Narrative:

The closure of runway 21L in dtw has changed the 'normal' arrival sequence into dtw. Runway 22L is almost always used for takeoff and seldom used for landing. This I believe set us up to believe we would 'do what we always do' that is use the runway 22R approach and land on that runway. Also this occurred at the end of a very tiring pattern. My schedule had been changed because I was going to be over 30/7. The change was about 15 mins so I was still scheduled at the maximum allowable time. This was the last day of this pattern. At this time I am still not sure that it was not ATC that issued us the wrong approach as we (the first officer and I) both believe we accepted and read back a clearance for runway 22R. We were on approach to runway 22R when ATC asked if we were correcting for the ILS to runway 22L. At this time we were approximately 10-12 mi from the airport and just joining the runway 22R localizer. We told ATC we had been cleared for runway 22R and ATC said no we had been cleared for runway 22L and to stop descent and fly heading 180 degrees to join the runway 22L localizer. ATC then issued clearance for runway 22L and we joined that localizer and landed without further incident. ATC questioned if we were correcting for localizer runway 22L we replied we were cleared for runway 22R. ATC then gave us a heading to join runway 22L. We stopped our descent and turned to the heading ATC had given us. Since we were still 10-12 mi from the airport we had time to set up for the runway 22L approach. We tuned and idented the correct frequency and the approach and landing were uneventful. Clear communication in terminal area is very important. Dtw like most large airports can be very busy during an arrival phase. Frequency jamming is unfortunately a common occurrence. We both believe we heard an approach clearance given that the controller obviously believes they did not give. It is imperative we and ATC are on the same page even if it requires an extra radio call. I believe that fatigue played a part as this is a very busy and tiring pattern. It is 4 days of almost nonstop flying with few breaks. The well known human factors of rest are almost completely ignored with this type of schedule.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SF340 FLT CREW HEARS WHAT THEY EXPECT TO HEAR WHEN RECEIVING RWY ASSIGNMENT FOR LANDING ON DTW RWY 22R. DURING THE LOC INTERCEPT THE CONTROLLER ADVISES THAT THEY SHOULD BE INTERCEPTING 22L LOC AND ISSUES A HEADING.

Narrative: THE CLOSURE OF RWY 21L IN DTW HAS CHANGED THE 'NORMAL' ARR SEQUENCE INTO DTW. RWY 22L IS ALMOST ALWAYS USED FOR TKOF AND SELDOM USED FOR LNDG. THIS I BELIEVE SET US UP TO BELIEVE WE WOULD 'DO WHAT WE ALWAYS DO' THAT IS USE THE RWY 22R APCH AND LAND ON THAT RWY. ALSO THIS OCCURRED AT THE END OF A VERY TIRING PATTERN. MY SCHEDULE HAD BEEN CHANGED BECAUSE I WAS GOING TO BE OVER 30/7. THE CHANGE WAS ABOUT 15 MINS SO I WAS STILL SCHEDULED AT THE MAX ALLOWABLE TIME. THIS WAS THE LAST DAY OF THIS PATTERN. AT THIS TIME I AM STILL NOT SURE THAT IT WAS NOT ATC THAT ISSUED US THE WRONG APCH AS WE (THE FO AND I) BOTH BELIEVE WE ACCEPTED AND READ BACK A CLRNC FOR RWY 22R. WE WERE ON APCH TO RWY 22R WHEN ATC ASKED IF WE WERE CORRECTING FOR THE ILS TO RWY 22L. AT THIS TIME WE WERE APPROX 10-12 MI FROM THE ARPT AND JUST JOINING THE RWY 22R LOC. WE TOLD ATC WE HAD BEEN CLRED FOR RWY 22R AND ATC SAID NO WE HAD BEEN CLRED FOR RWY 22L AND TO STOP DSCNT AND FLY HDG 180 DEGS TO JOIN THE RWY 22L LOC. ATC THEN ISSUED CLRNC FOR RWY 22L AND WE JOINED THAT LOC AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. ATC QUESTIONED IF WE WERE CORRECTING FOR LOC RWY 22L WE REPLIED WE WERE CLRED FOR RWY 22R. ATC THEN GAVE US A HDG TO JOIN RWY 22L. WE STOPPED OUR DSCNT AND TURNED TO THE HDG ATC HAD GIVEN US. SINCE WE WERE STILL 10-12 MI FROM THE ARPT WE HAD TIME TO SET UP FOR THE RWY 22L APCH. WE TUNED AND IDENTED THE CORRECT FREQ AND THE APCH AND LNDG WERE UNEVENTFUL. CLR COM IN TERMINAL AREA IS VERY IMPORTANT. DTW LIKE MOST LARGE ARPTS CAN BE VERY BUSY DURING AN ARR PHASE. FREQ JAMMING IS UNFORTUNATELY A COMMON OCCURRENCE. WE BOTH BELIEVE WE HEARD AN APCH CLRNC GIVEN THAT THE CTLR OBVIOUSLY BELIEVES THEY DID NOT GIVE. IT IS IMPERATIVE WE AND ATC ARE ON THE SAME PAGE EVEN IF IT REQUIRES AN EXTRA RADIO CALL. I BELIEVE THAT FATIGUE PLAYED A PART AS THIS IS A VERY BUSY AND TIRING PATTERN. IT IS 4 DAYS OF ALMOST NONSTOP FLYING WITH FEW BREAKS. THE WELL KNOWN HUMAN FACTORS OF REST ARE ALMOST COMPLETELY IGNORED WITH THIS TYPE OF SCHEDULE.

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.