Narrative:

We were cleared to the den airport via the landr 1 arrival. During the descent, approach control advised us to expect to land on runway 16. As the PNF, I programmed the flight control computer for the ILS to runway 16. The copilot briefed runway 16 landing. We were handed off to another approach controller and given a vector to final, and a descent to 8000 ft. Shortly before intercepting runway 16 final, we were given instructions to 'immediately turn left and climb to 8500 ft.' our TCASII than gave an RA of 'don't climb.' approach control then instructed us to maintain 8000 ft, and turn left to another heading. Approach control said that we were previously cleared for a visual approach to runway 17R, and that we overshot the final for that runway. We were then vectored east for a left base to runway 17R, and landed without incident. During taxi in, I was advised to call TRACON. I did so, and was told that a loss of separation with an aircraft on final occurred and a follow up investigation was necessary. Contributing factors: darkness, with blowing snow obscuring runway. High density traffic in the area. Heavy radio traffic on approach control frequency. Supplemental information from acn 423441: ZDV cleared us to descend to FL190, cross landr at 280 KTS, expect runway 16. Later, we were told to descend to 13000 ft and turn to a heading. This heading put us directly at jobob, which is on the final approach course at 15.7 mi for runway 16. We both still assumed that we were going to runway 16. We were left at 13000 ft, when we both commented we should be starting down. He sent us to approach control. Den approach called us and turned us to a 180 degree heading. He then turned us to 160 degrees and said to descend to 8000 ft, and asked if we had the airport. I told the captain I did, but he didn't. I said call denver to say that to approach. Since we were by now too close and too high for a dogleg with easy descent to final, he asked if I wanted a 270 degree heading to final. When the controller asked again if he had the airport, I said yes, captain told controller affirmative, and I heard 'cleared for the visual.' I never heard or heard the captain confirm that the controller changed the runway to 17R. I made a steep descent and a 90 degree turn to intercept final on runway 16. I saw another aircraft at my high 2 O'clock when I leveled at 7500 ft. It never occurred to me he was on final for runway 16. TCASII alerted traffic, then 'descend, descend, descend.' approach controller said that we had crossed runway 17R final and were approaching runway 16, and to climb to 8500 ft. I said no, then he said stay at your altitude and turn left to runway 17R, cleared visual runway 17R. To climb when the controller said climb would have put us dangerously close to the other aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757-200 FLC ENCOUNTERS SOME ATC SPONSORED CONFUSION AS TO WHAT THEIR LNDG RWY ASSIGNMENT WAS DURING DSCNT FOR A VISUAL TO RWY 16 AT DEN, CO. A LOSS OF SEPARATION OCCURRED WITH ANOTHER ACFT ON APCH TO THE SAME RWY.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED TO THE DEN ARPT VIA THE LANDR 1 ARR. DURING THE DSCNT, APCH CTL ADVISED US TO EXPECT TO LAND ON RWY 16. AS THE PNF, I PROGRAMMED THE FLT CTL COMPUTER FOR THE ILS TO RWY 16. THE COPLT BRIEFED RWY 16 LNDG. WE WERE HANDED OFF TO ANOTHER APCH CTLR AND GIVEN A VECTOR TO FINAL, AND A DSCNT TO 8000 FT. SHORTLY BEFORE INTERCEPTING RWY 16 FINAL, WE WERE GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS TO 'IMMEDIATELY TURN L AND CLB TO 8500 FT.' OUR TCASII THAN GAVE AN RA OF 'DON'T CLB.' APCH CTL THEN INSTRUCTED US TO MAINTAIN 8000 FT, AND TURN L TO ANOTHER HDG. APCH CTL SAID THAT WE WERE PREVIOUSLY CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 17R, AND THAT WE OVERSHOT THE FINAL FOR THAT RWY. WE WERE THEN VECTORED E FOR A L BASE TO RWY 17R, AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. DURING TAXI IN, I WAS ADVISED TO CALL TRACON. I DID SO, AND WAS TOLD THAT A LOSS OF SEPARATION WITH AN ACFT ON FINAL OCCURRED AND A FOLLOW UP INVESTIGATION WAS NECESSARY. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: DARKNESS, WITH BLOWING SNOW OBSCURING RWY. HIGH DENSITY TFC IN THE AREA. HVY RADIO TFC ON APCH CTL FREQ. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 423441: ZDV CLRED US TO DSND TO FL190, CROSS LANDR AT 280 KTS, EXPECT RWY 16. LATER, WE WERE TOLD TO DSND TO 13000 FT AND TURN TO A HDG. THIS HDG PUT US DIRECTLY AT JOBOB, WHICH IS ON THE FINAL APCH COURSE AT 15.7 MI FOR RWY 16. WE BOTH STILL ASSUMED THAT WE WERE GOING TO RWY 16. WE WERE L AT 13000 FT, WHEN WE BOTH COMMENTED WE SHOULD BE STARTING DOWN. HE SENT US TO APCH CTL. DEN APCH CALLED US AND TURNED US TO A 180 DEG HDG. HE THEN TURNED US TO 160 DEGS AND SAID TO DSND TO 8000 FT, AND ASKED IF WE HAD THE ARPT. I TOLD THE CAPT I DID, BUT HE DIDN'T. I SAID CALL DENVER TO SAY THAT TO APCH. SINCE WE WERE BY NOW TOO CLOSE AND TOO HIGH FOR A DOGLEG WITH EASY DSCNT TO FINAL, HE ASKED IF I WANTED A 270 DEG HDG TO FINAL. WHEN THE CTLR ASKED AGAIN IF HE HAD THE ARPT, I SAID YES, CAPT TOLD CTLR AFFIRMATIVE, AND I HEARD 'CLRED FOR THE VISUAL.' I NEVER HEARD OR HEARD THE CAPT CONFIRM THAT THE CTLR CHANGED THE RWY TO 17R. I MADE A STEEP DSCNT AND A 90 DEG TURN TO INTERCEPT FINAL ON RWY 16. I SAW ANOTHER ACFT AT MY HIGH 2 O'CLOCK WHEN I LEVELED AT 7500 FT. IT NEVER OCCURRED TO ME HE WAS ON FINAL FOR RWY 16. TCASII ALERTED TFC, THEN 'DSND, DSND, DSND.' APCH CTLR SAID THAT WE HAD CROSSED RWY 17R FINAL AND WERE APCHING RWY 16, AND TO CLB TO 8500 FT. I SAID NO, THEN HE SAID STAY AT YOUR ALT AND TURN L TO RWY 17R, CLRED VISUAL RWY 17R. TO CLB WHEN THE CTLR SAID CLB WOULD HAVE PUT US DANGEROUSLY CLOSE TO THE OTHER ACFT.

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.