Narrative:

During the flight to iah on the riice 1 arrival at an altitude of 12000 ft (right in the vicinity of the riice fix); the crew was told the runway for landing would be runway 27 and that the speed restr of 250 KTS at brkmn could be deleted. No further vector instructions were made until the aircraft was northeast of iah airport on an LNAV riice 1 downwind when the aircraft received instructions to eventually descend to 6000 ft MSL. Approximately 18-20 mi northeast of the airport the aircraft was vectored to a heading of 130 degrees then 180 degrees. The next transmission was for an intercept heading of 240 degrees to join the final course; maintain 6000 ft MSL until established; cleared for the approach. The confusion occurred at this point because the intended clearance was for runway 26L; however; the crew was previously informed that it would be runway 27 for landing and the confusion became apparent after rolling out onto final behind a crj aircraft. It was not until the aircraft was handed off to tower control that a new vector of 300 degrees was received and instructed to fly the approach and land on runway 26L.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CONFUSION AS TO WHICH RWY A B737-500 IS ASSIGNED AT IAH RESULTS AFTER INTER-FACILITY XFER.

Narrative: DURING THE FLT TO IAH ON THE RIICE 1 ARR AT AN ALT OF 12000 FT (RIGHT IN THE VICINITY OF THE RIICE FIX); THE CREW WAS TOLD THE RWY FOR LNDG WOULD BE RWY 27 AND THAT THE SPD RESTR OF 250 KTS AT BRKMN COULD BE DELETED. NO FURTHER VECTOR INSTRUCTIONS WERE MADE UNTIL THE ACFT WAS NE OF IAH ARPT ON AN LNAV RIICE 1 DOWNWIND WHEN THE ACFT RECEIVED INSTRUCTIONS TO EVENTUALLY DSND TO 6000 FT MSL. APPROX 18-20 MI NE OF THE ARPT THE ACFT WAS VECTORED TO A HDG OF 130 DEGS THEN 180 DEGS. THE NEXT XMISSION WAS FOR AN INTERCEPT HDG OF 240 DEGS TO JOIN THE FINAL COURSE; MAINTAIN 6000 FT MSL UNTIL ESTABLISHED; CLRED FOR THE APCH. THE CONFUSION OCCURRED AT THIS POINT BECAUSE THE INTENDED CLRNC WAS FOR RWY 26L; HOWEVER; THE CREW WAS PREVIOUSLY INFORMED THAT IT WOULD BE RWY 27 FOR LNDG AND THE CONFUSION BECAME APPARENT AFTER ROLLING OUT ONTO FINAL BEHIND A CRJ ACFT. IT WAS NOT UNTIL THE ACFT WAS HANDED OFF TO TWR CTL THAT A NEW VECTOR OF 300 DEGS WAS RECEIVED AND INSTRUCTED TO FLY THE APCH AND LAND ON RWY 26L.

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.