Narrative:

I was the captain and PF on a flight from kona to lax. The first officer wrote down the ATIS that told us that we would be landing on runway 24 or runway 25. Ceiling was reported at 300 ft with mist, visibility 3 mi. First officer contacted socal approach as directed. We were cleared direct smo VOR. Controller told us that after smo we were cleared to turn to heading of 250 degrees for runway 7 approach. First officer questioned the need to go to smo if we would be landing on runway 7 even though ATIS called for landing on either runway 25 or runway 24. Controller said he was wrong and indeed we would be landing on west runways. First officer requested runway 24R and further advised controller that we would be an autoland. Controller replied he would advise tower. I briefed an autoland to runway 24R. On base leg while descending to 2500 ft MSL and in IMC conditions, controller advised 'cleared ILS runway 25L, maintain 2500 ft until established and contact tower now.' we had no clue that our runway was being changed. First officer retuned radios and FMC and we were able to intercept localizer. Just as we were intercepting localizer first officer remembered that runway 25L was notamed closed. We are still IMC and now contact tower and they say 'cleared ILS runway 25R.' first officer responds that we are set up for runway 25L. As I tell the first officer that it is time to go out and try this again, tower directs a go around. We were vectored around, climbed from 2000 ft to 2500 ft, for an ILS to runway 25R. The initial confusion with approach control had extraneous conversation about it being late, needing coffee, etc, which seems to have added to us not being told that our request for runway 24R was never honored. We honestly do not know if we were cleared for the ILS runway 25L or runway 25R when the clearance came that was not what we expected (ie, we expected runway 24R) after flying all night and into IMC conditions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 FLC RPT ATC COM CONFUSION BY ATC ON APCH CLRNC WITHOUT CHALLENGE BY FLC. FLC HAD REQUESTED RWY 24 AND RECEIVED RWY 25L WITHOUT ANY WARNING. RWY 25L WAS NOTAMED CLOSED. TWR GAVE LNDG CLRNC FOR RWY 25R AND SUBSEQUENT GAR AFTER FLC RPT ON ILS FOR RWY 25L.

Narrative: I WAS THE CAPT AND PF ON A FLT FROM KONA TO LAX. THE FO WROTE DOWN THE ATIS THAT TOLD US THAT WE WOULD BE LNDG ON RWY 24 OR RWY 25. CEILING WAS RPTED AT 300 FT WITH MIST, VISIBILITY 3 MI. FO CONTACTED SOCAL APCH AS DIRECTED. WE WERE CLRED DIRECT SMO VOR. CTLR TOLD US THAT AFTER SMO WE WERE CLRED TO TURN TO HDG OF 250 DEGS FOR RWY 7 APCH. FO QUESTIONED THE NEED TO GO TO SMO IF WE WOULD BE LNDG ON RWY 7 EVEN THOUGH ATIS CALLED FOR LNDG ON EITHER RWY 25 OR RWY 24. CTLR SAID HE WAS WRONG AND INDEED WE WOULD BE LNDG ON W RWYS. FO REQUESTED RWY 24R AND FURTHER ADVISED CTLR THAT WE WOULD BE AN AUTOLAND. CTLR REPLIED HE WOULD ADVISE TWR. I BRIEFED AN AUTOLAND TO RWY 24R. ON BASE LEG WHILE DSNDING TO 2500 FT MSL AND IN IMC CONDITIONS, CTLR ADVISED 'CLRED ILS RWY 25L, MAINTAIN 2500 FT UNTIL ESTABLISHED AND CONTACT TWR NOW.' WE HAD NO CLUE THAT OUR RWY WAS BEING CHANGED. FO RETUNED RADIOS AND FMC AND WE WERE ABLE TO INTERCEPT LOC. JUST AS WE WERE INTERCEPTING LOC FO REMEMBERED THAT RWY 25L WAS NOTAMED CLOSED. WE ARE STILL IMC AND NOW CONTACT TWR AND THEY SAY 'CLRED ILS RWY 25R.' FO RESPONDS THAT WE ARE SET UP FOR RWY 25L. AS I TELL THE FO THAT IT IS TIME TO GO OUT AND TRY THIS AGAIN, TWR DIRECTS A GAR. WE WERE VECTORED AROUND, CLBED FROM 2000 FT TO 2500 FT, FOR AN ILS TO RWY 25R. THE INITIAL CONFUSION WITH APCH CTL HAD EXTRANEOUS CONVERSATION ABOUT IT BEING LATE, NEEDING COFFEE, ETC, WHICH SEEMS TO HAVE ADDED TO US NOT BEING TOLD THAT OUR REQUEST FOR RWY 24R WAS NEVER HONORED. WE HONESTLY DO NOT KNOW IF WE WERE CLRED FOR THE ILS RWY 25L OR RWY 25R WHEN THE CLRNC CAME THAT WAS NOT WHAT WE EXPECTED (IE, WE EXPECTED RWY 24R) AFTER FLYING ALL NIGHT AND INTO IMC CONDITIONS.

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.