Narrative:

We were approaching dfw for the southwest on the acton arrival. ATIS informed us to plan of a visibility approach to 18R. When we turned north (on downwind) we were given descent and a frequency change. The FMS and MCP were set for 18R. The new controller told us to expect 17L and a short final. The time involved with reprogramming everything took me until base leg, while the copilot flew the aircraft (descending from 11000 to 3000'). Upon turning base, the controller asked if we had the field in sight. The copilot said he did and then the controller cleared us for a visibility to 17L and switched us to tower. At this point we began configuring the aircraft for landing and running the landing checklist. When we came upon tower's frequency he offered us 17R and we accepted it. As we rolled out on final, I was busy reprogramming the radios and FMS for the third time and did not notice the copilot had lined up on 18R. Approximately 1 mi later I finished setting up the cockpit and saw on the navigation display that aircraft was displaced to the right or west of course. After checking frequencys and courses very quickly, I looked outside and started to tell the copilot he had lined up on the wrong runway. At that moment the tower called to confirm we had the airport in sight--we were approaching the OM--and we turned toward 17R. The remainder of the approach was uneventful. Contributing factors were the fading daylight and the copilot had been out of this cockpit for 2 months while transitioning to another aft which left him a little behind and preoccupied. There were no other aircraft on approach to either side of dfw. Changing approachs and runways inside of 10 mi (even in VMC) in this high workload 2-M cockpit aircraft represents a challenge, even when both pilots are experience and current, much less if one is not.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG FLT CREW MAKES WRONG RWY APCH AT DFW.

Narrative: WE WERE APCHING DFW FOR THE SW ON THE ACTON ARR. ATIS INFORMED US TO PLAN OF A VIS APCH TO 18R. WHEN WE TURNED N (ON DOWNWIND) WE WERE GIVEN DSNT AND A FREQ CHANGE. THE FMS AND MCP WERE SET FOR 18R. THE NEW CTLR TOLD US TO EXPECT 17L AND A SHORT FINAL. THE TIME INVOLVED WITH REPROGRAMMING EVERYTHING TOOK ME UNTIL BASE LEG, WHILE THE COPLT FLEW THE ACFT (DSNDING FROM 11000 TO 3000'). UPON TURNING BASE, THE CTLR ASKED IF WE HAD THE FIELD IN SIGHT. THE COPLT SAID HE DID AND THEN THE CTLR CLRED US FOR A VIS TO 17L AND SWITCHED US TO TWR. AT THIS POINT WE BEGAN CONFIGURING THE ACFT FOR LNDG AND RUNNING THE LNDG CHKLIST. WHEN WE CAME UPON TWR'S FREQ HE OFFERED US 17R AND WE ACCEPTED IT. AS WE ROLLED OUT ON FINAL, I WAS BUSY REPROGRAMMING THE RADIOS AND FMS FOR THE THIRD TIME AND DID NOT NOTICE THE COPLT HAD LINED UP ON 18R. APPROX 1 MI LATER I FINISHED SETTING UP THE COCKPIT AND SAW ON THE NAV DISPLAY THAT ACFT WAS DISPLACED TO THE RIGHT OR W OF COURSE. AFTER CHKING FREQS AND COURSES VERY QUICKLY, I LOOKED OUTSIDE AND STARTED TO TELL THE COPLT HE HAD LINED UP ON THE WRONG RWY. AT THAT MOMENT THE TWR CALLED TO CONFIRM WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT--WE WERE APCHING THE OM--AND WE TURNED TOWARD 17R. THE REMAINDER OF THE APCH WAS UNEVENTFUL. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE THE FADING DAYLIGHT AND THE COPLT HAD BEEN OUT OF THIS COCKPIT FOR 2 MONTHS WHILE TRANSITIONING TO ANOTHER AFT WHICH LEFT HIM A LITTLE BEHIND AND PREOCCUPIED. THERE WERE NO OTHER ACFT ON APCH TO EITHER SIDE OF DFW. CHANGING APCHS AND RWYS INSIDE OF 10 MI (EVEN IN VMC) IN THIS HIGH WORKLOAD 2-M COCKPIT ACFT REPRESENTS A CHALLENGE, EVEN WHEN BOTH PLTS ARE EXPERIENCE AND CURRENT, MUCH LESS IF ONE IS NOT.

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.