B737-800 flight crew make wrong runway approach at dfw.

Attributes
ACN	575111
Time
Date	200302
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : d10.tracon
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl single value : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : dfw.tower tower : dca.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-800
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual approach : instrument precision
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 8000
ASRS Report	575111
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance other anomaly other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : radar other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance controller : issued alert flight crew : became reoriented
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance Airport Environmental Factor
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

During descent into dfw from the west at approximately XA00 am on a wet and dark morning at about 3000 ft, we were being vectored to a dogleg and asked if runway 35C was in sight. We replied the airport was in sight, not the runway. Dfw approach control then cleared us for a visual approach to runway 35C. All navaids were set for the ILS to runway 35C, however, the captain was still in the other process of attempting to receive a valid identify on the localizer frequency. Both of us had map mode selected on our navigation displays. Looking at the airport from our vantage point, there was only one set of approach lights visible (MALSR). I then armed the approach mode of the autoplt and waited for the intercept. The captain stated he did not yet have a valid localizer identify and at about the same time, it appeared we would over shoot the final approach course associated with the bright approach lights. I turned the aircraft to line up on final and then checked both navigation displays. I noticed that both of our displays were not aligned with the selected runway and for a brief moment, thought it could be a map shift. I switched to raw data on my navigation display, and it confirmed we were left of course. The captain meantime had been occupied running checklists, setting airspeed bugs, and attempting to obtain an identify on the localizer frequency. I notified him of the discrepancy and by this time, we were approaching, or at, 1000 ft AGL. We both acknowledged the discrepancy and were also unable to determine if the location of the main terminal was to the left or to the right of the runway we were aligned with. (This would have given us even further clues of our error). Just as we concluded the approach should not be continued, tower called and asked if we were aware that we were aligned with runway 36R. The captain acknowledged, however, tower said there were no conflicts, and we were cleared to continue to runway 36R and land. In retrospect, I should not have solely focused on the first and only set of approach lights I saw. Also, keep in mind the correct approach lights you should be observing. Trust your raw data instruments. Get the other pilot 'in the loop' as soon as possible if something looks or feels abnormal.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-800 FLT CREW MAKE WRONG RWY APCH AT DFW.

Narrative: DURING DSCNT INTO DFW FROM THE W AT APPROX XA00 AM ON A WET AND DARK MORNING AT ABOUT 3000 FT, WE WERE BEING VECTORED TO A DOGLEG AND ASKED IF RWY 35C WAS IN SIGHT. WE REPLIED THE ARPT WAS IN SIGHT, NOT THE RWY. DFW APCH CTL THEN CLRED US FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 35C. ALL NAVAIDS WERE SET FOR THE ILS TO RWY 35C, HOWEVER, THE CAPT WAS STILL IN THE OTHER PROCESS OF ATTEMPTING TO RECEIVE A VALID IDENT ON THE LOC FREQ. BOTH OF US HAD MAP MODE SELECTED ON OUR NAV DISPLAYS. LOOKING AT THE ARPT FROM OUR VANTAGE POINT, THERE WAS ONLY ONE SET OF APCH LIGHTS VISIBLE (MALSR). I THEN ARMED THE APCH MODE OF THE AUTOPLT AND WAITED FOR THE INTERCEPT. THE CAPT STATED HE DID NOT YET HAVE A VALID LOC IDENT AND AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME, IT APPEARED WE WOULD OVER SHOOT THE FINAL APCH COURSE ASSOCIATED WITH THE BRIGHT APCH LIGHTS. I TURNED THE ACFT TO LINE UP ON FINAL AND THEN CHKED BOTH NAV DISPLAYS. I NOTICED THAT BOTH OF OUR DISPLAYS WERE NOT ALIGNED WITH THE SELECTED RWY AND FOR A BRIEF MOMENT, THOUGHT IT COULD BE A MAP SHIFT. I SWITCHED TO RAW DATA ON MY NAV DISPLAY, AND IT CONFIRMED WE WERE LEFT OF COURSE. THE CAPT MEANTIME HAD BEEN OCCUPIED RUNNING CHKLISTS, SETTING AIRSPD BUGS, AND ATTEMPTING TO OBTAIN AN IDENT ON THE LOC FREQ. I NOTIFIED HIM OF THE DISCREPANCY AND BY THIS TIME, WE WERE APCHING, OR AT, 1000 FT AGL. WE BOTH ACKNOWLEDGED THE DISCREPANCY AND WERE ALSO UNABLE TO DETERMINE IF THE LOCATION OF THE MAIN TERMINAL WAS TO THE L OR TO THE R OF THE RWY WE WERE ALIGNED WITH. (THIS WOULD HAVE GIVEN US EVEN FURTHER CLUES OF OUR ERROR). JUST AS WE CONCLUDED THE APCH SHOULD NOT BE CONTINUED, TWR CALLED AND ASKED IF WE WERE AWARE THAT WE WERE ALIGNED WITH RWY 36R. THE CAPT ACKNOWLEDGED, HOWEVER, TWR SAID THERE WERE NO CONFLICTS, AND WE WERE CLRED TO CONTINUE TO RWY 36R AND LAND. IN RETROSPECT, I SHOULD NOT HAVE SOLELY FOCUSED ON THE FIRST AND ONLY SET OF APCH LIGHTS I SAW. ALSO, KEEP IN MIND THE CORRECT APCH LIGHTS YOU SHOULD BE OBSERVING. TRUST YOUR RAW DATA INSTS. GET THE OTHER PLT 'IN THE LOOP' AS SOON AS POSSIBLE IF SOMETHING LOOKS OR FEELS ABNORMAL.

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.