Air carrier widebody transport makes wrong runway approach at lax.

Attributes
ACN	176269
Time
Date	199104
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : lax tower : clt
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 140 flight time total : 16000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	176269
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Flight sfo-lax-profile descent over smo VOR. 070 degree heading out we were above some scattered clouds. On heading 070 degree we were cleared a visibility approach to runway 24R, which we rejected because we would lose airport reference in turn. Approach issued headings until we reported runway in sight. We were cleared a visibility approach runway 24R. As we made the right turn, runway 25L and right were illuminated by bright sun and runway 24 right and left were in the shade. I picked up the runway 25L and right and was heading there for my landing. To do this I had to fly through the runway 24R localizer, disregard the NDB needle, fly over 'the forum' and hollywood park at unusual angles and fail to realize the 24R G/south (which I did check a couple of times and still didn't notice the displaced localizer needle) would have landed me about 2/3 of the way down runway 25R. First officer observed deviation and called it and then lax tower observed our deviation and called it. A return to centerline runway 24R was made and normal landing accomplished.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WDB MAKES WRONG RWY APCH AT LAX.

Narrative: FLT SFO-LAX-PROFILE DSNT OVER SMO VOR. 070 DEG HDG OUT WE WERE ABOVE SOME SCATTERED CLOUDS. ON HDG 070 DEG WE WERE CLRED A VIS APCH TO RWY 24R, WHICH WE REJECTED BECAUSE WE WOULD LOSE ARPT REFERENCE IN TURN. APCH ISSUED HDGS UNTIL WE RPTED RWY IN SIGHT. WE WERE CLRED A VIS APCH RWY 24R. AS WE MADE THE R TURN, RWY 25L AND R WERE ILLUMINATED BY BRIGHT SUN AND RWY 24 R AND L WERE IN THE SHADE. I PICKED UP THE RWY 25L AND R AND WAS HDG THERE FOR MY LNDG. TO DO THIS I HAD TO FLY THROUGH THE RWY 24R LOC, DISREGARD THE NDB NEEDLE, FLY OVER 'THE FORUM' AND HOLLYWOOD PARK AT UNUSUAL ANGLES AND FAIL TO REALIZE THE 24R G/S (WHICH I DID CHK A COUPLE OF TIMES AND STILL DIDN'T NOTICE THE DISPLACED LOC NEEDLE) WOULD HAVE LANDED ME ABOUT 2/3 OF THE WAY DOWN RWY 25R. F/O OBSERVED DEV AND CALLED IT AND THEN LAX TWR OBSERVED OUR DEV AND CALLED IT. A RETURN TO CTRLINE RWY 24R WAS MADE AND NORMAL LNDG ACCOMPLISHED.

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