Narrative:

I was the PF ZZZ-dfw. This was the first leg of the first trip pairing of the month. I had never flown with this first officer before. For my first officer, this was the first flight as an first officer after being downgraded from B737 captain due to furloughs/reassignments at our airline. He had previously stated that he was nervous about flying as first officer on B737, he had never done so before (he had previously upgraded from MD80 first officer to B737 captain about 2 yrs earlier). For both of us, it was our first flight after being xferred to ZZZ as a crew base. Both had flown into/out of ZZZ and dfw previously. We were being given radar vectors for visual approach to runway 18R and reported airport in sight on base leg, but somewhat high. We were cleared for visual approach runway 18R and to call tower. Copilot looked into cockpit to change frequency. I looked into cockpit to check altitude, speed, descent rate, etc. When I looked outside, I concentrated and turned to a heading to line up with runway 17R. We had tuned/idented ILS runway 18R, but flew through it by mistake while looking outside at incorrect runway. After going on a sse heading about halfway between runways, tower stated we appeared to be approaching the wrong runway and if we had another aircraft in sight for landing on runway 17C. I realized my mistake, had other aircraft in sight safely and turned to land safely on the correct runway. I had a poor night's sleep previous to our XA50 check-in after commuting in to work the previous evening. I should have realized so many factors could have combined to create a problem and concentrated better. I was possibly trying to do too much, trying to help first officer in his new position. He was probably somewhat 'behind' aircraft on this short flight due to inexperience as first officer, as I was not told we were flying through localizer nor approaching incorrect runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMPANY AND PERSONAL DISTRACTIONS CONTRIBUTED B737 FLC IN CONDUCTING A WRONG RWY APCH.

Narrative: I WAS THE PF ZZZ-DFW. THIS WAS THE FIRST LEG OF THE FIRST TRIP PAIRING OF THE MONTH. I HAD NEVER FLOWN WITH THIS FO BEFORE. FOR MY FO, THIS WAS THE FIRST FLT AS AN FO AFTER BEING DOWNGRADED FROM B737 CAPT DUE TO FURLOUGHS/REASSIGNMENTS AT OUR AIRLINE. HE HAD PREVIOUSLY STATED THAT HE WAS NERVOUS ABOUT FLYING AS FO ON B737, HE HAD NEVER DONE SO BEFORE (HE HAD PREVIOUSLY UPGRADED FROM MD80 FO TO B737 CAPT ABOUT 2 YRS EARLIER). FOR BOTH OF US, IT WAS OUR FIRST FLT AFTER BEING XFERRED TO ZZZ AS A CREW BASE. BOTH HAD FLOWN INTO/OUT OF ZZZ AND DFW PREVIOUSLY. WE WERE BEING GIVEN RADAR VECTORS FOR VISUAL APCH TO RWY 18R AND RPTED ARPT IN SIGHT ON BASE LEG, BUT SOMEWHAT HIGH. WE WERE CLRED FOR VISUAL APCH RWY 18R AND TO CALL TWR. COPLT LOOKED INTO COCKPIT TO CHANGE FREQ. I LOOKED INTO COCKPIT TO CHK ALT, SPD, DSCNT RATE, ETC. WHEN I LOOKED OUTSIDE, I CONCENTRATED AND TURNED TO A HEADING TO LINE UP WITH RWY 17R. WE HAD TUNED/IDENTED ILS RWY 18R, BUT FLEW THROUGH IT BY MISTAKE WHILE LOOKING OUTSIDE AT INCORRECT RWY. AFTER GOING ON A SSE HEADING ABOUT HALFWAY BTWN RWYS, TWR STATED WE APPEARED TO BE APCHING THE WRONG RWY AND IF WE HAD ANOTHER ACFT IN SIGHT FOR LNDG ON RWY 17C. I REALIZED MY MISTAKE, HAD OTHER ACFT IN SIGHT SAFELY AND TURNED TO LAND SAFELY ON THE CORRECT RWY. I HAD A POOR NIGHT'S SLEEP PREVIOUS TO OUR XA50 CHK-IN AFTER COMMUTING IN TO WORK THE PREVIOUS EVENING. I SHOULD HAVE REALIZED SO MANY FACTORS COULD HAVE COMBINED TO CREATE A PROB AND CONCENTRATED BETTER. I WAS POSSIBLY TRYING TO DO TOO MUCH, TRYING TO HELP FO IN HIS NEW POS. HE WAS PROBABLY SOMEWHAT 'BEHIND' ACFT ON THIS SHORT FLT DUE TO INEXPERIENCE AS FO, AS I WAS NOT TOLD WE WERE FLYING THROUGH LOC NOR APCHING INCORRECT RWY.

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.