Narrative:

We were headed eastbound at 220 KIAS on a vector for an extended downwind to runway 24R at lax. Approach control cleared us for a visual approach, without us reporting the airport in sight. The first officer told me he could see the airport, so I began a 30 degree bank turn as we slowed the aircraft, turning 180 degrees right to intercept final. I realized as I began to rollout that I was looking at the south complex (runways 25L/right) and had overshot the runway 24R final. I continued the turn to promptly correct back to runway 24R. This overshoot resulted from a tight downwind vector and excessive speed on base leg. In the future, I will slow the aircraft earlier when flying the sadde 5 arrival, especially with any vector other than the usual 070 degree radial from smo eastbound. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter is flying the B-737 for a major united states air carrier on domestic rtes including a shuttle operation. This incident happened on the first trip after his IOE. The first officer on this trip is the weakest that he has flown with so far. The reporter had never seen the first officer before. The reporter believes that this was 'an ATC thing' and that it would have made no difference who was in the right seat. The reporter believes that the ILS was properly tuned and knows that there was the magenta line on the HSI, but he was looking out the window. There was other traffic but no conflict. His air carrier is pairing new capts and first officer's with no more than 75 hours in the aircraft including IOE.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: OVERSHOOT TO FINAL ON VISUAL APCH TO LAX.

Narrative: WE WERE HEADED EBOUND AT 220 KIAS ON A VECTOR FOR AN EXTENDED DOWNWIND TO RWY 24R AT LAX. APCH CTL CLRED US FOR A VISUAL APCH, WITHOUT US RPTING THE ARPT IN SIGHT. THE FO TOLD ME HE COULD SEE THE ARPT, SO I BEGAN A 30 DEG BANK TURN AS WE SLOWED THE ACFT, TURNING 180 DEGS R TO INTERCEPT FINAL. I REALIZED AS I BEGAN TO ROLLOUT THAT I WAS LOOKING AT THE S COMPLEX (RWYS 25L/R) AND HAD OVERSHOT THE RWY 24R FINAL. I CONTINUED THE TURN TO PROMPTLY CORRECT BACK TO RWY 24R. THIS OVERSHOOT RESULTED FROM A TIGHT DOWNWIND VECTOR AND EXCESSIVE SPD ON BASE LEG. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL SLOW THE ACFT EARLIER WHEN FLYING THE SADDE 5 ARR, ESPECIALLY WITH ANY VECTOR OTHER THAN THE USUAL 070 DEG RADIAL FROM SMO EBOUND. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR IS FLYING THE B-737 FOR A MAJOR UNITED STATES ACR ON DOMESTIC RTES INCLUDING A SHUTTLE OP. THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED ON THE FIRST TRIP AFTER HIS IOE. THE FO ON THIS TRIP IS THE WEAKEST THAT HE HAS FLOWN WITH SO FAR. THE RPTR HAD NEVER SEEN THE FO BEFORE. THE RPTR BELIEVES THAT THIS WAS 'AN ATC THING' AND THAT IT WOULD HAVE MADE NO DIFFERENCE WHO WAS IN THE R SEAT. THE RPTR BELIEVES THAT THE ILS WAS PROPERLY TUNED AND KNOWS THAT THERE WAS THE MAGENTA LINE ON THE HSI, BUT HE WAS LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW. THERE WAS OTHER TFC BUT NO CONFLICT. HIS ACR IS PAIRING NEW CAPTS AND FO'S WITH NO MORE THAN 75 HRS IN THE ACFT INCLUDING IOE.

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.