MD80 crew overshot the final approach course at lax when cleared for the visual in low VMC visibilit...

Attributes
ACN	571134
Time
Date	200301
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 7000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sct.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual arrival : vfr
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	571134
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter other non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : radar other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued alert flight crew : returned to intended or assigned course
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Weather Airport ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Final approach overshoot. I was held up high after passing smo VOR. Approach was clearing aircraft for ILS approachs to runway 24R. They asked if we had the airport in sight in an effort to get me to accept a visual approach with 4 mi visibility and a marine layer over portions of the airport and its surrounding landmarks. After getting turned around, the approach controller pointed out traffic. I called it in sight, and he then cleared us for a visual approach to runway 24R. I flew through the final of runway 24R&left having had the wrong airport complex in sight. Before entering the final for runway 25R, my first officer pointed out the error I had made. I immediately corrected back to the runway 24R final. ATC also made mention of our flight path. We did not receive any TCASII warnings. There was a lot of traffic present at the time and I must have missed the localizer looking for aircraft and the airport. I did want the visual approach I was cleared for, suspect at a time when all other traffic were doing the ILS. ATC might have done this to relieve themselves of the IFR separation requirement, and I feel like they tried to stuff us in.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CREW OVERSHOT THE FINAL APCH COURSE AT LAX WHEN CLRED FOR THE VISUAL IN LOW VMC VISIBILITY CONDITIONS.

Narrative: FINAL APCH OVERSHOOT. I WAS HELD UP HIGH AFTER PASSING SMO VOR. APCH WAS CLRING ACFT FOR ILS APCHS TO RWY 24R. THEY ASKED IF WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT IN AN EFFORT TO GET ME TO ACCEPT A VISUAL APCH WITH 4 MI VISIBILITY AND A MARINE LAYER OVER PORTIONS OF THE ARPT AND ITS SURROUNDING LANDMARKS. AFTER GETTING TURNED AROUND, THE APCH CTLR POINTED OUT TFC. I CALLED IT IN SIGHT, AND HE THEN CLRED US FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 24R. I FLEW THROUGH THE FINAL OF RWY 24R&L HAVING HAD THE WRONG ARPT COMPLEX IN SIGHT. BEFORE ENTERING THE FINAL FOR RWY 25R, MY FO POINTED OUT THE ERROR I HAD MADE. I IMMEDIATELY CORRECTED BACK TO THE RWY 24R FINAL. ATC ALSO MADE MENTION OF OUR FLT PATH. WE DID NOT RECEIVE ANY TCASII WARNINGS. THERE WAS A LOT OF TFC PRESENT AT THE TIME AND I MUST HAVE MISSED THE LOC LOOKING FOR ACFT AND THE ARPT. I DID WANT THE VISUAL APCH I WAS CLRED FOR, SUSPECT AT A TIME WHEN ALL OTHER TFC WERE DOING THE ILS. ATC MIGHT HAVE DONE THIS TO RELIEVE THEMSELVES OF THE IFR SEPARATION REQUIREMENT, AND I FEEL LIKE THEY TRIED TO STUFF US IN.

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.

MD80 crew overshot the final approach course at lax when cleared for the visual in low VMC visibility conditions.