Narrative:

Smf-lax. SADDE6 arrival. 7000 ft. ATC clears us 70 degrees after smo for runway 24R. We request runway 25L, but are told unable. ATC clears us to descend to 2500 ft after smo. After passing smo and beginning descent, ATC tells us to stop descent at 5000 ft -- we will now go to runway 25L. Several aircraft are pointed out by ATC. Aircraft is on approach to runway 24R, we are given heading 160 degrees behind this aircraft. 2 additional aircraft are pointed out to us on approach to runway 25L/25R. On base for runway 25L, we are cleared for runway 25R approach. (Third runway in less than 5 mins.) autoplt was used during approach to aid in traffic lookout. While I was searching for preceding traffic, first officer (PNF) was 'heads down' reloading the box. ATC gave us heading 220 degrees to join localizer for runway 25R. I selected heading 220 degrees, then armed localizer. I was continuing to look for/avoid traffic. I noticed we were overflying an air carrier airbus on final about 1000 ft below us. At this time, ATC said 'confirm you are lined up for runway 25R.' I looked up, saw we had flown through the runway 25R localizer, and began correcting back to course. I also looked down and noticed that runway 25L was still 'in the box.' we had not, as I had thought, loaded runway 25R. Corrected back to runway 25R, while maintaining visual with airbus going to runway 25L. ATC told us to maintain heading, maintain 2500 ft. First officer read back both clrncs. I queried him to ask if we were then cleared for approach. ATC then gave us left turn, heading 160 degrees. Shortly after, we were cleared to maintain 3000 ft, and frequency change to approach. We were then vectored around for ILS runway 25L, full stop. Human factors/clear: task saturation. Multiple runway assignments in brief time period. WX: approach into setting sun, with typically hazy lax WX. ATC: frequency congestion. Supplemental information from acn 588740: passing about 5500 ft abeam the field, approach asked if desired visual to runway 25L. We accepted. Stopped descent at 5000 ft. Turned base behind air carrier on north complex. Now cleared visual to runway 25R. South complex traffic on TCASII. We overshot runway 25R. Haze with setting sun made for difficult slant range visibility. Air carrier airbus 1000 ft below and right of us. We leveled at 2500 ft, cleaned up for go around. Approach broke us off the approach. 160 degree heading, 3000 ft, vectors ILS, runway 25L. Factors included approach trying to do us a favor with the south complex, which we accepted. We did not anticipate visual to 3 different runways within mins (charts out, ILS frequencys on hand, box loaded).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B733 CREW RPTED THAT THEY LINED UP WITH THE WRONG RWY DURING APCH TO LAX.

Narrative: SMF-LAX. SADDE6 ARR. 7000 FT. ATC CLRS US 70 DEGS AFTER SMO FOR RWY 24R. WE REQUEST RWY 25L, BUT ARE TOLD UNABLE. ATC CLRS US TO DSND TO 2500 FT AFTER SMO. AFTER PASSING SMO AND BEGINNING DSCNT, ATC TELLS US TO STOP DSCNT AT 5000 FT -- WE WILL NOW GO TO RWY 25L. SEVERAL ACFT ARE POINTED OUT BY ATC. ACFT IS ON APCH TO RWY 24R, WE ARE GIVEN HDG 160 DEGS BEHIND THIS ACFT. 2 ADDITIONAL ACFT ARE POINTED OUT TO US ON APCH TO RWY 25L/25R. ON BASE FOR RWY 25L, WE ARE CLRED FOR RWY 25R APCH. (THIRD RWY IN LESS THAN 5 MINS.) AUTOPLT WAS USED DURING APCH TO AID IN TFC LOOKOUT. WHILE I WAS SEARCHING FOR PRECEDING TFC, FO (PNF) WAS 'HEADS DOWN' RELOADING THE BOX. ATC GAVE US HDG 220 DEGS TO JOIN LOC FOR RWY 25R. I SELECTED HDG 220 DEGS, THEN ARMED LOC. I WAS CONTINUING TO LOOK FOR/AVOID TFC. I NOTICED WE WERE OVERFLYING AN ACR AIRBUS ON FINAL ABOUT 1000 FT BELOW US. AT THIS TIME, ATC SAID 'CONFIRM YOU ARE LINED UP FOR RWY 25R.' I LOOKED UP, SAW WE HAD FLOWN THROUGH THE RWY 25R LOC, AND BEGAN CORRECTING BACK TO COURSE. I ALSO LOOKED DOWN AND NOTICED THAT RWY 25L WAS STILL 'IN THE BOX.' WE HAD NOT, AS I HAD THOUGHT, LOADED RWY 25R. CORRECTED BACK TO RWY 25R, WHILE MAINTAINING VISUAL WITH AIRBUS GOING TO RWY 25L. ATC TOLD US TO MAINTAIN HDG, MAINTAIN 2500 FT. FO READ BACK BOTH CLRNCS. I QUERIED HIM TO ASK IF WE WERE THEN CLRED FOR APCH. ATC THEN GAVE US L TURN, HDG 160 DEGS. SHORTLY AFTER, WE WERE CLRED TO MAINTAIN 3000 FT, AND FREQ CHANGE TO APCH. WE WERE THEN VECTORED AROUND FOR ILS RWY 25L, FULL STOP. HUMAN FACTORS/CLR: TASK SATURATION. MULTIPLE RWY ASSIGNMENTS IN BRIEF TIME PERIOD. WX: APCH INTO SETTING SUN, WITH TYPICALLY HAZY LAX WX. ATC: FREQ CONGESTION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 588740: PASSING ABOUT 5500 FT ABEAM THE FIELD, APCH ASKED IF DESIRED VISUAL TO RWY 25L. WE ACCEPTED. STOPPED DSCNT AT 5000 FT. TURNED BASE BEHIND ACR ON N COMPLEX. NOW CLRED VISUAL TO RWY 25R. S COMPLEX TFC ON TCASII. WE OVERSHOT RWY 25R. HAZE WITH SETTING SUN MADE FOR DIFFICULT SLANT RANGE VISIBILITY. ACR AIRBUS 1000 FT BELOW AND R OF US. WE LEVELED AT 2500 FT, CLEANED UP FOR GAR. APCH BROKE US OFF THE APCH. 160 DEG HDG, 3000 FT, VECTORS ILS, RWY 25L. FACTORS INCLUDED APCH TRYING TO DO US A FAVOR WITH THE S COMPLEX, WHICH WE ACCEPTED. WE DID NOT ANTICIPATE VISUAL TO 3 DIFFERENT RWYS WITHIN MINS (CHARTS OUT, ILS FREQS ON HAND, BOX LOADED).

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.