Narrative:

Inbound lax landing runway 24R. At approximately 7-8 mi east on final, working tower 133.9, I dropped my approach book on the floor of the cockpit, I'm the instructor pilot, and the pilot, left seat on intercom with me, had acknowledged he saw and was following the heavy jet which we were instructed to follow to land on runway 24. I picked up the approach book looking for the lost page so as to set the next ground control frequency. I heard the tower tell us to turn to heading 330. I had previously tuned ILS runway 24R 108.5 localizer and told the pilot that the localizer will take him to runway 24R and to keep his speed up and the needles centered. I looked up to see what was going on. I checked heading 180 degree and localizer needle needed to fly right and no wonder the tower said turn right immediately to 330 degree. I grabbed the controls, turned the aircraft heading 330 degree, and resumed flight to the correct runway. This flight conducted VMC, when I looked at our 7 O'clock position I saw the lights of aircraft lined up for the 25 complex, above us 200-300 ft approximately 2 mi behind and the reason for the controller concern. My pilot said he heard the clearance to turn to 330 degree, but didn't respond immediately, he thought he was looking at runway 24R, but was in fact heading for runway 25 complex. He didn't want to believe the localizer needle over his visual observation of the lighted runways in front of him. I spoke, on the phone with the tower and he wanted all the information for a report, and indicated that I should not be giving training at busy facility. How do pilots learn procedures without doing them?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT IN TRAINING BECAME DISORIENTED, SAW RWY 25 AND WAS HDG FOR THAT RWY VFR DESPITE WHAT HIS LOC FOR 24R WAS TELLING HIM.

Narrative: INBOUND LAX LNDG RWY 24R. AT APPROX 7-8 MI E ON FINAL, WORKING TWR 133.9, I DROPPED MY APCH BOOK ON THE FLOOR OF THE COCKPIT, I'M THE INSTRUCTOR PLT, AND THE PLT, L SEAT ON INTERCOM WITH ME, HAD ACKNOWLEDGED HE SAW AND WAS FOLLOWING THE HVY JET WHICH WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO FOLLOW TO LAND ON RWY 24. I PICKED UP THE APCH BOOK LOOKING FOR THE LOST PAGE SO AS TO SET THE NEXT GND CTL FREQ. I HEARD THE TWR TELL US TO TURN TO HDG 330. I HAD PREVIOUSLY TUNED ILS RWY 24R 108.5 LOC AND TOLD THE PLT THAT THE LOC WILL TAKE HIM TO RWY 24R AND TO KEEP HIS SPD UP AND THE NEEDLES CENTERED. I LOOKED UP TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON. I CHKED HDG 180 DEG AND LOC NEEDLE NEEDED TO FLY R AND NO WONDER THE TWR SAID TURN R IMMEDIATELY TO 330 DEG. I GRABBED THE CTLS, TURNED THE ACFT HDG 330 DEG, AND RESUMED FLT TO THE CORRECT RWY. THIS FLT CONDUCTED VMC, WHEN I LOOKED AT OUR 7 O'CLOCK POS I SAW THE LIGHTS OF ACFT LINED UP FOR THE 25 COMPLEX, ABOVE US 200-300 FT APPROX 2 MI BEHIND AND THE REASON FOR THE CTLR CONCERN. MY PLT SAID HE HEARD THE CLRNC TO TURN TO 330 DEG, BUT DIDN'T RESPOND IMMEDIATELY, HE THOUGHT HE WAS LOOKING AT RWY 24R, BUT WAS IN FACT HDG FOR RWY 25 COMPLEX. HE DIDN'T WANT TO BELIEVE THE LOC NEEDLE OVER HIS VISUAL OBSERVATION OF THE LIGHTED RWYS IN FRONT OF HIM. I SPOKE, ON THE PHONE WITH THE TWR AND HE WANTED ALL THE INFO FOR A RPT, AND INDICATED THAT I SHOULD NOT BE GIVING TRAINING AT BUSY FACILITY. HOW DO PLTS LEARN PROCS WITHOUT DOING THEM?

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.