Narrative:

Inbound to lax we were preceded by a heavy 747. We encountered turbulence/wake several times from north of smo VORTAC. Approach asked if we could turn in at the marker and we said we could which would put us inside of the 747. The first officer did a very good job of configuring the plane and was stable and on a proper intercept to the localizer. After the handoff to tower the frequency was busy. I decided to check the TCAS display to see how close the following 747 was. As I checked the TCAS lax tower asked if we were correcting our course. I realized that we had not turned in and were starting to encroach on the south side approach airspace. While we were more than 2 hours delayed due to single runway landing operations at ZZZ the delay was not a factor. I should have done a better job of prioritizing my monitoring priorities. Intercepting the localizer was far more important than the spacing of an aircraft in trail. In retrospect; I also think I will and will encourage other pilots to use the cws mode of the autoplt with the localizer (at minimum) or approach mode armed instead of hand flying. This will help to ensure the intercept and to establish the proper initial ground track. Once established inbound; hand flying with the autoplt off would be ok. A great job by lax tower on the heads up also.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLT CREW OVERSHOOTS RWY 24R ON APCH TO LAX.

Narrative: INBOUND TO LAX WE WERE PRECEDED BY A HEAVY 747. WE ENCOUNTERED TURBULENCE/WAKE SEVERAL TIMES FROM N OF SMO VORTAC. APCH ASKED IF WE COULD TURN IN AT THE MARKER AND WE SAID WE COULD WHICH WOULD PUT US INSIDE OF THE 747. THE FO DID A VERY GOOD JOB OF CONFIGURING THE PLANE AND WAS STABLE AND ON A PROPER INTERCEPT TO THE LOC. AFTER THE HANDOFF TO TWR THE FREQ WAS BUSY. I DECIDED TO CHECK THE TCAS DISPLAY TO SEE HOW CLOSE THE FOLLOWING 747 WAS. AS I CHECKED THE TCAS LAX TWR ASKED IF WE WERE CORRECTING OUR COURSE. I REALIZED THAT WE HAD NOT TURNED IN AND WERE STARTING TO ENCROACH ON THE S SIDE APCH AIRSPACE. WHILE WE WERE MORE THAN 2 HRS DELAYED DUE TO SINGLE RWY LNDG OPS AT ZZZ THE DELAY WAS NOT A FACTOR. I SHOULD HAVE DONE A BETTER JOB OF PRIORITIZING MY MONITORING PRIORITIES. INTERCEPTING THE LOCALIZER WAS FAR MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE SPACING OF AN ACFT IN TRAIL. IN RETROSPECT; I ALSO THINK I WILL AND WILL ENCOURAGE OTHER PLTS TO USE THE CWS MODE OF THE AUTOPLT WITH THE LOC (AT MINIMUM) OR APCH MODE ARMED INSTEAD OF HAND FLYING. THIS WILL HELP TO ENSURE THE INTERCEPT AND TO ESTABLISH THE PROPER INITIAL GROUND TRACK. ONCE ESTABLISHED INBOUND; HAND FLYING WITH THE AUTOPLT OFF WOULD BE OK. A GREAT JOB BY LAX TOWER ON THE HEADS UP ALSO.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.