Air carrier flight crew attempts wrong runway visual approach at lax.

Attributes
ACN	177205
Time
Date	199105
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : lax tower : isp
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 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 : 150 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 1600
ASRS Report	177205
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 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:

On a flight from smf to lax, we were cleared fim 6 (enclosed) STAR which predisposed me (captain) to expect north complex landing based on approach geometry. We were subsequently cleared to follow an air carrier large transport Y to runway 25R. The first officer was flying. The ILS did not match up to landing runway, then I remembered the commercial chart terminal page note 2. This set of instructions is unnecessarily complex and confusion. I suspect it was written by lawyers rather than controllers/pilots. A decidedly poor operation in my opinion.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLT CREW ATTEMPTS WRONG RWY VISUAL APCH AT LAX.

Narrative: ON A FLT FROM SMF TO LAX, WE WERE CLRED FIM 6 (ENCLOSED) STAR WHICH PREDISPOSED ME (CAPT) TO EXPECT N COMPLEX LNDG BASED ON APCH GEOMETRY. WE WERE SUBSEQUENTLY CLRED TO FOLLOW AN ACR LGT Y TO RWY 25R. THE F/O WAS FLYING. THE ILS DID NOT MATCH UP TO LNDG RWY, THEN I REMEMBERED THE COMMERCIAL CHART TERMINAL PAGE NOTE 2. THIS SET OF INSTRUCTIONS IS UNNECESSARILY COMPLEX AND CONFUSION. I SUSPECT IT WAS WRITTEN BY LAWYERS RATHER THAN CTLRS/PLTS. A DECIDEDLY POOR OPERATION IN MY OPINION.

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.