Narrative:

Flight was cleared for a visual approach to runway 1R at las. Acquired airport and runway approximately 15-20 NM south on approach. Runway was initially difficult to acquire due to extremely bright lights both short of and beyond airport. Aircraft lined up with what appeared to be runway 1R and continued to landing. Just at touchdown we realized the runway we were landing on was runway 1L. After discussion with each other we realized we had been led down the wrong path by the following factors: 1) extremely bright lights on a golf course across the road just south of the approach end of runway 1R that completely obscured the runway lights. Very bright city lights also further amplified the golf course lights. 2) because of these lights, runway 1L stood out boldly. 3) both pilots were very familiar with las operations, but had not landed on runway 1R since runway 1L was lengthened and reopened. In the past, runway 1L was short, dim and usually almost not noticeable. Now it is long (like runway 1R) and bright. 4) a late evening flight further reduced awareness (last flight of day). As each one of these factors came about on the approach, both pilots were convinced we were on the correct runway. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that the tower asked them to call when parked. The captain did and the tower chief indicated he has had other aircraft call regarding the ability to pick up runway 1R since runway 1L opened. The complaints usually stem from the extremely bright lights of a golf course south of runway 1R which tend to create a major problem for pilots trying to sight runway 1R. The area around runway 1L is very dark so it stands out from over 12 mi away, but 1R is amidst many city lights and the golf course lights and is very difficult to see. An additional problem at the time of this incident was that the new airport diagram was not yet published indicating the new length of runway 1L. Looking at the original diagram runway 1L surely did not look the same. A more explicit notice on the ATIS would have helped. There was no separation problem due to this error because there was only one other aircraft on frequency and they questioned which runway reporter aircraft had landed on. They were having difficulty sighting the right runway as well.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 FLC HAS DIFFICULTY SIGHTING THE RIGHT RWY AT NIGHT AND LANDS ON L RWY WHICH STANDS OUT CLRLY.

Narrative: FLT WAS CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 1R AT LAS. ACQUIRED ARPT AND RWY APPROX 15-20 NM S ON APCH. RWY WAS INITIALLY DIFFICULT TO ACQUIRE DUE TO EXTREMELY BRIGHT LIGHTS BOTH SHORT OF AND BEYOND ARPT. ACFT LINED UP WITH WHAT APPEARED TO BE RWY 1R AND CONTINUED TO LNDG. JUST AT TOUCHDOWN WE REALIZED THE RWY WE WERE LNDG ON WAS RWY 1L. AFTER DISCUSSION WITH EACH OTHER WE REALIZED WE HAD BEEN LED DOWN THE WRONG PATH BY THE FOLLOWING FACTORS: 1) EXTREMELY BRIGHT LIGHTS ON A GOLF COURSE ACROSS THE ROAD JUST S OF THE APCH END OF RWY 1R THAT COMPLETELY OBSCURED THE RWY LIGHTS. VERY BRIGHT CITY LIGHTS ALSO FURTHER AMPLIFIED THE GOLF COURSE LIGHTS. 2) BECAUSE OF THESE LIGHTS, RWY 1L STOOD OUT BOLDLY. 3) BOTH PLTS WERE VERY FAMILIAR WITH LAS OPS, BUT HAD NOT LANDED ON RWY 1R SINCE RWY 1L WAS LENGTHENED AND REOPENED. IN THE PAST, RWY 1L WAS SHORT, DIM AND USUALLY ALMOST NOT NOTICEABLE. NOW IT IS LONG (LIKE RWY 1R) AND BRIGHT. 4) A LATE EVENING FLT FURTHER REDUCED AWARENESS (LAST FLT OF DAY). AS EACH ONE OF THESE FACTORS CAME ABOUT ON THE APCH, BOTH PLTS WERE CONVINCED WE WERE ON THE CORRECT RWY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THE TWR ASKED THEM TO CALL WHEN PARKED. THE CAPT DID AND THE TWR CHIEF INDICATED HE HAS HAD OTHER ACFT CALL REGARDING THE ABILITY TO PICK UP RWY 1R SINCE RWY 1L OPENED. THE COMPLAINTS USUALLY STEM FROM THE EXTREMELY BRIGHT LIGHTS OF A GOLF COURSE S OF RWY 1R WHICH TEND TO CREATE A MAJOR PROB FOR PLTS TRYING TO SIGHT RWY 1R. THE AREA AROUND RWY 1L IS VERY DARK SO IT STANDS OUT FROM OVER 12 MI AWAY, BUT 1R IS AMIDST MANY CITY LIGHTS AND THE GOLF COURSE LIGHTS AND IS VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE. AN ADDITIONAL PROB AT THE TIME OF THIS INCIDENT WAS THAT THE NEW ARPT DIAGRAM WAS NOT YET PUBLISHED INDICATING THE NEW LENGTH OF RWY 1L. LOOKING AT THE ORIGINAL DIAGRAM RWY 1L SURELY DID NOT LOOK THE SAME. A MORE EXPLICIT NOTICE ON THE ATIS WOULD HAVE HELPED. THERE WAS NO SEPARATION PROB DUE TO THIS ERROR BECAUSE THERE WAS ONLY ONE OTHER ACFT ON FREQ AND THEY QUESTIONED WHICH RWY RPTR ACFT HAD LANDED ON. THEY WERE HAVING DIFFICULTY SIGHTING THE RIGHT RWY AS WELL.

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.