Narrative:

While on center frequency, I asked about availability of runway 7R for approach. Told to contact approach with request. Approach initially said they would try to work runway 7R if it did not conflict with departures. Turning base to final again requested ILS runway 7R and was cleared ILS runway 7R. On approximately 5 mi final heard tower clear vehicle onto runway 7R. Observed vehicle drive onto runway 7R. Asked tower if we were still cleared to land and asked about vehicle. Tower said we were cleared to land on runway 7L not runway 7R. Side-stepped and landed on left. Both myself and first officer (PF) clearly heard and repeated the clearance for the ILS runway 7R landing. Localizer/GS were tuned, good identify, and good navigation information. If vehicle had not entered the runway we would have landed on runway 7R. This was the first officer's and my first arrival into lax at this early hour. Both of us had been flying all night with poor rest during the day. I am still convinced we were cleared for runway 7R. When parallel runways are in operation, one for arrs and the other for departures, the departure runway localizer/GS should not be turned on and usable, so that an approach can be started using them. Evidently it is SOP at lax during early morning operations to land on runway 7L and depart runway 25L/7R. If this is done on a normal basis the runway lights should not be visible to aircraft in both directions -- only the direction of use.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FREIGHTER PIC REMARKS REGARDING THE NOISE ABATEMENT APCH PROCS IN USE AT LAX DURING NIGHT HRS. FLT HAD BEEN ASSIGNED AN ILS APCH TO RWY 7R BY APCH CTL. WHILE ON TWR FREQ AND HEARING A VEHICLE BEING CLRED ONTO THAT RWY, GETS REASSIGNED TO RWY 7L BY TWR. RPT IS NOT CLR ON WHO CLRED THE FLT TO LAND ON RWY 7R AND AT WHAT POINT IN THE SCENARIO.

Narrative: WHILE ON CTR FREQ, I ASKED ABOUT AVAILABILITY OF RWY 7R FOR APCH. TOLD TO CONTACT APCH WITH REQUEST. APCH INITIALLY SAID THEY WOULD TRY TO WORK RWY 7R IF IT DID NOT CONFLICT WITH DEPS. TURNING BASE TO FINAL AGAIN REQUESTED ILS RWY 7R AND WAS CLRED ILS RWY 7R. ON APPROX 5 MI FINAL HEARD TWR CLR VEHICLE ONTO RWY 7R. OBSERVED VEHICLE DRIVE ONTO RWY 7R. ASKED TWR IF WE WERE STILL CLRED TO LAND AND ASKED ABOUT VEHICLE. TWR SAID WE WERE CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 7L NOT RWY 7R. SIDE-STEPPED AND LANDED ON L. BOTH MYSELF AND FO (PF) CLRLY HEARD AND REPEATED THE CLRNC FOR THE ILS RWY 7R LNDG. LOC/GS WERE TUNED, GOOD IDENT, AND GOOD NAV INFO. IF VEHICLE HAD NOT ENTERED THE RWY WE WOULD HAVE LANDED ON RWY 7R. THIS WAS THE FO'S AND MY FIRST ARR INTO LAX AT THIS EARLY HR. BOTH OF US HAD BEEN FLYING ALL NIGHT WITH POOR REST DURING THE DAY. I AM STILL CONVINCED WE WERE CLRED FOR RWY 7R. WHEN PARALLEL RWYS ARE IN OP, ONE FOR ARRS AND THE OTHER FOR DEPS, THE DEP RWY LOC/GS SHOULD NOT BE TURNED ON AND USABLE, SO THAT AN APCH CAN BE STARTED USING THEM. EVIDENTLY IT IS SOP AT LAX DURING EARLY MORNING OPS TO LAND ON RWY 7L AND DEPART RWY 25L/7R. IF THIS IS DONE ON A NORMAL BASIS THE RWY LIGHTS SHOULD NOT BE VISIBLE TO ACFT IN BOTH DIRECTIONS -- ONLY THE DIRECTION OF USE.

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.