B747 crew inbound to ont on initial contact with tower were cleared to land on runway 8L. Subsequently, at approximately 1000 ft and at 500 ft the tower cleared the flight to land on runway 8R. Both times the crew read back runway 8L believing the tower had made a mistake.

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Attributes
ACN	423545
Time
Date	199812
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ont
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 0 flight time total : 4349 flight time type : 0
ASRS Report	423545
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	423041
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe incursion : runway non adherence : clearance non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation Operational Error

Narrative:

WX report for ont was strong and gusty winds on the surface, with reports of windshear. The captain decided on vectors for a full ILS rather than accepting a visual approach clearance. Socal approach gave vectors for the ILS runway 8L, and cleared us for the runway 8L ILS. Once on the localizer, we were switched to ont tower frequency. On initial call we were cleared to land runway 8L. As we approached 1000 ft AGL on the GS, we received a clearance to land runway 8R. This was interpreted as a mistake, and was read back 'cleared to land runway 8L.' we received no response from this readback until we were 500 ft AGL on GS, when again we were cleared to land on runway 8R. We were committed to land at this point, and had no intention of changing runways so low to the ground in windshear conditions, so we read back 'cleared to land runway 8L.' after landing we were again told we were cleared for the right runway. No runway incursion occurred. Initially a pilot deviation report was filed, subsequently retracted after further investigation by ATC.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B747 CREW INBOUND TO ONT ON INITIAL CONTACT WITH TWR WERE CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 8L. SUBSEQUENTLY, AT APPROX 1000 FT AND AT 500 FT THE TWR CLRED THE FLT TO LAND ON RWY 8R. BOTH TIMES THE CREW READ BACK RWY 8L BELIEVING THE TWR HAD MADE A MISTAKE.

Narrative: WX RPT FOR ONT WAS STRONG AND GUSTY WINDS ON THE SURFACE, WITH RPTS OF WINDSHEAR. THE CAPT DECIDED ON VECTORS FOR A FULL ILS RATHER THAN ACCEPTING A VISUAL APCH CLRNC. SOCAL APCH GAVE VECTORS FOR THE ILS RWY 8L, AND CLRED US FOR THE RWY 8L ILS. ONCE ON THE LOC, WE WERE SWITCHED TO ONT TWR FREQ. ON INITIAL CALL WE WERE CLRED TO LAND RWY 8L. AS WE APCHED 1000 FT AGL ON THE GS, WE RECEIVED A CLRNC TO LAND RWY 8R. THIS WAS INTERPRETED AS A MISTAKE, AND WAS READ BACK 'CLRED TO LAND RWY 8L.' WE RECEIVED NO RESPONSE FROM THIS READBACK UNTIL WE WERE 500 FT AGL ON GS, WHEN AGAIN WE WERE CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 8R. WE WERE COMMITTED TO LAND AT THIS POINT, AND HAD NO INTENTION OF CHANGING RWYS SO LOW TO THE GND IN WINDSHEAR CONDITIONS, SO WE READ BACK 'CLRED TO LAND RWY 8L.' AFTER LNDG WE WERE AGAIN TOLD WE WERE CLRED FOR THE R RWY. NO RWY INCURSION OCCURRED. INITIALLY A PLTDEV RPT WAS FILED, SUBSEQUENTLY RETRACTED AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION BY ATC.

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.