Narrative:

I was flying into den planning to land on runway 17L. The FMC was set up for the ILS 17L. We were cleared for a visibility approach to 17R. Because I had planned on an approach to 17L, I found myself high for 17R. At this time I got very busy getting the aircraft on the proper profile and didn't ask the first officer to set up 17R on the FMC. This was our first leg together and he was new on the aircraft. I didn't want our attention inside the cockpit. When turning base leg, I started looking for the runway outside the first officer side window. I saw 2 runways and turned to line up with the right one. The VASI showed me high. While doing the landing checklist and trying to get on profile, the tower called and said we had line dup with runway 17 and that we could make a right turn for a right pattern for 17R, which we did west/O any problem. Reasons I feel this happened: 1) I was tired. First night working after a week of normal sleep. 2) overconfidence. Even though I hadn't flown an approach to 17R at night in approximately 3 yrs, I didn't review the airport layout or runway lighting and VASI. So when I saw only 2 runways I took the right one for 17R. 3) everything looked normal to the first officer and he had flown this same trip 2 weeks earlier, but he had just checked out as first officer on the large transport and this was the start of his second series of trips.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT WRONG RWY APCH AT DEN.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING INTO DEN PLANNING TO LAND ON RWY 17L. THE FMC WAS SET UP FOR THE ILS 17L. WE WERE CLRED FOR A VIS APCH TO 17R. BECAUSE I HAD PLANNED ON AN APCH TO 17L, I FOUND MYSELF HIGH FOR 17R. AT THIS TIME I GOT VERY BUSY GETTING THE ACFT ON THE PROPER PROFILE AND DIDN'T ASK THE F/O TO SET UP 17R ON THE FMC. THIS WAS OUR FIRST LEG TOGETHER AND HE WAS NEW ON THE ACFT. I DIDN'T WANT OUR ATTN INSIDE THE COCKPIT. WHEN TURNING BASE LEG, I STARTED LOOKING FOR THE RWY OUTSIDE THE F/O SIDE WINDOW. I SAW 2 RWYS AND TURNED TO LINE UP WITH THE RIGHT ONE. THE VASI SHOWED ME HIGH. WHILE DOING THE LNDG CHKLIST AND TRYING TO GET ON PROFILE, THE TWR CALLED AND SAID WE HAD LINE DUP WITH RWY 17 AND THAT WE COULD MAKE A RIGHT TURN FOR A RIGHT PATTERN FOR 17R, WHICH WE DID W/O ANY PROB. REASONS I FEEL THIS HAPPENED: 1) I WAS TIRED. FIRST NIGHT WORKING AFTER A WK OF NORMAL SLEEP. 2) OVERCONFIDENCE. EVEN THOUGH I HADN'T FLOWN AN APCH TO 17R AT NIGHT IN APPROX 3 YRS, I DIDN'T REVIEW THE ARPT LAYOUT OR RWY LIGHTING AND VASI. SO WHEN I SAW ONLY 2 RWYS I TOOK THE RIGHT ONE FOR 17R. 3) EVERYTHING LOOKED NORMAL TO THE F/O AND HE HAD FLOWN THIS SAME TRIP 2 WKS EARLIER, BUT HE HAD JUST CHKED OUT AS F/O ON THE LGT AND THIS WAS THE START OF HIS SECOND SERIES OF TRIPS.

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.