Narrative:

I was serving as first officer and PF on a flight operating to mco. As we approached the airport area; approach kept us high and fast. They then changed our expected runway from the west side of the airport to a parallel runway on the east side of the airport. We were cleared for a visual and told to pass behind another aircraft as we made our approach. The captain and I were busy looking outside for traffic and trying to figure out how we were going to get down in time for an approach. With the aircraft in sight; I looked back inside and saw that I was passing through the extended centerline drawn on my navigation display. Using the autoplt; I initiated a turn to re-intercept the course. As I was doing this; the controller told us to go direct to a point on the final approach course. I asked the captain to give me direct the point. It was at this time that we realized that the extended centerline drawn on my navigation display was for the wrong (originally-expected) runway. I immediately disconnected the autoplt and turned towards the correct runway. The controller noticed our deviation at about the same time we did. He was upset; but didn't ask us to call and talk with anyone. I'm not aware of causing any conflicts with any other aircraft. I learned a few valuable lessons from this incident: 1) I fly a bunch and have become complacent. After 3000 hours in the same airplane; I often take things for granted. I need to stop doing this and start paying attention. 2) I was flying with a pilot who hadn't been a captain for very long. He was so concerned with being the captain that he wasn't doing his PNF job as well as a more senior captain who is more comfortable with and experienced in the job as captain. The whole idea is that somebody flies the plane and somebody handles the radios and navigation. He was so busy being 'captain' that he wasn't a very good PNF. I've added a new check procedure to my personal internal checklist. Whenever I'm cleared for a visual approach; I'm now going to visually confirm in our FMS and on my navigation display to make sure that the navigation information I'm using to back up my visual approach is for the correct runway. We brief every approach; but it's usually done before we descend through FL180. If we have a change of runways late in the approach; we don't always have the time or take the time for a new complete approach brief if we're going to fly a visual approach.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO AN UNEXPECTED RWY AT MCO WHEN HELD HIGH AND FAST RESULTS IN TRACK DEVIATIONS TOWARD THE ORIGINALLY PROGRAMMED PARALLEL RWY.

Narrative: I WAS SERVING AS FO AND PF ON A FLT OPERATING TO MCO. AS WE APCHED THE ARPT AREA; APCH KEPT US HIGH AND FAST. THEY THEN CHANGED OUR EXPECTED RWY FROM THE W SIDE OF THE ARPT TO A PARALLEL RWY ON THE E SIDE OF THE ARPT. WE WERE CLRED FOR A VISUAL AND TOLD TO PASS BEHIND ANOTHER ACFT AS WE MADE OUR APCH. THE CAPT AND I WERE BUSY LOOKING OUTSIDE FOR TFC AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE WERE GOING TO GET DOWN IN TIME FOR AN APCH. WITH THE ACFT IN SIGHT; I LOOKED BACK INSIDE AND SAW THAT I WAS PASSING THROUGH THE EXTENDED CTRLINE DRAWN ON MY NAV DISPLAY. USING THE AUTOPLT; I INITIATED A TURN TO RE-INTERCEPT THE COURSE. AS I WAS DOING THIS; THE CTLR TOLD US TO GO DIRECT TO A POINT ON THE FINAL APCH COURSE. I ASKED THE CAPT TO GIVE ME DIRECT THE POINT. IT WAS AT THIS TIME THAT WE REALIZED THAT THE EXTENDED CTRLINE DRAWN ON MY NAV DISPLAY WAS FOR THE WRONG (ORIGINALLY-EXPECTED) RWY. I IMMEDIATELY DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND TURNED TOWARDS THE CORRECT RWY. THE CTLR NOTICED OUR DEV AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME WE DID. HE WAS UPSET; BUT DIDN'T ASK US TO CALL AND TALK WITH ANYONE. I'M NOT AWARE OF CAUSING ANY CONFLICTS WITH ANY OTHER ACFT. I LEARNED A FEW VALUABLE LESSONS FROM THIS INCIDENT: 1) I FLY A BUNCH AND HAVE BECOME COMPLACENT. AFTER 3000 HRS IN THE SAME AIRPLANE; I OFTEN TAKE THINGS FOR GRANTED. I NEED TO STOP DOING THIS AND START PAYING ATTN. 2) I WAS FLYING WITH A PLT WHO HADN'T BEEN A CAPT FOR VERY LONG. HE WAS SO CONCERNED WITH BEING THE CAPT THAT HE WASN'T DOING HIS PNF JOB AS WELL AS A MORE SENIOR CAPT WHO IS MORE COMFORTABLE WITH AND EXPERIENCED IN THE JOB AS CAPT. THE WHOLE IDEA IS THAT SOMEBODY FLIES THE PLANE AND SOMEBODY HANDLES THE RADIOS AND NAV. HE WAS SO BUSY BEING 'CAPT' THAT HE WASN'T A VERY GOOD PNF. I'VE ADDED A NEW CHK PROC TO MY PERSONAL INTERNAL CHKLIST. WHENEVER I'M CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH; I'M NOW GOING TO VISUALLY CONFIRM IN OUR FMS AND ON MY NAV DISPLAY TO MAKE SURE THAT THE NAV INFO I'M USING TO BACK UP MY VISUAL APCH IS FOR THE CORRECT RWY. WE BRIEF EVERY APCH; BUT IT'S USUALLY DONE BEFORE WE DSND THROUGH FL180. IF WE HAVE A CHANGE OF RWYS LATE IN THE APCH; WE DON'T ALWAYS HAVE THE TIME OR TAKE THE TIME FOR A NEW COMPLETE APCH BRIEF IF WE'RE GOING TO FLY A VISUAL APCH.

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.