Narrative:

Air carrier X at 8000 ft MSL we were switched from runway 25L to runway 25R to track localizer inbound. We were given traffic 10 O'clock 5000 ft. We replied looking, no contact. Once clear of the thin clouds and with airport in sight, I called airport in sight and told approach we had traffic low at 12 O'clock. They cleared us for a visual and said that traffic was dc-9 for the left runway and that was the traffic we had reported in sight. I corrected the controller and said we had not reported any traffic in sight. Dc-9 was conducting training and I think he had the wrong ILS dialed up. He stayed at our 12 O'clock, even after we altered course well to the right of runway 25R. He said he was correcting. We got TCASII alerts, but had a good visual on him. Tower was contacted and confirmed he was for the left and we were for the right. We stayed at his 4-5 O'clock and 100-200 ft above him to touchdown. He finally got lined up for the left at about 1200 ft AGL. I think he should have been told to go around. In retrospect since he didn't, I probably should have had the first officer go around. This was a little close under good daylight conditions, but with the dc-9's erratic flying and night time, a go around would probably have been prudent even though we were legal to continue and land. On landing the tower told dc-9 'good job' and cleared him to taxi back for another practice approach. He told us to cross the 'right' and contact ground. We informed him we were on the right runway and he said oh, ok, contact ground. This scenario smacks of a major screw up waiting to happen in las. Las routinely tries to get you to call traffic in sight when there are numerous targets. I realize the time and separation constraints that they work under but, it is best to not call in sight and let them know you definitely can't identify the traffic they are calling out unless day VMC.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X HAD CONFLICT WITH DC-9 MAKING PRACTICE APCH TO WRONG RWY.

Narrative: ACR X AT 8000 FT MSL WE WERE SWITCHED FROM RWY 25L TO RWY 25R TO TRACK LOC INBOUND. WE WERE GIVEN TFC 10 O'CLOCK 5000 FT. WE REPLIED LOOKING, NO CONTACT. ONCE CLR OF THE THIN CLOUDS AND WITH ARPT IN SIGHT, I CALLED ARPT IN SIGHT AND TOLD APCH WE HAD TFC LOW AT 12 O'CLOCK. THEY CLRED US FOR A VISUAL AND SAID THAT TFC WAS DC-9 FOR THE L RWY AND THAT WAS THE TFC WE HAD RPTED IN SIGHT. I CORRECTED THE CTLR AND SAID WE HAD NOT RPTED ANY TFC IN SIGHT. DC-9 WAS CONDUCTING TRAINING AND I THINK HE HAD THE WRONG ILS DIALED UP. HE STAYED AT OUR 12 O'CLOCK, EVEN AFTER WE ALTERED COURSE WELL TO THE R OF RWY 25R. HE SAID HE WAS CORRECTING. WE GOT TCASII ALERTS, BUT HAD A GOOD VISUAL ON HIM. TWR WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED HE WAS FOR THE L AND WE WERE FOR THE R. WE STAYED AT HIS 4-5 O'CLOCK AND 100-200 FT ABOVE HIM TO TOUCHDOWN. HE FINALLY GOT LINED UP FOR THE L AT ABOUT 1200 FT AGL. I THINK HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN TOLD TO GAR. IN RETROSPECT SINCE HE DIDN'T, I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE HAD THE FO GAR. THIS WAS A LITTLE CLOSE UNDER GOOD DAYLIGHT CONDITIONS, BUT WITH THE DC-9'S ERRATIC FLYING AND NIGHT TIME, A GAR WOULD PROBABLY HAVE BEEN PRUDENT EVEN THOUGH WE WERE LEGAL TO CONTINUE AND LAND. ON LNDG THE TWR TOLD DC-9 'GOOD JOB' AND CLRED HIM TO TAXI BACK FOR ANOTHER PRACTICE APCH. HE TOLD US TO CROSS THE 'R' AND CONTACT GND. WE INFORMED HIM WE WERE ON THE R RWY AND HE SAID OH, OK, CONTACT GND. THIS SCENARIO SMACKS OF A MAJOR SCREW UP WAITING TO HAPPEN IN LAS. LAS ROUTINELY TRIES TO GET YOU TO CALL TFC IN SIGHT WHEN THERE ARE NUMEROUS TARGETS. I REALIZE THE TIME AND SEPARATION CONSTRAINTS THAT THEY WORK UNDER BUT, IT IS BEST TO NOT CALL IN SIGHT AND LET THEM KNOW YOU DEFINITELY CAN'T IDENT THE TFC THEY ARE CALLING OUT UNLESS DAY VMC.

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.