Narrative:

During the descent into denver, we were told by denver approach to expect runway 17R. We set up for runway 17R and were turned on to base expecting runway 17R. Sometime during the turn to base or on base, we were given a frequency change. We called the airport in sight and were cleared for the visual approach and I started to line up for runway 17R. The first officer said that he thought we were cleared for runway 16 and I asked him to confirm that with the controller. He confirmed the runway 16 clearance and I moved over and lined up with runway 16. We were late switching to tower and received landing clearance on short final. There was a miscom with the approach controller and I had started to line up on the wrong runway before I realized that our landing runway had been changed. As I recall, the controller on base was different from the one who gave us the expect runway 17R approach. It would have been helpful if the controller had emphasized that the runway was now runway 16 instead of runway 17R. The tower asked me to call after landing which I did to see what had happened. Again, the main problem was the last second change in landing runway from what I had expected. The person I talked to in the tower was going to talk to approach to get their side of the story. Obviously, I should have heard the runway 16 landing clearance but I did not until I started the turn on to runway 17R. Supplemental information from acn 536573: the WX was good VFR and while on base leg we advised that we had the runway in sight. We were subsequently cleared for a visual approach to runway 16.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 CREW, ON A VISUAL TO DEN, LINED UP ON RWY 17R, MISSING A LAST MIN CLRNC CHANGE TO LAND ON RWY 16.

Narrative: DURING THE DSCNT INTO DENVER, WE WERE TOLD BY DENVER APCH TO EXPECT RWY 17R. WE SET UP FOR RWY 17R AND WERE TURNED ON TO BASE EXPECTING RWY 17R. SOMETIME DURING THE TURN TO BASE OR ON BASE, WE WERE GIVEN A FREQ CHANGE. WE CALLED THE ARPT IN SIGHT AND WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH AND I STARTED TO LINE UP FOR RWY 17R. THE FO SAID THAT HE THOUGHT WE WERE CLRED FOR RWY 16 AND I ASKED HIM TO CONFIRM THAT WITH THE CTLR. HE CONFIRMED THE RWY 16 CLRNC AND I MOVED OVER AND LINED UP WITH RWY 16. WE WERE LATE SWITCHING TO TWR AND RECEIVED LNDG CLRNC ON SHORT FINAL. THERE WAS A MISCOM WITH THE APCH CTLR AND I HAD STARTED TO LINE UP ON THE WRONG RWY BEFORE I REALIZED THAT OUR LNDG RWY HAD BEEN CHANGED. AS I RECALL, THE CTLR ON BASE WAS DIFFERENT FROM THE ONE WHO GAVE US THE EXPECT RWY 17R APCH. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN HELPFUL IF THE CTLR HAD EMPHASIZED THAT THE RWY WAS NOW RWY 16 INSTEAD OF RWY 17R. THE TWR ASKED ME TO CALL AFTER LNDG WHICH I DID TO SEE WHAT HAD HAPPENED. AGAIN, THE MAIN PROB WAS THE LAST SECOND CHANGE IN LNDG RWY FROM WHAT I HAD EXPECTED. THE PERSON I TALKED TO IN THE TWR WAS GOING TO TALK TO APCH TO GET THEIR SIDE OF THE STORY. OBVIOUSLY, I SHOULD HAVE HEARD THE RWY 16 LNDG CLRNC BUT I DID NOT UNTIL I STARTED THE TURN ON TO RWY 17R. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 536573: THE WX WAS GOOD VFR AND WHILE ON BASE LEG WE ADVISED THAT WE HAD THE RWY IN SIGHT. WE WERE SUBSEQUENTLY CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 16.

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.