Narrative:

I was PIC of aircraft arriving lax. En route transition via sadde 6. ATIS showed 5000 ft 5 mi visibility or better (my recollection), vectors to visual runways 24R and 25L or right (?). I observed fog and haze overwater to west of airport. This can make approach to west into setting sun difficult. Received the visual 070 degrees out of smo descend to 2500 ft. Passing through 4500 ft directed to turn right 180 degrees. TA: one ahead of us for runway 24R (no contact) and one approaching from the east for south complex runway 25L/right. Observed at 10-11 O'clock, same altitude for south runways. Directed right turn through 210 degrees clear visual runway 24R, tower at romey. Had good vertical visibility, ground in sight, limited visibility to west into sunset, haze, krud smog, etc. Airport/runway not immediately visible. ILS runway 24R and romey, previously tuned and idented became primary focus. Intercepted at romey, did not want to fly through localizer due to parallel traffic. Landing confign, checks, etc, copilot switched to very busy frequency -- not tower, was previous approach frequency. When error noticed we were on short final for runway 24R, a clear, landing only runway. We had been cleared for the approach to runway 24R by approach control. Somewhere in the vicinity of 300-200 ft with no response from any one last 2 frequencys or monitor, I elected to land rather than go around and try to re-establish communications. I expected an admonition from ground control to contact tower chief on a land line, or perhaps, 'by the way you are clear to land!' all we got was clearance across runway 24L and directions to parking. I/we were groping to see this visual runway in an environment of restr flight visibility towards the west. It is not apparent (although usual) that this restr exists, until you turn final. Searching for the visual runway although not totally consuming of our attention, was a preoccupation. Vectors from an ILS to visual conditions would have had us on an intercept well prior to romey without fear of sliding through towards a parallel aircraft to our south. The communications foul up was ours, copilot and me. It took a bit of hard listening to realize we were on wrong frequency. I had the runway from about 1500 ft, observed that it was clear and no one on txwys E7 or V and opted to land. Lax is a busy place. Frequently visual approachs expedite arrs, however, when this is the norm with marginal forward visibility at altitude, it is not a good deal. It has happened to me before, difficulty acquiring the runway, relying on primary ILS navigation facilities, with reduced separation. This time we had the glitch of a communications problem. I landed without clearance. Perhaps some thought could go to the values required for visual approachs in haze, sunset, smog, etc.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B747 CARGO LINER CLRED FOR VISUAL RWY 24R CONTACT TWR ROMEY. VISIBILITY RESTR BY HAZE AND SETTING SUN. DISTRACTED BY TFC AND FINDING THE RWY, FO SELECTED THE PREVIOUS FREQ AND NO CALL WAS MADE TO TWR. ELECTED TO LAND SINCE NO TFC ON RWY. NO COMMENT FROM TWR WHEN CORRECT FREQ TUNED.

Narrative: I WAS PIC OF ACFT ARRIVING LAX. ENRTE TRANSITION VIA SADDE 6. ATIS SHOWED 5000 FT 5 MI VISIBILITY OR BETTER (MY RECOLLECTION), VECTORS TO VISUAL RWYS 24R AND 25L OR R (?). I OBSERVED FOG AND HAZE OVERWATER TO W OF ARPT. THIS CAN MAKE APCH TO W INTO SETTING SUN DIFFICULT. RECEIVED THE VISUAL 070 DEGS OUT OF SMO DSND TO 2500 FT. PASSING THROUGH 4500 FT DIRECTED TO TURN R 180 DEGS. TA: ONE AHEAD OF US FOR RWY 24R (NO CONTACT) AND ONE APCHING FROM THE E FOR S COMPLEX RWY 25L/R. OBSERVED AT 10-11 O'CLOCK, SAME ALT FOR S RWYS. DIRECTED R TURN THROUGH 210 DEGS CLR VISUAL RWY 24R, TWR AT ROMEY. HAD GOOD VERT VISIBILITY, GND IN SIGHT, LIMITED VISIBILITY TO W INTO SUNSET, HAZE, KRUD SMOG, ETC. ARPT/RWY NOT IMMEDIATELY VISIBLE. ILS RWY 24R AND ROMEY, PREVIOUSLY TUNED AND IDENTED BECAME PRIMARY FOCUS. INTERCEPTED AT ROMEY, DID NOT WANT TO FLY THROUGH LOC DUE TO PARALLEL TFC. LNDG CONFIGN, CHKS, ETC, COPLT SWITCHED TO VERY BUSY FREQ -- NOT TWR, WAS PREVIOUS APCH FREQ. WHEN ERROR NOTICED WE WERE ON SHORT FINAL FOR RWY 24R, A CLR, LNDG ONLY RWY. WE HAD BEEN CLRED FOR THE APCH TO RWY 24R BY APCH CTL. SOMEWHERE IN THE VICINITY OF 300-200 FT WITH NO RESPONSE FROM ANY ONE LAST 2 FREQS OR MONITOR, I ELECTED TO LAND RATHER THAN GAR AND TRY TO RE-ESTABLISH COMS. I EXPECTED AN ADMONITION FROM GND CTL TO CONTACT TWR CHIEF ON A LAND LINE, OR PERHAPS, 'BY THE WAY YOU ARE CLR TO LAND!' ALL WE GOT WAS CLRNC ACROSS RWY 24L AND DIRECTIONS TO PARKING. I/WE WERE GROPING TO SEE THIS VISUAL RWY IN AN ENVIRONMENT OF RESTR FLT VISIBILITY TOWARDS THE W. IT IS NOT APPARENT (ALTHOUGH USUAL) THAT THIS RESTR EXISTS, UNTIL YOU TURN FINAL. SEARCHING FOR THE VISUAL RWY ALTHOUGH NOT TOTALLY CONSUMING OF OUR ATTN, WAS A PREOCCUPATION. VECTORS FROM AN ILS TO VISUAL CONDITIONS WOULD HAVE HAD US ON AN INTERCEPT WELL PRIOR TO ROMEY WITHOUT FEAR OF SLIDING THROUGH TOWARDS A PARALLEL ACFT TO OUR S. THE COMS FOUL UP WAS OURS, COPLT AND ME. IT TOOK A BIT OF HARD LISTENING TO REALIZE WE WERE ON WRONG FREQ. I HAD THE RWY FROM ABOUT 1500 FT, OBSERVED THAT IT WAS CLR AND NO ONE ON TXWYS E7 OR V AND OPTED TO LAND. LAX IS A BUSY PLACE. FREQUENTLY VISUAL APCHS EXPEDITE ARRS, HOWEVER, WHEN THIS IS THE NORM WITH MARGINAL FORWARD VISIBILITY AT ALT, IT IS NOT A GOOD DEAL. IT HAS HAPPENED TO ME BEFORE, DIFFICULTY ACQUIRING THE RWY, RELYING ON PRIMARY ILS NAV FACILITIES, WITH REDUCED SEPARATION. THIS TIME WE HAD THE GLITCH OF A COMS PROB. I LANDED WITHOUT CLRNC. PERHAPS SOME THOUGHT COULD GO TO THE VALUES REQUIRED FOR VISUAL APCHS IN HAZE, SUNSET, SMOG, ETC.

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.