Flight crew of medium large transport is told to follow a B737 but is not told they are cleared to a different runway. Reporter aircraft lines up with wrong runway.

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Attributes
ACN	384233
Time
Date	199710
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : lax
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 1800
ASRS Report	384233
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 17000 flight time type : 6000
ASRS Report	384059
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course flight crew : became reoriented
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Cleared for stadium visual to runway 24L to follow a B757. During turn to final, clearance was changed to follow a B737, and change runway to runway 24R. After spotting what we thought was the B737, we turned to intercept final. However, while looking for the traffic, we crossed the north complex of lax and started to line up on runway 25R. Approach alerted us and we returned to runway 24R with no other aircraft having to deviate. The problem was caused by a breakdown in crew coordination. Both pilots were attempting to spot the traffic and were distracted from runway line-up. Better FMC use could have helped prevent this as well as better crew coordination. Also, a change of runways, plus traffic while turning base in a high density area such as lax almost begs for a problem. Supplemental information from acn 384059: had I crosschecked my instruments I would have recognized that we were not on the runway 24R localizer but I was too fixated on maintaining separation and following the aircraft ahead.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF MLG IS TOLD TO FOLLOW A B737 BUT IS NOT TOLD THEY ARE CLRED TO A DIFFERENT RWY. RPTR ACFT LINES UP WITH WRONG RWY.

Narrative: CLRED FOR STADIUM VISUAL TO RWY 24L TO FOLLOW A B757. DURING TURN TO FINAL, CLRNC WAS CHANGED TO FOLLOW A B737, AND CHANGE RWY TO RWY 24R. AFTER SPOTTING WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS THE B737, WE TURNED TO INTERCEPT FINAL. HOWEVER, WHILE LOOKING FOR THE TFC, WE CROSSED THE NORTH COMPLEX OF LAX AND STARTED TO LINE UP ON RWY 25R. APCH ALERTED US AND WE RETURNED TO RWY 24R WITH NO OTHER ACFT HAVING TO DEVIATE. THE PROB WAS CAUSED BY A BREAKDOWN IN CREW COORD. BOTH PLTS WERE ATTEMPTING TO SPOT THE TFC AND WERE DISTRACTED FROM RWY LINE-UP. BETTER FMC USE COULD HAVE HELPED PREVENT THIS AS WELL AS BETTER CREW COORD. ALSO, A CHANGE OF RWYS, PLUS TFC WHILE TURNING BASE IN A HIGH DENSITY AREA SUCH AS LAX ALMOST BEGS FOR A PROB. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 384059: HAD I XCHKED MY INSTS I WOULD HAVE RECOGNIZED THAT WE WERE NOT ON THE RWY 24R LOC BUT I WAS TOO FIXATED ON MAINTAINING SEPARATION AND FOLLOWING THE ACFT AHEAD.

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.