Narrative:

Sadde 6 arrival at lax. Reported VFR conditions, expecting visual for runway 24R (ILS's on runway 24L). First officer's leg. At smo assigned heading 070 degrees and descent to 3500 ft. We could see scattered clouds above lax, cloud layer over smo but approach path appeared clear (for visual to runway 24R). During downwind assigned heading 070 degrees. I asked approach how long of a downwind, he replied we were #1 and gave us an immediate vector (160 degree heading) to base leg (a classic slum dunk!). Our heading was directly at romen -- precluding an ILS and would eventually conflict with the southern complex. I could see a B747 on final for the runway 25's. The controller then asked several times if we had the runway in sight (putting the horse well behind the cart). From my left seat I could only see clear ahead and to the east. The first officer was non committed ('I can see where it's going to be' or words to that effect). Obviously, if we didn't call it in sight, he would have to give us a missed. (This is a sfo trick also, put the pilot on a vector toward a conflict and force him to call runway in sight or do a missed.) rather than do a missed approach, I called runway in sight and cleared visual. As we started to turn final, I could see we were overshooting runway and urged first officer to tighten turn. However, he'd kept the speed up and we'd overshot the north complex. During right turn, TCASII gave RA, but since I had B747 traffic in sight, I advised first officer to disregard and 'keep it turning.' after turn and heading to get us back toward centerline for runway 24R, I could see that the runways were barely in view and could understand why the first officer might have missed the centerline.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 FO OVERSHOOTS THE FINAL ON A NIGHT VISUAL APCH TO RWY 24R AT LAX. THEY HAVE A TCASII RA ON TFC ON THE RWY 25 APCH COMPLEX. CAPT TELLS OF PITFALLS OF THAT APCH.

Narrative: SADDE 6 ARR AT LAX. RPTED VFR CONDITIONS, EXPECTING VISUAL FOR RWY 24R (ILS'S ON RWY 24L). FO'S LEG. AT SMO ASSIGNED HDG 070 DEGS AND DSCNT TO 3500 FT. WE COULD SEE SCATTERED CLOUDS ABOVE LAX, CLOUD LAYER OVER SMO BUT APCH PATH APPEARED CLR (FOR VISUAL TO RWY 24R). DURING DOWNWIND ASSIGNED HDG 070 DEGS. I ASKED APCH HOW LONG OF A DOWNWIND, HE REPLIED WE WERE #1 AND GAVE US AN IMMEDIATE VECTOR (160 DEG HDG) TO BASE LEG (A CLASSIC SLUM DUNK!). OUR HDG WAS DIRECTLY AT ROMEN -- PRECLUDING AN ILS AND WOULD EVENTUALLY CONFLICT WITH THE SOUTHERN COMPLEX. I COULD SEE A B747 ON FINAL FOR THE RWY 25'S. THE CTLR THEN ASKED SEVERAL TIMES IF WE HAD THE RWY IN SIGHT (PUTTING THE HORSE WELL BEHIND THE CART). FROM MY L SEAT I COULD ONLY SEE CLR AHEAD AND TO THE E. THE FO WAS NON COMMITTED ('I CAN SEE WHERE IT'S GOING TO BE' OR WORDS TO THAT EFFECT). OBVIOUSLY, IF WE DIDN'T CALL IT IN SIGHT, HE WOULD HAVE TO GIVE US A MISSED. (THIS IS A SFO TRICK ALSO, PUT THE PLT ON A VECTOR TOWARD A CONFLICT AND FORCE HIM TO CALL RWY IN SIGHT OR DO A MISSED.) RATHER THAN DO A MISSED APCH, I CALLED RWY IN SIGHT AND CLRED VISUAL. AS WE STARTED TO TURN FINAL, I COULD SEE WE WERE OVERSHOOTING RWY AND URGED FO TO TIGHTEN TURN. HOWEVER, HE'D KEPT THE SPD UP AND WE'D OVERSHOT THE N COMPLEX. DURING R TURN, TCASII GAVE RA, BUT SINCE I HAD B747 TFC IN SIGHT, I ADVISED FO TO DISREGARD AND 'KEEP IT TURNING.' AFTER TURN AND HDG TO GET US BACK TOWARD CTRLINE FOR RWY 24R, I COULD SEE THAT THE RWYS WERE BARELY IN VIEW AND COULD UNDERSTAND WHY THE FO MIGHT HAVE MISSED THE CTRLINE.

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.