Narrative:

The flight occurred at night in MVFR WX. Crew reviewed latest ATIS for atl (3 mi visibility, mist, 2700 ft broken clouds) and first officer was flying the aircraft. Crew reviewed all checklists, briefed the approach to ILS runway 8R and insured correct courses and frequencys were set. ZTL final controller vectored the B727 from descent, downwind (5000 ft MSL) and base leg (360 degree heading) descent to 3000 ft MSL. Aircraft was configured flaps 15 degrees, airspeed 180 KTS on base leg with autoplt working/coupled. While on heading 360 degrees, the controller asked if we had the airfield. First officer continued flying instruments and captain acknowledged he had the airfield. First officer was still flying instruments and coupling approach for ILS to runway 8R and noticing course indicator was full scale and frequency was reverified correct. The first officer did not have a chance to see the runway before we acknowledged the visual clearance, and cloud banks were obscuring part of the airfield details. I advised the captain that CDI indicated erroneous data. He (captain) advised me to disregard it, take over manually, and at that instant I switched from inside instrument scan to outside scan. I noticed 2 parallel runways immediately in my screen and turned the aircraft to align with what we all believed to be runway 8R. (This was not the case.) I had little time remaining to complete configuring (gear, final flaps) and adjust pitch. This did not allow me time to scan the entire field and cloud banks also hid airfield details. At about 1700 ft MSL, tower advised us that we were aligned with the wrong runway (runway 9R) and issued new clearance to 3000 ft MSL and 180 degree heading. We acknowledged and performed missed instructions and were revectored for approach to runway 8R. We accomplished another approach check and I (first officer) advised the captain I needed full dogleg/final vectors to runway 8R, so I could properly scan runway and environment before any visual clearance was accepted in this MVFR WX. Atl approach revectored us to runway 8R and on dogleg to final, asked us to accept a visual to runway 8R. We advised the controller that a cloud bank was obscuring a clear view to runway 8R. He issued an ILS 8 approach clearance which we flew and completed to a landing on runway 8R. This incident occurred early morning and no other traffic was noted or affected. Lesson learned is to allow the flying crew member time to switch from instrument scan to outside scan and confirm he/she has a visual to the runway and believe back-up instrumentation (ILS, CDI data) before accepting visual approach in MVFR WX. Compounding the visual was darkness and cloud banks at 2700 ft while flying at 3000 ft MSL blocked line of sight to the airfield environment.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 IS VECTORED TO RWY 8R FINAL APCH COURSE FOR VISUAL APCH, AND ASKED TO RPT ARPT IN SIGHT. PIC ACCEPTS VISUAL APCH CLRNC WHILE FO IS STILL ON INSTS. FO ALIGNS WITH RWY 9R, IS TOLD TO EXECUTE A GAR. ON RESEQUENCING, FO WILL NOT ACCEPT VISUAL APCH AND IS VECTORED FOR AN ILS.

Narrative: THE FLT OCCURRED AT NIGHT IN MVFR WX. CREW REVIEWED LATEST ATIS FOR ATL (3 MI VISIBILITY, MIST, 2700 FT BROKEN CLOUDS) AND FO WAS FLYING THE ACFT. CREW REVIEWED ALL CHKLISTS, BRIEFED THE APCH TO ILS RWY 8R AND INSURED CORRECT COURSES AND FREQS WERE SET. ZTL FINAL CTLR VECTORED THE B727 FROM DSCNT, DOWNWIND (5000 FT MSL) AND BASE LEG (360 DEG HDG) DSCNT TO 3000 FT MSL. ACFT WAS CONFIGURED FLAPS 15 DEGS, AIRSPD 180 KTS ON BASE LEG WITH AUTOPLT WORKING/COUPLED. WHILE ON HDG 360 DEGS, THE CTLR ASKED IF WE HAD THE AIRFIELD. FO CONTINUED FLYING INSTS AND CAPT ACKNOWLEDGED HE HAD THE AIRFIELD. FO WAS STILL FLYING INSTS AND COUPLING APCH FOR ILS TO RWY 8R AND NOTICING COURSE INDICATOR WAS FULL SCALE AND FREQ WAS REVERIFIED CORRECT. THE FO DID NOT HAVE A CHANCE TO SEE THE RWY BEFORE WE ACKNOWLEDGED THE VISUAL CLRNC, AND CLOUD BANKS WERE OBSCURING PART OF THE AIRFIELD DETAILS. I ADVISED THE CAPT THAT CDI INDICATED ERRONEOUS DATA. HE (CAPT) ADVISED ME TO DISREGARD IT, TAKE OVER MANUALLY, AND AT THAT INSTANT I SWITCHED FROM INSIDE INST SCAN TO OUTSIDE SCAN. I NOTICED 2 PARALLEL RWYS IMMEDIATELY IN MY SCREEN AND TURNED THE ACFT TO ALIGN WITH WHAT WE ALL BELIEVED TO BE RWY 8R. (THIS WAS NOT THE CASE.) I HAD LITTLE TIME REMAINING TO COMPLETE CONFIGURING (GEAR, FINAL FLAPS) AND ADJUST PITCH. THIS DID NOT ALLOW ME TIME TO SCAN THE ENTIRE FIELD AND CLOUD BANKS ALSO HID AIRFIELD DETAILS. AT ABOUT 1700 FT MSL, TWR ADVISED US THAT WE WERE ALIGNED WITH THE WRONG RWY (RWY 9R) AND ISSUED NEW CLRNC TO 3000 FT MSL AND 180 DEG HDG. WE ACKNOWLEDGED AND PERFORMED MISSED INSTRUCTIONS AND WERE REVECTORED FOR APCH TO RWY 8R. WE ACCOMPLISHED ANOTHER APCH CHK AND I (FO) ADVISED THE CAPT I NEEDED FULL DOGLEG/FINAL VECTORS TO RWY 8R, SO I COULD PROPERLY SCAN RWY AND ENVIRONMENT BEFORE ANY VISUAL CLRNC WAS ACCEPTED IN THIS MVFR WX. ATL APCH REVECTORED US TO RWY 8R AND ON DOGLEG TO FINAL, ASKED US TO ACCEPT A VISUAL TO RWY 8R. WE ADVISED THE CTLR THAT A CLOUD BANK WAS OBSCURING A CLR VIEW TO RWY 8R. HE ISSUED AN ILS 8 APCH CLRNC WHICH WE FLEW AND COMPLETED TO A LNDG ON RWY 8R. THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED EARLY MORNING AND NO OTHER TFC WAS NOTED OR AFFECTED. LESSON LEARNED IS TO ALLOW THE FLYING CREW MEMBER TIME TO SWITCH FROM INST SCAN TO OUTSIDE SCAN AND CONFIRM HE/SHE HAS A VISUAL TO THE RWY AND BELIEVE BACK-UP INSTRUMENTATION (ILS, CDI DATA) BEFORE ACCEPTING VISUAL APCH IN MVFR WX. COMPOUNDING THE VISUAL WAS DARKNESS AND CLOUD BANKS AT 2700 FT WHILE FLYING AT 3000 FT MSL BLOCKED LINE OF SIGHT TO THE AIRFIELD ENVIRONMENT.

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.