Narrative:

Captain, PNF. First officer, PF and jumpseat observer on a flight from psp to lax. Lax approach had called traffic and asked us to keep our speed up and cleared us for the 25L ILS. Handed off to tower, we had a few runway changes as we had with approach. Approach first had cleared us for a visual approach behind a heavy transport, then changed it to an ILS. At about 3-4 mi final, tower cleared us to land on runway 25R. I hesitated in my reply as I did not have the airport in sight. At that time the first officer called 'runway in sight.' I thought he was telling me 1) airport in sight and 2) he had heard the tower and could take 25R, ILS was on 25L. I looked at the localizer, G/south, we were right of the localizer, a little high on slope, about right. I went back into the cockpit to finish the delayed checklist, delayed to higher speed on approach. On very short final, over threshold, I realized we were landing on the left. Tower said on roll out, no big deal as no cross traffic. Why it happened: my improper supervision of first officer. Contributing: new first officer about 2 weeks in airplane. New to lax and not used to keeping speed up on approach. More of my attention than usual was being used to talk him through speed control on approach. Pressure on first officer and captain due to observer. Poor visibility, looking into sun on very hazy, smoggy day. Previous runway changes. Captain assuming first officer's flying skills better. Poor cockpit communication, captain misunderstanding first officer's response. First officer amidst to usually tuning out, mentally, radio while flying. Captain's physical condition, tired, congested, getting overworked to prevent: more attention by captain. Observer, with headset so he could hear tower. Did not realize what happened until tower said what happened.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LTT WRONG RWY APCH LDNG AT LAX.

Narrative: CAPT, PNF. F/O, PF AND JUMPSEAT OBSERVER ON A FLT FROM PSP TO LAX. LAX APCH HAD CALLED TFC AND ASKED US TO KEEP OUR SPD UP AND CLRED US FOR THE 25L ILS. HANDED OFF TO TWR, WE HAD A FEW RWY CHANGES AS WE HAD WITH APCH. APCH FIRST HAD CLRED US FOR A VISUAL APCH BEHIND A HVT, THEN CHANGED IT TO AN ILS. AT ABOUT 3-4 MI FINAL, TWR CLRED US TO LAND ON RWY 25R. I HESITATED IN MY REPLY AS I DID NOT HAVE THE ARPT IN SIGHT. AT THAT TIME THE F/O CALLED 'RWY IN SIGHT.' I THOUGHT HE WAS TELLING ME 1) ARPT IN SIGHT AND 2) HE HAD HEARD THE TWR AND COULD TAKE 25R, ILS WAS ON 25L. I LOOKED AT THE LOC, G/S, WE WERE RIGHT OF THE LOC, A LITTLE HIGH ON SLOPE, ABOUT RIGHT. I WENT BACK INTO THE COCKPIT TO FINISH THE DELAYED CHKLIST, DELAYED TO HIGHER SPD ON APCH. ON VERY SHORT FINAL, OVER THRESHOLD, I REALIZED WE WERE LNDG ON THE LEFT. TWR SAID ON ROLL OUT, NO BIG DEAL AS NO CROSS TFC. WHY IT HAPPENED: MY IMPROPER SUPERVISION OF F/O. CONTRIBUTING: NEW F/O ABOUT 2 WKS IN AIRPLANE. NEW TO LAX AND NOT USED TO KEEPING SPD UP ON APCH. MORE OF MY ATTN THAN USUAL WAS BEING USED TO TALK HIM THROUGH SPD CTL ON APCH. PRESSURE ON F/O AND CAPT DUE TO OBSERVER. POOR VIS, LOOKING INTO SUN ON VERY HAZY, SMOGGY DAY. PREVIOUS RWY CHANGES. CAPT ASSUMING F/O'S FLYING SKILLS BETTER. POOR COCKPIT COM, CAPT MISUNDERSTANDING F/O'S RESPONSE. F/O AMIDST TO USUALLY TUNING OUT, MENTALLY, RADIO WHILE FLYING. CAPT'S PHYSICAL CONDITION, TIRED, CONGESTED, GETTING OVERWORKED TO PREVENT: MORE ATTN BY CAPT. OBSERVER, WITH HEADSET SO HE COULD HEAR TWR. DID NOT REALIZE WHAT HAPPENED UNTIL TWR SAID WHAT HAPPENED.

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.