRORS: INSISTING ON VISUAL APCH UNDER MARGINAL VISIBILITY CONDITIONS. SAID DID NOT HAVE TIME FOR ILS. GENERAL NOTE: THE CTLRS AT LAX SEEMED VERY STRESSED. HEARD 1 ACFT BEING CLRED FOR WRONG RWY -- CAUGHT BY THE PLT. MY REQUEST FOR ILS COULD HAVE BEEN ANSWERED BY 'INTERCEPT THE LOC' RATHER THAN A THREAT TO DENY THE APCH. I BELIEVE THIS WOULD HAVE GUIDED MY THINKING TO CATCH THE ERROR MORE QUICKLY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR FLIES THE PA 28R-200. HE ADMITS THAT HE HAD TUNED IN THE ILS BUT WAS NOT PAYING ANY ATTN TO IT AS HE THOUGHT THAT HE HAD THE CORRECT RWY IN SIGHT. IT WAS VERY HAZY THAT DAY, AND THE RPTR COULD NOT SEE ALL OF THE RWYS. HE HAS NOT HEARD FURTHER FROM THE FAA ON THIS.

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.