Narrative:

We flew the SADD6 arrival to lax, and departed smo VOR on a 070 degree heading. Approach asked us to call traffic ahead 5-6 mi on final to runway 24R. We called traffic in sight and were cleared for a visual approach to runway 24R behind traffic, and told to contact tower on 133.90. We called tower and were cleared to land on runway 24R. As we turned base to final, the traffic ahead was no longer in sight, as it had apparently landed. Both the captain and I had a good visual on the runway and lined up on the centerline. We were both unaware that we had lined up on runway 25R. The fact that there was no other traffic, visibility was not good due to the haze, and daylight was fading fast, all combined to provide the illusion that we were landing on runway 24R. There were no other runways in sight. At about 4-5 mi final, tower informed us that we were lined up for runway 25R and asked us to turn right immediately, which we did. I then crosschecked my instruments and confirmed that the runway 24R localizer was showing full-scale deflection to the right. We immediately obtained visual contact with runway 24R and landed uneventfully. Both the captain and I had been so convinced that we were lined up with the correct runway that we did not think to check our instruments or use the FMS moving map to confirm our position until tower informed us of our error. Since the captain was hand-flying the aircraft, there was no opportunity for the autoplt to intercept the correct course to runway 24R. We basically saw what we thought we were supposed to see, and let ourselves be tricked by illusion and poor use of cockpit resources.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CL600 FLT CREW LINES UP ON WRONG RWY DURING APCH TO LAX.

Narrative: WE FLEW THE SADD6 ARR TO LAX, AND DEPARTED SMO VOR ON A 070 DEG HDG. APCH ASKED US TO CALL TFC AHEAD 5-6 MI ON FINAL TO RWY 24R. WE CALLED TFC IN SIGHT AND WERE CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 24R BEHIND TFC, AND TOLD TO CONTACT TWR ON 133.90. WE CALLED TWR AND WERE CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 24R. AS WE TURNED BASE TO FINAL, THE TFC AHEAD WAS NO LONGER IN SIGHT, AS IT HAD APPARENTLY LANDED. BOTH THE CAPT AND I HAD A GOOD VISUAL ON THE RWY AND LINED UP ON THE CTRLINE. WE WERE BOTH UNAWARE THAT WE HAD LINED UP ON RWY 25R. THE FACT THAT THERE WAS NO OTHER TFC, VISIBILITY WAS NOT GOOD DUE TO THE HAZE, AND DAYLIGHT WAS FADING FAST, ALL COMBINED TO PROVIDE THE ILLUSION THAT WE WERE LNDG ON RWY 24R. THERE WERE NO OTHER RWYS IN SIGHT. AT ABOUT 4-5 MI FINAL, TWR INFORMED US THAT WE WERE LINED UP FOR RWY 25R AND ASKED US TO TURN R IMMEDIATELY, WHICH WE DID. I THEN XCHKED MY INSTS AND CONFIRMED THAT THE RWY 24R LOC WAS SHOWING FULL-SCALE DEFLECTION TO THE R. WE IMMEDIATELY OBTAINED VISUAL CONTACT WITH RWY 24R AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. BOTH THE CAPT AND I HAD BEEN SO CONVINCED THAT WE WERE LINED UP WITH THE CORRECT RWY THAT WE DID NOT THINK TO CHK OUR INSTS OR USE THE FMS MOVING MAP TO CONFIRM OUR POS UNTIL TWR INFORMED US OF OUR ERROR. SINCE THE CAPT WAS HAND-FLYING THE ACFT, THERE WAS NO OPPORTUNITY FOR THE AUTOPLT TO INTERCEPT THE CORRECT COURSE TO RWY 24R. WE BASICALLY SAW WHAT WE THOUGHT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO SEE, AND LET OURSELVES BE TRICKED BY ILLUSION AND POOR USE OF COCKPIT RESOURCES.

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.