Narrative:

I was flying with a very experienced and conscientious first officer (8 yrs with airline); he was PF. We were on a 'slam dunk' approach into atl. The WX was good night VFR and the traffic was very light. ATC cleared us for the visual approach to runway 27L and switched us to tower. We checked in with tower and he cleared us to land runway 27L. The only problem was we were lined up on the new runway 28! About 5 mi out; tower called and said 'are you on the visual for runway 27L?' we immediately recognized our error and adjusted our heading to intercept the final for runway 27L. We had plenty of time to continue our stabilized approach and land on runway 27L. No traffic was near. Runway 28 was brightly lighted up. Good heads up by the ATC tower controller. Between my first officer and myself we had been into atl around 1500-2000 times; so is this good or bad? I would say good; but then when you are familiar with something and it changes it takes your mind a period of time to adjust the mental picture. For yrs; runway 27L was the southernmost runway. Yes; we both had the localizer tuned up. My first officer was hand flying the approach and I was noticing the localizer deflection. We were right on the GS even though it was the runway 27L GS. I kept thinking to myself 'ok; the sight picture is right on and the localizer is going to come in any second now.' I would estimate I was thinking this for about 20-30 seconds. I am curious if I would have caught this error. When would it click in my mind I was lined up on the wrong runway? What would be that 'clicking' cue? Would we have both missed the error and landed on runway 28 if the controller hadn't said something? We both pondered these things greatly. I was looking outside and tend to think I would have caught the error via visual cues around 2500 ft AGL. I have only landed on runway 28 once at night. It was my first officer has never landed on runway 28 at night. It is not a real familiar mental picture. Would I have done different? What were some contributing factors: basics; believe your instruments; not your inner ear or your eyes. I must say that the sight picture outside powerfully confirmed my mental model. Also; I will use the automation until lined up and established on final; especially at night at the long end on a duty day (12 hours). Even with the autoplt on; I wonder if I would have disengage it thinking I was flying through the runway 27L final -- maybe. The sight picture was very powerful. We had the flight director up and the approach mode was armed. My first officer was flying outside the command bars looking outside.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF CL60 LINE UP ON RWY 28 VICE RWY 27L AT ATL.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING WITH A VERY EXPERIENCED AND CONSCIENTIOUS FO (8 YRS WITH AIRLINE); HE WAS PF. WE WERE ON A 'SLAM DUNK' APCH INTO ATL. THE WX WAS GOOD NIGHT VFR AND THE TFC WAS VERY LIGHT. ATC CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 27L AND SWITCHED US TO TWR. WE CHKED IN WITH TWR AND HE CLRED US TO LAND RWY 27L. THE ONLY PROB WAS WE WERE LINED UP ON THE NEW RWY 28! ABOUT 5 MI OUT; TWR CALLED AND SAID 'ARE YOU ON THE VISUAL FOR RWY 27L?' WE IMMEDIATELY RECOGNIZED OUR ERROR AND ADJUSTED OUR HDG TO INTERCEPT THE FINAL FOR RWY 27L. WE HAD PLENTY OF TIME TO CONTINUE OUR STABILIZED APCH AND LAND ON RWY 27L. NO TFC WAS NEAR. RWY 28 WAS BRIGHTLY LIGHTED UP. GOOD HEADS UP BY THE ATC TWR CTLR. BTWN MY FO AND MYSELF WE HAD BEEN INTO ATL AROUND 1500-2000 TIMES; SO IS THIS GOOD OR BAD? I WOULD SAY GOOD; BUT THEN WHEN YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH SOMETHING AND IT CHANGES IT TAKES YOUR MIND A PERIOD OF TIME TO ADJUST THE MENTAL PICTURE. FOR YRS; RWY 27L WAS THE SOUTHERNMOST RWY. YES; WE BOTH HAD THE LOC TUNED UP. MY FO WAS HAND FLYING THE APCH AND I WAS NOTICING THE LOC DEFLECTION. WE WERE RIGHT ON THE GS EVEN THOUGH IT WAS THE RWY 27L GS. I KEPT THINKING TO MYSELF 'OK; THE SIGHT PICTURE IS RIGHT ON AND THE LOC IS GOING TO COME IN ANY SECOND NOW.' I WOULD ESTIMATE I WAS THINKING THIS FOR ABOUT 20-30 SECONDS. I AM CURIOUS IF I WOULD HAVE CAUGHT THIS ERROR. WHEN WOULD IT CLICK IN MY MIND I WAS LINED UP ON THE WRONG RWY? WHAT WOULD BE THAT 'CLICKING' CUE? WOULD WE HAVE BOTH MISSED THE ERROR AND LANDED ON RWY 28 IF THE CTLR HADN'T SAID SOMETHING? WE BOTH PONDERED THESE THINGS GREATLY. I WAS LOOKING OUTSIDE AND TEND TO THINK I WOULD HAVE CAUGHT THE ERROR VIA VISUAL CUES AROUND 2500 FT AGL. I HAVE ONLY LANDED ON RWY 28 ONCE AT NIGHT. IT WAS MY FO HAS NEVER LANDED ON RWY 28 AT NIGHT. IT IS NOT A REAL FAMILIAR MENTAL PICTURE. WOULD I HAVE DONE DIFFERENT? WHAT WERE SOME CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: BASICS; BELIEVE YOUR INSTS; NOT YOUR INNER EAR OR YOUR EYES. I MUST SAY THAT THE SIGHT PICTURE OUTSIDE POWERFULLY CONFIRMED MY MENTAL MODEL. ALSO; I WILL USE THE AUTOMATION UNTIL LINED UP AND ESTABLISHED ON FINAL; ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT AT THE LONG END ON A DUTY DAY (12 HRS). EVEN WITH THE AUTOPLT ON; I WONDER IF I WOULD HAVE DISENGAGE IT THINKING I WAS FLYING THROUGH THE RWY 27L FINAL -- MAYBE. THE SIGHT PICTURE WAS VERY POWERFUL. WE HAD THE FLT DIRECTOR UP AND THE APCH MODE WAS ARMED. MY FO WAS FLYING OUTSIDE THE COMMAND BARS LOOKING OUTSIDE.

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.