Narrative:

I was captain of an small transport flight scheduled for XA10 am, arrival into lax in 8/88. We were arriving from sba, and in sequencing us for approach and landing, lax approach issued a clearance of 160 degrees on the heading and descent to 2500' until contacting tower, expecting landing on runway 24R. I complied with the clearance, my first officer was transmitting on the #2 radio and briefing passenger. I noticed some interference with the audio on #1 as a result. However, I did not believe that it caused me to miss a subsequent clearance. When the first officer finished briefing the passenger, he switched the #1 radio to the lax tower, but could not let them know we were on frequency as it was too busy. The vector was taking us through the final approach course to runway 24R, and I urgently requested that he clarify with the tower if we were to intercept the localizer or were cleared for a visual approach. However, because of frequency congestion, we could not get their attention. At that time, we heard the controller and another pilot discussing the small transport intruding into their flight path. Tower issued instructions for me to make an immediate right turn, which I did, and landed on runway 24R. On contacting ground, I was given a phone number for approach control. I called and spoke with the supervisor and explained what had happened. He seemed satisfied, and assured me that no action would be taken against my pilot certificate. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: frequency was very congested and reporter felt was between rock and hard place, knew had to turn but was not certain that was what approach wanted. During call with supervisor of TRACON, get impression they had given turn and probably intercept, but also realized they had not received acknowledgement and it was their problem and reason to assure reporter no action would be taken against her pilot certificate.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION BETWEEN ACR-SMT AND UNK BOTH ON VECTORS FOR PARALLEL APCHS.

Narrative: I WAS CAPT OF AN SMT FLT SCHEDULED FOR XA10 AM, ARR INTO LAX IN 8/88. WE WERE ARRIVING FROM SBA, AND IN SEQUENCING US FOR APCH AND LNDG, LAX APCH ISSUED A CLRNC OF 160 DEGS ON THE HDG AND DSCNT TO 2500' UNTIL CONTACTING TWR, EXPECTING LNDG ON RWY 24R. I COMPLIED WITH THE CLRNC, MY F/O WAS XMITTING ON THE #2 RADIO AND BRIEFING PAX. I NOTICED SOME INTERFERENCE WITH THE AUDIO ON #1 AS A RESULT. HOWEVER, I DID NOT BELIEVE THAT IT CAUSED ME TO MISS A SUBSEQUENT CLRNC. WHEN THE F/O FINISHED BRIEFING THE PAX, HE SWITCHED THE #1 RADIO TO THE LAX TWR, BUT COULD NOT LET THEM KNOW WE WERE ON FREQ AS IT WAS TOO BUSY. THE VECTOR WAS TAKING US THROUGH THE FINAL APCH COURSE TO RWY 24R, AND I URGENTLY REQUESTED THAT HE CLARIFY WITH THE TWR IF WE WERE TO INTERCEPT THE LOC OR WERE CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH. HOWEVER, BECAUSE OF FREQ CONGESTION, WE COULD NOT GET THEIR ATTN. AT THAT TIME, WE HEARD THE CTLR AND ANOTHER PLT DISCUSSING THE SMT INTRUDING INTO THEIR FLT PATH. TWR ISSUED INSTRUCTIONS FOR ME TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE RIGHT TURN, WHICH I DID, AND LANDED ON RWY 24R. ON CONTACTING GND, I WAS GIVEN A PHONE NUMBER FOR APCH CTL. I CALLED AND SPOKE WITH THE SUPVR AND EXPLAINED WHAT HAD HAPPENED. HE SEEMED SATISFIED, AND ASSURED ME THAT NO ACTION WOULD BE TAKEN AGAINST MY PLT CERTIFICATE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: FREQ WAS VERY CONGESTED AND RPTR FELT WAS BTWN ROCK AND HARD PLACE, KNEW HAD TO TURN BUT WAS NOT CERTAIN THAT WAS WHAT APCH WANTED. DURING CALL WITH SUPVR OF TRACON, GET IMPRESSION THEY HAD GIVEN TURN AND PROBABLY INTERCEPT, BUT ALSO REALIZED THEY HAD NOT RECEIVED ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND IT WAS THEIR PROB AND REASON TO ASSURE RPTR NO ACTION WOULD BE TAKEN AGAINST HER PLT CERTIFICATE.

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.