Wrong runway approach in a night operation.

Attributes
ACN	263612
Time
Date	199402
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2400 msl bound upper : 2400
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : ord tower : ord
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise other descent : approach landing other
Route In Use	approach : visual enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 206 flight time total : 11500 flight time type : 3550
ASRS Report	263612
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Simultaneous ILS approachs to runway 27L&right were in progress. Our flight was turned to a 180 degree heading, and then shortly to a 240 degree heading to intercept the runway 27R ILS and cleared for the approach. The airport was visible only intermittently due to a scattered layer of clouds at about 1500 ft AGL. Approach control told our flight to contact the tower at 'recks' FAF. The PF had a DME and I knew from a visual sighting of the airport, that we would be intercepting the runway 27R ILS shortly. I asked permission to join the PF on the ILS, and after an 'ok,' I tuned in the runway 27R ILS. As I did, I noted and called the GS active. At about this time, I sighted the runway and the PF turned to align with the runway. We continued from 4000 ft to about 2000 ft when the O'hare final monitor came on tower frequency and told us to turn to a 300 degree heading to intercept the runway 27R ILS. We were told we were south of course on the runway 27L ILS. I saw we were aligned with the wrong runway. I had runway 27R in sight, and we would intercept the ILS. The monitor cleared us for a visual approach and landing on runway 27R. The remainder of the approach and landing were uneventful. What caused the problem was the PF tuned in the ILS frequency from the facing page, runway 27L ILS, while I tuned in runway 27R ILS. I became overly occupied looking for the runway, .rather than backing up the PF with information about being not on course on my ILS, and checking the frequency on the other ILS.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WRONG RWY APCH IN A NIGHT OP.

Narrative: SIMULTANEOUS ILS APCHS TO RWY 27L&R WERE IN PROGRESS. OUR FLT WAS TURNED TO A 180 DEG HDG, AND THEN SHORTLY TO A 240 DEG HDG TO INTERCEPT THE RWY 27R ILS AND CLRED FOR THE APCH. THE ARPT WAS VISIBLE ONLY INTERMITTENTLY DUE TO A SCATTERED LAYER OF CLOUDS AT ABOUT 1500 FT AGL. APCH CTL TOLD OUR FLT TO CONTACT THE TWR AT 'RECKS' FAF. THE PF HAD A DME AND I KNEW FROM A VISUAL SIGHTING OF THE ARPT, THAT WE WOULD BE INTERCEPTING THE RWY 27R ILS SHORTLY. I ASKED PERMISSION TO JOIN THE PF ON THE ILS, AND AFTER AN 'OK,' I TUNED IN THE RWY 27R ILS. AS I DID, I NOTED AND CALLED THE GS ACTIVE. AT ABOUT THIS TIME, I SIGHTED THE RWY AND THE PF TURNED TO ALIGN WITH THE RWY. WE CONTINUED FROM 4000 FT TO ABOUT 2000 FT WHEN THE O'HARE FINAL MONITOR CAME ON TWR FREQ AND TOLD US TO TURN TO A 300 DEG HDG TO INTERCEPT THE RWY 27R ILS. WE WERE TOLD WE WERE S OF COURSE ON THE RWY 27L ILS. I SAW WE WERE ALIGNED WITH THE WRONG RWY. I HAD RWY 27R IN SIGHT, AND WE WOULD INTERCEPT THE ILS. THE MONITOR CLRED US FOR A VISUAL APCH AND LNDG ON RWY 27R. THE REMAINDER OF THE APCH AND LNDG WERE UNEVENTFUL. WHAT CAUSED THE PROB WAS THE PF TUNED IN THE ILS FREQ FROM THE FACING PAGE, RWY 27L ILS, WHILE I TUNED IN RWY 27R ILS. I BECAME OVERLY OCCUPIED LOOKING FOR THE RWY, .RATHER THAN BACKING UP THE PF WITH INFO ABOUT BEING NOT ON COURSE ON MY ILS, AND CHKING THE FREQ ON THE OTHER ILS.

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.