Narrative:

While talking to the final approach controller at dfw, I asked which approach to expect. The controller said expect visual to runway 35C, then soon after, cleared us for the visual approach. Upon turning us over to tower, a frequency for which there was no answer upon which we looked up the correct runway 35C frequency, there appeared to be some confusion as to which runway we were actually cleared to. Now on final and on runway 35C tower frequency, tower said to turn right for runway 35R and an aircraft behind us went around. Spacing was such that there wasn't a major factor for an incursion. The problem arose when the controller said to expect one runway and we actually got another. Unfortunately no one caught the approach change until we were on tower frequency. If our readback of runway 35C was incorrect we would have expected approach to correct us. If a runway change is made, approach should expect a verbal confirmation from the crew. The runway change occurred somewhere around base leg while in the base to final turn. We were busy looking for the airport and other traffic. We questioned the approach but at a point where it was too late and the controller told us to change runways.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FLC WAS EXPECTING TO APCH AND LAND ON RWY 35C, BUT WERE INSTEAD CLRED FOR RWY 35R. THEY HAVE PROBS WITH THE TWR FREQ AND THEN FIND THAT THEY HAVE LINED UP ON RWY 35C ANYWAY. ANOTHER ACFT BEHIND THEM IS FORCED TO GAR. B727.

Narrative: WHILE TALKING TO THE FINAL APCH CTLR AT DFW, I ASKED WHICH APCH TO EXPECT. THE CTLR SAID EXPECT VISUAL TO RWY 35C, THEN SOON AFTER, CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL APCH. UPON TURNING US OVER TO TWR, A FREQ FOR WHICH THERE WAS NO ANSWER UPON WHICH WE LOOKED UP THE CORRECT RWY 35C FREQ, THERE APPEARED TO BE SOME CONFUSION AS TO WHICH RWY WE WERE ACTUALLY CLRED TO. NOW ON FINAL AND ON RWY 35C TWR FREQ, TWR SAID TO TURN R FOR RWY 35R AND AN ACFT BEHIND US WENT AROUND. SPACING WAS SUCH THAT THERE WASN'T A MAJOR FACTOR FOR AN INCURSION. THE PROB AROSE WHEN THE CTLR SAID TO EXPECT ONE RWY AND WE ACTUALLY GOT ANOTHER. UNFORTUNATELY NO ONE CAUGHT THE APCH CHANGE UNTIL WE WERE ON TWR FREQ. IF OUR READBACK OF RWY 35C WAS INCORRECT WE WOULD HAVE EXPECTED APCH TO CORRECT US. IF A RWY CHANGE IS MADE, APCH SHOULD EXPECT A VERBAL CONFIRMATION FROM THE CREW. THE RWY CHANGE OCCURRED SOMEWHERE AROUND BASE LEG WHILE IN THE BASE TO FINAL TURN. WE WERE BUSY LOOKING FOR THE ARPT AND OTHER TFC. WE QUESTIONED THE APCH BUT AT A POINT WHERE IT WAS TOO LATE AND THE CTLR TOLD US TO CHANGE RWYS.

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.