Narrative:

As we turned base we saw the B757 on final for runway 35C. We were instructed to maintain 4000 ft to allow an aircraft to proceed to runway 35R. Off of a 260 degree heading the controller gave us a vector to intercept the localizer. As I rolled the aircraft to the 360 degree heading, I aligned on the runway. We received a TA from the aircraft that was under us going to runway 35R. Looking outside we saw 4 lightning strikes just ahead of us and considered abandoning the approach. I continued. The controller advised us to turn to 020 degrees to rejoin the localizer. He then queried us as to whether we had the runway in sight and we said we did. I then looked down the localizer and noticed it was full scale to our right. I had aligned the aircraft with the roadway between the terminals. The controller was concerned that we would conflict with traffic on runway 36L. I corrected back to the runway 35C localizer and encountered a moderate shower on short final and landed without incident. Having encountered the B757 wake on descent I was leery of following it too closely. The lightning strikes on the airport property had me considering whether or not I should continue the approach. The turn to join the localizer was extremely late as the winds were briskly out of the east. The controller did not help by sending an aircraft underneath us. I failed to use the localizer to align with the runway as my attention was directed outside to avoid the B757 wake and rapidly developing thunderstorm. We hope that we did not create a loss of separation on the traffic for runway 36L. Let us know if we can provide any more detail. The first officer and flight engineer will file their own reports. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the captain felt overloaded with the decision as to continue the approach and keep a safe distance behind and to the side of the B757 ahead. The lightning strike unnerved him and set his eyes towards the airport where he focused in on the road between runway 35C and runway 35L, thinking the road was the runway cleared to for the approach. Supplemental information from acn 408628: the distrs included tight spacing on a B757 to the same runway, a developing rainshower with lightning between us and the runway, a late single turn to final from a heading of 260 degrees, being left high (4000 ft) due to traffic crossing below us, and reduced visibility from haze and the rainshower.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727-200 OVERSHOOTS THE LOC COURSE FOR RWY 35C AT DFW, CREATING A POSSIBLE TFC CONFLICT WITH RWY 35L TFC.

Narrative: AS WE TURNED BASE WE SAW THE B757 ON FINAL FOR RWY 35C. WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO MAINTAIN 4000 FT TO ALLOW AN ACFT TO PROCEED TO RWY 35R. OFF OF A 260 DEG HDG THE CTLR GAVE US A VECTOR TO INTERCEPT THE LOC. AS I ROLLED THE ACFT TO THE 360 DEG HDG, I ALIGNED ON THE RWY. WE RECEIVED A TA FROM THE ACFT THAT WAS UNDER US GOING TO RWY 35R. LOOKING OUTSIDE WE SAW 4 LIGHTNING STRIKES JUST AHEAD OF US AND CONSIDERED ABANDONING THE APCH. I CONTINUED. THE CTLR ADVISED US TO TURN TO 020 DEGS TO REJOIN THE LOC. HE THEN QUERIED US AS TO WHETHER WE HAD THE RWY IN SIGHT AND WE SAID WE DID. I THEN LOOKED DOWN THE LOC AND NOTICED IT WAS FULL SCALE TO OUR R. I HAD ALIGNED THE ACFT WITH THE ROADWAY BTWN THE TERMINALS. THE CTLR WAS CONCERNED THAT WE WOULD CONFLICT WITH TFC ON RWY 36L. I CORRECTED BACK TO THE RWY 35C LOC AND ENCOUNTERED A MODERATE SHOWER ON SHORT FINAL AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. HAVING ENCOUNTERED THE B757 WAKE ON DSCNT I WAS LEERY OF FOLLOWING IT TOO CLOSELY. THE LIGHTNING STRIKES ON THE ARPT PROPERTY HAD ME CONSIDERING WHETHER OR NOT I SHOULD CONTINUE THE APCH. THE TURN TO JOIN THE LOC WAS EXTREMELY LATE AS THE WINDS WERE BRISKLY OUT OF THE E. THE CTLR DID NOT HELP BY SENDING AN ACFT UNDERNEATH US. I FAILED TO USE THE LOC TO ALIGN WITH THE RWY AS MY ATTN WAS DIRECTED OUTSIDE TO AVOID THE B757 WAKE AND RAPIDLY DEVELOPING TSTM. WE HOPE THAT WE DID NOT CREATE A LOSS OF SEPARATION ON THE TFC FOR RWY 36L. LET US KNOW IF WE CAN PROVIDE ANY MORE DETAIL. THE FO AND FE WILL FILE THEIR OWN RPTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE CAPT FELT OVERLOADED WITH THE DECISION AS TO CONTINUE THE APCH AND KEEP A SAFE DISTANCE BEHIND AND TO THE SIDE OF THE B757 AHEAD. THE LIGHTNING STRIKE UNNERVED HIM AND SET HIS EYES TOWARDS THE ARPT WHERE HE FOCUSED IN ON THE ROAD BTWN RWY 35C AND RWY 35L, THINKING THE ROAD WAS THE RWY CLRED TO FOR THE APCH. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 408628: THE DISTRS INCLUDED TIGHT SPACING ON A B757 TO THE SAME RWY, A DEVELOPING RAINSHOWER WITH LIGHTNING BTWN US AND THE RWY, A LATE SINGLE TURN TO FINAL FROM A HDG OF 260 DEGS, BEING LEFT HIGH (4000 FT) DUE TO TFC XING BELOW US, AND REDUCED VISIBILITY FROM HAZE AND THE RAINSHOWER.

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.