Narrative:

Approaching lax for landing on 25L from over sli VOR after long overwater night flight. WX was scattered to broken clouds over the coast clearing inland. Given a heading of 310 degrees from sli to intercept localizer for 25L descended to 6000'. Controller kept asking if we had the airport in sight for a visual. We could see the airport intermittently through scattered clouds. About 8 mi southeast we could see the lead in strobes and reported it in sight. Controller gave us traffic for 25R we were to follow and land 25L. ILS for 25L tuned in and I began descending on G/south, but still had not intercepted the localizer. Was proceeding to the airport on the visual approach. About 1500' AGL I realized that the airport did not look right so began to level off and xchk with my ILS which was showing left of course and low. The captain was occupied with some confusing radio discussion and we both realized at the same time we were on a visual to hawthorne airport. I stopped descending and moved further right to intercept the localizer and continued the approach. Crossed just east of hawthorne at about 1100' AGL. Should not have accepted visual approach west/O having the correct airport clearly identified. Tried to help controller by accepting visual in less than ideal conditions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WDB ACR ON VISUAL APCH TO LAX AT NIGHT LINED UP WITH RWY AT HHR ARPT.

Narrative: APCHING LAX FOR LNDG ON 25L FROM OVER SLI VOR AFTER LONG OVERWATER NIGHT FLT. WX WAS SCATTERED TO BROKEN CLOUDS OVER THE COAST CLRING INLAND. GIVEN A HDG OF 310 DEGS FROM SLI TO INTERCEPT LOC FOR 25L DESCENDED TO 6000'. CTLR KEPT ASKING IF WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT FOR A VISUAL. WE COULD SEE THE ARPT INTERMITTENTLY THROUGH SCATTERED CLOUDS. ABOUT 8 MI SE WE COULD SEE THE LEAD IN STROBES AND RPTED IT IN SIGHT. CTLR GAVE US TFC FOR 25R WE WERE TO FOLLOW AND LAND 25L. ILS FOR 25L TUNED IN AND I BEGAN DSNDING ON G/S, BUT STILL HAD NOT INTERCEPTED THE LOC. WAS PROCEEDING TO THE ARPT ON THE VISUAL APCH. ABOUT 1500' AGL I REALIZED THAT THE ARPT DID NOT LOOK RIGHT SO BEGAN TO LEVEL OFF AND XCHK WITH MY ILS WHICH WAS SHOWING LEFT OF COURSE AND LOW. THE CAPT WAS OCCUPIED WITH SOME CONFUSING RADIO DISCUSSION AND WE BOTH REALIZED AT THE SAME TIME WE WERE ON A VISUAL TO HAWTHORNE ARPT. I STOPPED DSNDING AND MOVED FURTHER RIGHT TO INTERCEPT THE LOC AND CONTINUED THE APCH. CROSSED JUST E OF HAWTHORNE AT ABOUT 1100' AGL. SHOULD NOT HAVE ACCEPTED VISUAL APCH W/O HAVING THE CORRECT ARPT CLEARLY IDENTIFIED. TRIED TO HELP CTLR BY ACCEPTING VISUAL IN LESS THAN IDEAL CONDITIONS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.