Narrative:

While on downwind to runway 24R at lax; we were asked if we could see an air carrier Y; A319 at 12 O'clock position. We stated yes; and were cleared for the visual approach to follow the A319 to runway 24R. I turned base leg approximately 90 degrees to final to get some spacing on the airbus and was then told by approach to turn to a heading of 220 degrees. I initiated the turn; slowed to 180 degrees; as requested; and asked for gear and flaps to 15 degrees. Our spacing looked tight; so I selected final approach speed and followed what I thought was the airbus. At our altitude of approximately 3500 ft; the entire runway 24R was obscured but both runway 25L/right were visible. I overshot runway 24R and was between the north and south runway parallels. Tower asked us to correct to centerline. I made a 25 degree turn to the right and intercepted the final approach course at an approximately 2000 ft altitude and on a 6 mi final. The WX was reported as few clouds at 1000 ft. The marine layer obscured all of runway 24R until we descended below 3000 ft. It was nighttime and the traffic to follow was difficult to track against the los angeles city lights. Supplemental information from acn 702835: as I was heads down configuring the aircraft and performing the checklist; we flew through the final approach course by approximately 1/2 mi. Tower advised us to correct to the right to intercept final just as I looked up from the checklist and realized we were left of course. Contributing to the confusion was an aircraft on final to the south complex which appeared in the same relative position as the traffic we were to follow to runway 24R. Also; the north complex was partially obscured by low clouds but the south complex was clearly visible; thus 'suckering' the first officer to follow the wrong aircraft momentarily and deviate to the south of course. Immediate corrective action was taken to resume course to runway 24R and a normal landing was made.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757-200 CREW RPTS OVERSHOOTING LAX RWY 24R CTRLINE IN NIGHTTIME CLOUDY CONDITIONS AND FOLLOWING THE INCORRECT ACT TO THE ARPT.

Narrative: WHILE ON DOWNWIND TO RWY 24R AT LAX; WE WERE ASKED IF WE COULD SEE AN ACR Y; A319 AT 12 O'CLOCK POS. WE STATED YES; AND WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO FOLLOW THE A319 TO RWY 24R. I TURNED BASE LEG APPROX 90 DEGS TO FINAL TO GET SOME SPACING ON THE AIRBUS AND WAS THEN TOLD BY APCH TO TURN TO A HDG OF 220 DEGS. I INITIATED THE TURN; SLOWED TO 180 DEGS; AS REQUESTED; AND ASKED FOR GEAR AND FLAPS TO 15 DEGS. OUR SPACING LOOKED TIGHT; SO I SELECTED FINAL APCH SPD AND FOLLOWED WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE AIRBUS. AT OUR ALT OF APPROX 3500 FT; THE ENTIRE RWY 24R WAS OBSCURED BUT BOTH RWY 25L/R WERE VISIBLE. I OVERSHOT RWY 24R AND WAS BTWN THE N AND S RWY PARALLELS. TWR ASKED US TO CORRECT TO CTRLINE. I MADE A 25 DEG TURN TO THE R AND INTERCEPTED THE FINAL APCH COURSE AT AN APPROX 2000 FT ALT AND ON A 6 MI FINAL. THE WX WAS RPTED AS FEW CLOUDS AT 1000 FT. THE MARINE LAYER OBSCURED ALL OF RWY 24R UNTIL WE DSNDED BELOW 3000 FT. IT WAS NIGHTTIME AND THE TFC TO FOLLOW WAS DIFFICULT TO TRACK AGAINST THE LOS ANGELES CITY LIGHTS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 702835: AS I WAS HEADS DOWN CONFIGURING THE ACFT AND PERFORMING THE CHKLIST; WE FLEW THROUGH THE FINAL APCH COURSE BY APPROX 1/2 MI. TWR ADVISED US TO CORRECT TO THE R TO INTERCEPT FINAL JUST AS I LOOKED UP FROM THE CHKLIST AND REALIZED WE WERE L OF COURSE. CONTRIBUTING TO THE CONFUSION WAS AN ACFT ON FINAL TO THE S COMPLEX WHICH APPEARED IN THE SAME RELATIVE POS AS THE TFC WE WERE TO FOLLOW TO RWY 24R. ALSO; THE N COMPLEX WAS PARTIALLY OBSCURED BY LOW CLOUDS BUT THE S COMPLEX WAS CLRLY VISIBLE; THUS 'SUCKERING' THE FO TO FOLLOW THE WRONG ACFT MOMENTARILY AND DEVIATE TO THE S OF COURSE. IMMEDIATE CORRECTIVE ACTION WAS TAKEN TO RESUME COURSE TO RWY 24R AND A NORMAL LNDG WAS MADE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.