Narrative:

We were air carrier flight X from little rock to dfw on approach to runway 17L. While established on a base leg from the northeast of the field, approach control called out traffic to us on several aircraft. Approach control cleared us to follow one of the aircraft for a visual approach to 17L. We did not have the field in sight due to foggy conditions. The captain (PF) had to 'padlock' on the aircraft to keep it in sight. Unfortunately, he had an aircraft on approach to runway 18R (west side) that he 'padlocked' on and we ended up straying over to the west runway 18R/left approach final. At about 4-5 mi out our error was discovered and we corrected over to the correct runway. While this certainly was our error, I feel approach control (as well as most approach controls) push visual approachs on us instead of asking. In a radio intense environment, one can easily be cleared and expected to fly a visual approach when it is not desired. There are few guarantees the traffic you are told to follow is the traffic you see. It should be noted that now that dfw has 3 towers, runway identify can be confusing in marginal WX conditions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MLG LOCKED ON TO THE WRONG ACFT WHILE MAKING A VISUAL APCH IN MARGINAL CONDITIONS.

Narrative: WE WERE ACR FLT X FROM LITTLE ROCK TO DFW ON APCH TO RWY 17L. WHILE ESTABLISHED ON A BASE LEG FROM THE NE OF THE FIELD, APCH CTL CALLED OUT TFC TO US ON SEVERAL ACFT. APCH CTL CLRED US TO FOLLOW ONE OF THE ACFT FOR A VISUAL APCH TO 17L. WE DID NOT HAVE THE FIELD IN SIGHT DUE TO FOGGY CONDITIONS. THE CAPT (PF) HAD TO 'PADLOCK' ON THE ACFT TO KEEP IT IN SIGHT. UNFORTUNATELY, HE HAD AN ACFT ON APCH TO RWY 18R (W SIDE) THAT HE 'PADLOCKED' ON AND WE ENDED UP STRAYING OVER TO THE W RWY 18R/L APCH FINAL. AT ABOUT 4-5 MI OUT OUR ERROR WAS DISCOVERED AND WE CORRECTED OVER TO THE CORRECT RWY. WHILE THIS CERTAINLY WAS OUR ERROR, I FEEL APCH CTL (AS WELL AS MOST APCH CTLS) PUSH VISUAL APCHS ON US INSTEAD OF ASKING. IN A RADIO INTENSE ENVIRONMENT, ONE CAN EASILY BE CLRED AND EXPECTED TO FLY A VISUAL APCH WHEN IT IS NOT DESIRED. THERE ARE FEW GUARANTEES THE TFC YOU ARE TOLD TO FOLLOW IS THE TFC YOU SEE. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT NOW THAT DFW HAS 3 TWRS, RWY IDENT CAN BE CONFUSING IN MARGINAL WX CONDITIONS.

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.