B757 lines up with wrong runway in lax airspace.

Attributes
ACN	421540
Time
Date	199811
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 900 agl bound upper : 900
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
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	landing other
Route In Use	approach : straight in
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	421540
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Approach control cleared us for a right downwind visual to runway 24R after copilot, who was flying, stated that he had runway 24R in sight. Before turning base, approach control asked if we could see B737 traffic at our 1 - 2 O'clock position. We responded 'negative.' I was trying to identify the localizer at the time. As we turned base, I was getting partial localizer idents. Approach controller then turned us to a heading of 220 degrees to intercept runway centerline and switched us over to tower. About that time we saw a B737 on final slightly ahead, to our left, and below us. We queried tower about the B737's landing runway and was told it was landing on runway 25R and that we had gone through the runway 24R centerline. We realized our mistake and turned back toward runway 24R and landed uneventfully. Believe problem would have been avoided if we had gotten positive localizer idents and switched EFIS to ILS expanded mode. Both heads should have been outside the cockpit. Contributing factor was copilot saying he had runway 24R in sight before being cleared for the visual. Copilot had flown out of lax for several yrs and was quite familiar with the layout.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 LINES UP WITH WRONG RWY IN LAX AIRSPACE.

Narrative: APCH CTL CLRED US FOR A R DOWNWIND VISUAL TO RWY 24R AFTER COPLT, WHO WAS FLYING, STATED THAT HE HAD RWY 24R IN SIGHT. BEFORE TURNING BASE, APCH CTL ASKED IF WE COULD SEE B737 TFC AT OUR 1 - 2 O'CLOCK POS. WE RESPONDED 'NEGATIVE.' I WAS TRYING TO IDENT THE LOC AT THE TIME. AS WE TURNED BASE, I WAS GETTING PARTIAL LOC IDENTS. APCH CTLR THEN TURNED US TO A HDG OF 220 DEGS TO INTERCEPT RWY CTRLINE AND SWITCHED US OVER TO TWR. ABOUT THAT TIME WE SAW A B737 ON FINAL SLIGHTLY AHEAD, TO OUR L, AND BELOW US. WE QUERIED TWR ABOUT THE B737'S LNDG RWY AND WAS TOLD IT WAS LNDG ON RWY 25R AND THAT WE HAD GONE THROUGH THE RWY 24R CTRLINE. WE REALIZED OUR MISTAKE AND TURNED BACK TOWARD RWY 24R AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. BELIEVE PROB WOULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF WE HAD GOTTEN POSITIVE LOC IDENTS AND SWITCHED EFIS TO ILS EXPANDED MODE. BOTH HEADS SHOULD HAVE BEEN OUTSIDE THE COCKPIT. CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS COPLT SAYING HE HAD RWY 24R IN SIGHT BEFORE BEING CLRED FOR THE VISUAL. COPLT HAD FLOWN OUT OF LAX FOR SEVERAL YRS AND WAS QUITE FAMILIAR WITH THE LAYOUT.

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.