Narrative:

At 14 mi on right downwind to runway 24R at lax, we were cleared to follow a B737 on a visual to runway 24R on a 190 degree heading. During the turn we lost the B737 in ground lights and erroneously began to follow another aircraft who was on final to runway 25L. We noticed the problem about the same time as tower and corrected back to runway 24R centerline. We could have avoided overflying runway 24R centerline by capturing and tracking in on the localizer instead of trying to stay visual all the way. This can be a continuing problem on hazy nights like this when cleared visual behind another aircraft when the visibility does not allow for acquiring the airport. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: this reporter was flying an MD80 on a night visual approach to runway 24R at lax when he lost sight of the B737 that he was following. He said that he attempted to follow the preceding aircraft by using his TCASII, but he misidented the target and followed an aircraft for runway 25L instead. He said that he did have the ILS for runway 24R tuned, but not selected on the MCP (he was on autoplt during the approach). He said that both the ATCT local controller and the flight crew recognized the error at the same time and they corrected. He said that from now on he will use the ILS guidance to avoid a similar mistake. He said that it was very hazy and the ground lights were bright.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FLC LINES UP ON THE WRONG RWY DURING A NIGHT VISUAL APCH IN HAZY CONDITIONS. MD80.

Narrative: AT 14 MI ON R DOWNWIND TO RWY 24R AT LAX, WE WERE CLRED TO FOLLOW A B737 ON A VISUAL TO RWY 24R ON A 190 DEG HDG. DURING THE TURN WE LOST THE B737 IN GND LIGHTS AND ERRONEOUSLY BEGAN TO FOLLOW ANOTHER ACFT WHO WAS ON FINAL TO RWY 25L. WE NOTICED THE PROB ABOUT THE SAME TIME AS TWR AND CORRECTED BACK TO RWY 24R CTRLINE. WE COULD HAVE AVOIDED OVERFLYING RWY 24R CTRLINE BY CAPTURING AND TRACKING IN ON THE LOC INSTEAD OF TRYING TO STAY VISUAL ALL THE WAY. THIS CAN BE A CONTINUING PROB ON HAZY NIGHTS LIKE THIS WHEN CLRED VISUAL BEHIND ANOTHER ACFT WHEN THE VISIBILITY DOES NOT ALLOW FOR ACQUIRING THE ARPT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS RPTR WAS FLYING AN MD80 ON A NIGHT VISUAL APCH TO RWY 24R AT LAX WHEN HE LOST SIGHT OF THE B737 THAT HE WAS FOLLOWING. HE SAID THAT HE ATTEMPTED TO FOLLOW THE PRECEDING ACFT BY USING HIS TCASII, BUT HE MISIDENTED THE TARGET AND FOLLOWED AN ACFT FOR RWY 25L INSTEAD. HE SAID THAT HE DID HAVE THE ILS FOR RWY 24R TUNED, BUT NOT SELECTED ON THE MCP (HE WAS ON AUTOPLT DURING THE APCH). HE SAID THAT BOTH THE ATCT LCL CTLR AND THE FLC RECOGNIZED THE ERROR AT THE SAME TIME AND THEY CORRECTED. HE SAID THAT FROM NOW ON HE WILL USE THE ILS GUIDANCE TO AVOID A SIMILAR MISTAKE. HE SAID THAT IT WAS VERY HAZY AND THE GND LIGHTS WERE BRIGHT.

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.