Narrative:

During approach to den landing runway 35L/right initially assigned runway 35L. About 13 mi approaching from southeast given 270 degree heading and told to change frequency. On contact cleared direct to falcon VOR. Much radio traffic delayed our call of runway in sight when able we called in sight and were cleared visual to runway 35L we thought. On line up on runway 35L flight above and behind asked approach if we were lined up on his runway. We were then cleared to land runway 35R and did so without further event. After landing talked to approach on phone and they said no conflict because of altitude separation. They said change of assignment occurred on new frequency when given direct falcon VOR neither of us caught the change. It might have helped if it had been noted as a change. We should have caught the final clearance terminology in any case. Supplemental information from acn 368579: tower cleared us to land and advised of traffic for parallel runway (which we assumed was runway 34 since we had a visual on that traffic to runway 34). On ground, captain called tower who said that training was in progress but that we had been cleared for runway 35R.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 FLC MAKES APCH TO WRONG RWY. THEY HAD MISSED THE CLRNC FOR ASSIGNMENT TO ANOTHER RWY DURING CLRNC DIRECT TO VOR. PIC WAS LATER INFORMED THAT TRAINING WAS IN PROGRESS FOR AN APCH CTLR. EVENT DETECTED BY ACR Y BEHIND ACR X.

Narrative: DURING APCH TO DEN LNDG RWY 35L/R INITIALLY ASSIGNED RWY 35L. ABOUT 13 MI APCHING FROM SE GIVEN 270 DEG HDG AND TOLD TO CHANGE FREQ. ON CONTACT CLRED DIRECT TO FALCON VOR. MUCH RADIO TFC DELAYED OUR CALL OF RWY IN SIGHT WHEN ABLE WE CALLED IN SIGHT AND WERE CLRED VISUAL TO RWY 35L WE THOUGHT. ON LINE UP ON RWY 35L FLT ABOVE AND BEHIND ASKED APCH IF WE WERE LINED UP ON HIS RWY. WE WERE THEN CLRED TO LAND RWY 35R AND DID SO WITHOUT FURTHER EVENT. AFTER LNDG TALKED TO APCH ON PHONE AND THEY SAID NO CONFLICT BECAUSE OF ALT SEPARATION. THEY SAID CHANGE OF ASSIGNMENT OCCURRED ON NEW FREQ WHEN GIVEN DIRECT FALCON VOR NEITHER OF US CAUGHT THE CHANGE. IT MIGHT HAVE HELPED IF IT HAD BEEN NOTED AS A CHANGE. WE SHOULD HAVE CAUGHT THE FINAL CLRNC TERMINOLOGY IN ANY CASE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 368579: TWR CLRED US TO LAND AND ADVISED OF TFC FOR PARALLEL RWY (WHICH WE ASSUMED WAS RWY 34 SINCE WE HAD A VISUAL ON THAT TFC TO RWY 34). ON GND, CAPT CALLED TWR WHO SAID THAT TRAINING WAS IN PROGRESS BUT THAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED FOR RWY 35R.

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.