Narrative:

On arrival on a flight from dca to atl the atl airport was visually acquired 30 mi away while the aircraft was at altitude. A descending downwind turn to the west and base turn to the south was being accomplished when approach asked if we had a visual on traffic to runway 8L. I gave an affirmative reply (it turned out to be traffic heading for runway 9R). We were cleared to fly a visual following the traffic to runway 8L. I started to fall in trail of the traffic while turning southeast towards east. At this time, the sun angle and haze in the morning produced limited visibility. Although I had the correct ILS frequency set up, I failed to xchk the electronics because I was so intent on maintaining a visual and finding the runways. My copilot had failed to tune his ILS in a timely manner and was in the process of tuning it when I flew through the localizer toward the wrong runway. Shortly after that point, everything happened at the same time, meaning I visually realized I was almost to the south runways when I should have been on the north. My first officer told me I needed to 'come way left,' and atl approach control said 'hey, air carrier XXX get back on your own side!' we returned to runway 8L and landed. The lessons learned are numerous: 1) finish all checklists in a timely manner. If the first officer navigation radio had been set properly, it might have possibly saved the xover towards the wrong runway. 2) when cleared for a visual in a high density aircraft situation, make sure the correct aircraft is visually acquired. 3) even when flying a visual, if electronic guidance is available and tuned in (it was on my side), you must look at it and believe it for it to be of any help. Supplemental information from acn 382245: when I glanced at the navigation and called 'localizer' alive I realized I was still on the VOR. Quickly tuning and identing the ILS I couldn't immediately understand why the flight management annunciator hadn't changed to 'localizer capture.' looking outside for the first time in several mi, 3 things happened simultaneously. 1) I saw the airport and called for the captain to come left. 2) the captain realized we had followed the wrong aircraft after picking up the north runways visually. 3) approach control called, 'air carrier get back on your own side.' approachs should always be crosschecked using both instrument and visual cues, if available, by both pilots.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD88 LINES UP DURING APCH FOR THE WRONG RWY AT ATL, GA.

Narrative: ON ARR ON A FLT FROM DCA TO ATL THE ATL ARPT WAS VISUALLY ACQUIRED 30 MI AWAY WHILE THE ACFT WAS AT ALT. A DSNDING DOWNWIND TURN TO THE W AND BASE TURN TO THE S WAS BEING ACCOMPLISHED WHEN APCH ASKED IF WE HAD A VISUAL ON TFC TO RWY 8L. I GAVE AN AFFIRMATIVE REPLY (IT TURNED OUT TO BE TFC HDG FOR RWY 9R). WE WERE CLRED TO FLY A VISUAL FOLLOWING THE TFC TO RWY 8L. I STARTED TO FALL IN TRAIL OF THE TFC WHILE TURNING SE TOWARDS E. AT THIS TIME, THE SUN ANGLE AND HAZE IN THE MORNING PRODUCED LIMITED VISIBILITY. ALTHOUGH I HAD THE CORRECT ILS FREQ SET UP, I FAILED TO XCHK THE ELECTRONICS BECAUSE I WAS SO INTENT ON MAINTAINING A VISUAL AND FINDING THE RWYS. MY COPLT HAD FAILED TO TUNE HIS ILS IN A TIMELY MANNER AND WAS IN THE PROCESS OF TUNING IT WHEN I FLEW THROUGH THE LOC TOWARD THE WRONG RWY. SHORTLY AFTER THAT POINT, EVERYTHING HAPPENED AT THE SAME TIME, MEANING I VISUALLY REALIZED I WAS ALMOST TO THE S RWYS WHEN I SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE N. MY FO TOLD ME I NEEDED TO 'COME WAY L,' AND ATL APCH CTL SAID 'HEY, ACR XXX GET BACK ON YOUR OWN SIDE!' WE RETURNED TO RWY 8L AND LANDED. THE LESSONS LEARNED ARE NUMEROUS: 1) FINISH ALL CHKLISTS IN A TIMELY MANNER. IF THE FO NAV RADIO HAD BEEN SET PROPERLY, IT MIGHT HAVE POSSIBLY SAVED THE XOVER TOWARDS THE WRONG RWY. 2) WHEN CLRED FOR A VISUAL IN A HIGH DENSITY ACFT SIT, MAKE SURE THE CORRECT ACFT IS VISUALLY ACQUIRED. 3) EVEN WHEN FLYING A VISUAL, IF ELECTRONIC GUIDANCE IS AVAILABLE AND TUNED IN (IT WAS ON MY SIDE), YOU MUST LOOK AT IT AND BELIEVE IT FOR IT TO BE OF ANY HELP. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 382245: WHEN I GLANCED AT THE NAV AND CALLED 'LOC' ALIVE I REALIZED I WAS STILL ON THE VOR. QUICKLY TUNING AND IDENTING THE ILS I COULDN'T IMMEDIATELY UNDERSTAND WHY THE FLT MGMNT ANNUNCIATOR HADN'T CHANGED TO 'LOC CAPTURE.' LOOKING OUTSIDE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN SEVERAL MI, 3 THINGS HAPPENED SIMULTANEOUSLY. 1) I SAW THE ARPT AND CALLED FOR THE CAPT TO COME L. 2) THE CAPT REALIZED WE HAD FOLLOWED THE WRONG ACFT AFTER PICKING UP THE N RWYS VISUALLY. 3) APCH CTL CALLED, 'ACR GET BACK ON YOUR OWN SIDE.' APCHS SHOULD ALWAYS BE XCHKED USING BOTH INST AND VISUAL CUES, IF AVAILABLE, BY BOTH PLTS.

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.