Narrative:

ATC assigned an airspeed of 210 KIAS on the downwind leg to runway 1L for a visual approach. ATC gave us a vector to base, informed us of traffic to follow. We reported that the traffic was not in sight. Just prior to crossing the extended centerline, we were cleared for the visual approach and we immediately began slowing from assigned speed of 210 KIAS. The autoplt was engaged in heading mode. Both the captain and myself were looking outside for the traffic and flew threw the localizer. The sic mistakenly took traffic on final for the parallel to be the traffic we were to follow. The captain called the overshoot of final and turned the airplane to a heading to correct back to final for runway 1L. During the overshoot of final a TA then an RA was received from traffic on runway 1R. After the incident, we intercepted final to runway 1L and a normal approach and landing took place. Contributing factors: the runway was on the captain's side of the plane on the base leg making it difficult for the sic to visually see the runway. I was new to the airplane, getting IOE. Night at an unfamiliar airport. Approach assigning the speed of 210 KIAS until just prior to localizer intercept. Radio congestion resulted in us not being able to request a slower speed. Performance was affected by a new pilot to the aircraft. To prevent this problem from occurring again: pilot action -- the localizer intercept should have been armed immediately after approach clearance was given. ATC action -- when ATC has assigned a specific speed and the aircraft is on a close in base leg vector to final, ATC should issue 'speed your discretion' or clear the aircraft for a 'visual approach' sooner than just prior to localizer intercept, thus relieving pilots from higher than normal airspds in the air traffic area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-800, ON VISUAL AT IAD, OVERSHOT TURN TO FINAL, RECEIVING A TCASII RA FROM TFC ON THE PARALLEL.

Narrative: ATC ASSIGNED AN AIRSPD OF 210 KIAS ON THE DOWNWIND LEG TO RWY 1L FOR A VISUAL APCH. ATC GAVE US A VECTOR TO BASE, INFORMED US OF TFC TO FOLLOW. WE RPTED THAT THE TFC WAS NOT IN SIGHT. JUST PRIOR TO XING THE EXTENDED CTRLINE, WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH AND WE IMMEDIATELY BEGAN SLOWING FROM ASSIGNED SPD OF 210 KIAS. THE AUTOPLT WAS ENGAGED IN HDG MODE. BOTH THE CAPT AND MYSELF WERE LOOKING OUTSIDE FOR THE TFC AND FLEW THREW THE LOC. THE SIC MISTAKENLY TOOK TFC ON FINAL FOR THE PARALLEL TO BE THE TFC WE WERE TO FOLLOW. THE CAPT CALLED THE OVERSHOOT OF FINAL AND TURNED THE AIRPLANE TO A HDG TO CORRECT BACK TO FINAL FOR RWY 1L. DURING THE OVERSHOOT OF FINAL A TA THEN AN RA WAS RECEIVED FROM TFC ON RWY 1R. AFTER THE INCIDENT, WE INTERCEPTED FINAL TO RWY 1L AND A NORMAL APCH AND LNDG TOOK PLACE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: THE RWY WAS ON THE CAPT'S SIDE OF THE PLANE ON THE BASE LEG MAKING IT DIFFICULT FOR THE SIC TO VISUALLY SEE THE RWY. I WAS NEW TO THE AIRPLANE, GETTING IOE. NIGHT AT AN UNFAMILIAR ARPT. APCH ASSIGNING THE SPD OF 210 KIAS UNTIL JUST PRIOR TO LOC INTERCEPT. RADIO CONGESTION RESULTED IN US NOT BEING ABLE TO REQUEST A SLOWER SPD. PERFORMANCE WAS AFFECTED BY A NEW PLT TO THE ACFT. TO PREVENT THIS PROB FROM OCCURRING AGAIN: PLT ACTION -- THE LOC INTERCEPT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ARMED IMMEDIATELY AFTER APCH CLRNC WAS GIVEN. ATC ACTION -- WHEN ATC HAS ASSIGNED A SPECIFIC SPD AND THE ACFT IS ON A CLOSE IN BASE LEG VECTOR TO FINAL, ATC SHOULD ISSUE 'SPD YOUR DISCRETION' OR CLR THE ACFT FOR A 'VISUAL APCH' SOONER THAN JUST PRIOR TO LOC INTERCEPT, THUS RELIEVING PLTS FROM HIGHER THAN NORMAL AIRSPDS IN THE ATA.

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.