An air carrier crew lined up on wrong runway during a multiple runway operation parallel runways.

Attributes
ACN	336678
Time
Date	199605
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : den
State Reference	CO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 1800 agl bound upper : 1800
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : den tower : den
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise other descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : straight in enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 4500
ASRS Report	336678
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe conflict : airborne less severe inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance non adherence : required legal separation other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were on radar vectors for the ILS runway 35R at den. Thunderstorms were to the southeast and approach was turning aircraft to avoid them. We were in IMC during vectors. Arriving from the east, we were given a right turn to a heading to intercept the localizer and change to tower frequency. We intercepted the localizer just as the tower was coming on and immediately said 'are you correcting back to the right?' we replied in the affirmative even though we were only indicating fractionally left of course. In correcting, we went right of the localizer and got back on localizer at about the marker. At this point we acquired the runway and proceeding traffic visually, which we advised the tower. They then advised us that we were aligned with the wrong runway, runway 35L. A go around was followed by a normal approach and landing. No TCASII alerts or known loss of separation occurred. Chain of events: the approach brief was thorough and strictly standard operating procedure. The runway identify is mentioned, as is the plate number, localizer frequency, and decision ht. It is believed that, after the brief, the first officer put the plate aside then subsequently chose the wrong plate prior to tuning the radio. (We had landed on runway 35L earlier that day.) I did not verify the frequency after tuning (not strictly required, in fact, PF is supposed to call for radio tuning when hand flying.) human factors: fatigue. The end of a long day following an early morning start. First officer admitted getting only 4 hours sleep. (Return from vacation XA30 pm, asleep XC00, up at xg am.) perhaps a factor: she's 4 months pregnant. She took 'controled rest' on the flight deck at least twice. She seemed exhausted all day. In retrospect, I wish I had advised her to get off the trip if she didn't feel 100 percent. I had been aware of her being 'disengaged' all day. Supplemental information from acn 336669: the GPWS wind shear inoperative light illuminated. Captain asked why was that on, so checked circuit breakers and looked up light in training manual.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR CREW LINED UP ON WRONG RWY DURING A MULTIPLE RWY OP PARALLEL RWYS.

Narrative: WE WERE ON RADAR VECTORS FOR THE ILS RWY 35R AT DEN. TSTMS WERE TO THE SE AND APCH WAS TURNING ACFT TO AVOID THEM. WE WERE IN IMC DURING VECTORS. ARRIVING FROM THE E, WE WERE GIVEN A R TURN TO A HDG TO INTERCEPT THE LOC AND CHANGE TO TWR FREQ. WE INTERCEPTED THE LOC JUST AS THE TWR WAS COMING ON AND IMMEDIATELY SAID 'ARE YOU CORRECTING BACK TO THE R?' WE REPLIED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE EVEN THOUGH WE WERE ONLY INDICATING FRACTIONALLY L OF COURSE. IN CORRECTING, WE WENT R OF THE LOC AND GOT BACK ON LOC AT ABOUT THE MARKER. AT THIS POINT WE ACQUIRED THE RWY AND PROCEEDING TFC VISUALLY, WHICH WE ADVISED THE TWR. THEY THEN ADVISED US THAT WE WERE ALIGNED WITH THE WRONG RWY, RWY 35L. A GAR WAS FOLLOWED BY A NORMAL APCH AND LNDG. NO TCASII ALERTS OR KNOWN LOSS OF SEPARATION OCCURRED. CHAIN OF EVENTS: THE APCH BRIEF WAS THOROUGH AND STRICTLY STANDARD OPERATING PROC. THE RWY IDENT IS MENTIONED, AS IS THE PLATE NUMBER, LOC FREQ, AND DECISION HT. IT IS BELIEVED THAT, AFTER THE BRIEF, THE FO PUT THE PLATE ASIDE THEN SUBSEQUENTLY CHOSE THE WRONG PLATE PRIOR TO TUNING THE RADIO. (WE HAD LANDED ON RWY 35L EARLIER THAT DAY.) I DID NOT VERIFY THE FREQ AFTER TUNING (NOT STRICTLY REQUIRED, IN FACT, PF IS SUPPOSED TO CALL FOR RADIO TUNING WHEN HAND FLYING.) HUMAN FACTORS: FATIGUE. THE END OF A LONG DAY FOLLOWING AN EARLY MORNING START. FO ADMITTED GETTING ONLY 4 HRS SLEEP. (RETURN FROM VACATION XA30 PM, ASLEEP XC00, UP AT XG AM.) PERHAPS A FACTOR: SHE'S 4 MONTHS PREGNANT. SHE TOOK 'CTLED REST' ON THE FLT DECK AT LEAST TWICE. SHE SEEMED EXHAUSTED ALL DAY. IN RETROSPECT, I WISH I HAD ADVISED HER TO GET OFF THE TRIP IF SHE DIDN'T FEEL 100 PERCENT. I HAD BEEN AWARE OF HER BEING 'DISENGAGED' ALL DAY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 336669: THE GPWS WIND SHEAR INOP LIGHT ILLUMINATED. CAPT ASKED WHY WAS THAT ON, SO CHKED CIRCUIT BREAKERS AND LOOKED UP LIGHT IN TRAINING MANUAL.

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.