Narrative:

Concluding a 9 hour 45 min flight from tokyo to lax we briefed and were expecting a visual approach to runway 24R. 3 crew members, captain, first officer flying, first officer not flying (me). Downwind, we were given a turn to 230 degrees for the visual to intercept the runway 24 final. The captain (flying) elected to fly a 160 degree heading instead, stating that he was too high (wanting to buy some time). I pointed out traffic at 11 O'clock position which was going into the runway 25 complex. The captain stated that he saw the traffic and then looked back at the runways. Getting tighter to the final I then asked 'what runway are we going to?' hoping the captain would see we were too tight for a normal bank turn. The other 2 pilots got busy with ATC xmissions and aircraft confign. I then yelled twice, 'don't overshoot, don't overshoot' at which time the captain went into a 30-40 degree bank but it was too late. We went well south of the runway 24R final. We also obtained a TCASII TA which went off while in the turn with the announced 'traffic.' we continued the turn and re-established ourselves on the final. The captain stated that he was intent on going to the runway 25 side even though he briefed the runway 24 side. I didn't realize he was looking at the wrong runway (even though I asked' which runway are we going to?) I thought he was flying that far south on purpose and that he was misjudging the turn because he was new to the aircraft. Flying the wrong heading on purpose also confused me as to what he was doing. Had I been in the right seat I probably would have taken the controls due to the proximity of the other aircraft and turned earlier. All crew members were tired.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HEADING TRACK POS DEV AS CAPT OF B747-400 HEADS FOR THE S COMPLEX OF LAX INSTEAD OF A VISUAL FOR RWY 24R. NON ADHERENCE TO ATC CLRNC PROC.

Narrative: CONCLUDING A 9 HR 45 MIN FLT FROM TOKYO TO LAX WE BRIEFED AND WERE EXPECTING A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 24R. 3 CREW MEMBERS, CAPT, FO FLYING, FO NOT FLYING (ME). DOWNWIND, WE WERE GIVEN A TURN TO 230 DEGS FOR THE VISUAL TO INTERCEPT THE RWY 24 FINAL. THE CAPT (FLYING) ELECTED TO FLY A 160 DEG HDG INSTEAD, STATING THAT HE WAS TOO HIGH (WANTING TO BUY SOME TIME). I POINTED OUT TFC AT 11 O'CLOCK POS WHICH WAS GOING INTO THE RWY 25 COMPLEX. THE CAPT STATED THAT HE SAW THE TFC AND THEN LOOKED BACK AT THE RWYS. GETTING TIGHTER TO THE FINAL I THEN ASKED 'WHAT RWY ARE WE GOING TO?' HOPING THE CAPT WOULD SEE WE WERE TOO TIGHT FOR A NORMAL BANK TURN. THE OTHER 2 PLTS GOT BUSY WITH ATC XMISSIONS AND ACFT CONFIGN. I THEN YELLED TWICE, 'DON'T OVERSHOOT, DON'T OVERSHOOT' AT WHICH TIME THE CAPT WENT INTO A 30-40 DEG BANK BUT IT WAS TOO LATE. WE WENT WELL S OF THE RWY 24R FINAL. WE ALSO OBTAINED A TCASII TA WHICH WENT OFF WHILE IN THE TURN WITH THE ANNOUNCED 'TFC.' WE CONTINUED THE TURN AND RE-ESTABLISHED OURSELVES ON THE FINAL. THE CAPT STATED THAT HE WAS INTENT ON GOING TO THE RWY 25 SIDE EVEN THOUGH HE BRIEFED THE RWY 24 SIDE. I DIDN'T REALIZE HE WAS LOOKING AT THE WRONG RWY (EVEN THOUGH I ASKED' WHICH RWY ARE WE GOING TO?) I THOUGHT HE WAS FLYING THAT FAR S ON PURPOSE AND THAT HE WAS MISJUDGING THE TURN BECAUSE HE WAS NEW TO THE ACFT. FLYING THE WRONG HEADING ON PURPOSE ALSO CONFUSED ME AS TO WHAT HE WAS DOING. HAD I BEEN IN THE R SEAT I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE TAKEN THE CTLS DUE TO THE PROX OF THE OTHER ACFT AND TURNED EARLIER. ALL CREW MEMBERS WERE TIRED.

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.