Track deviation. Landing runway confusion.

Attributes
ACN	315613
Time
Date	199509
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1500 msl bound upper : 1500
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : lax
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	315613
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
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:

Cleared to follow jetstream from downwind. Copilot (PF) lost sight on final then reacquired wrong aircraft and followed it as instructed. Proper runway aids in use along with marker. Captain (myself) monitored the approach while completing landing checklists but did not catch the error until we were aligned on final for runway 25R when clearance was for runway 24R. I took aircraft and began to correct as tower called to correct the problem. We were still above 1500 ft AGL and do not know if we interfered with any other aircraft. Clearance was changed to land on runway 24L and an uneventful landing was completed. MM at time of clearance jetstream was easy to see, but disappeared in sun and low clutter. I had confidence in my first officer from many flts and did not monitor his approach as closely as I could have.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TRACK DEV. LNDG RWY CONFUSION.

Narrative: CLRED TO FOLLOW JETSTREAM FROM DOWNWIND. COPLT (PF) LOST SIGHT ON FINAL THEN REACQUIRED WRONG ACFT AND FOLLOWED IT AS INSTRUCTED. PROPER RWY AIDS IN USE ALONG WITH MARKER. CAPT (MYSELF) MONITORED THE APCH WHILE COMPLETING LNDG CHKLISTS BUT DID NOT CATCH THE ERROR UNTIL WE WERE ALIGNED ON FINAL FOR RWY 25R WHEN CLRNC WAS FOR RWY 24R. I TOOK ACFT AND BEGAN TO CORRECT AS TWR CALLED TO CORRECT THE PROB. WE WERE STILL ABOVE 1500 FT AGL AND DO NOT KNOW IF WE INTERFERED WITH ANY OTHER ACFT. CLRNC WAS CHANGED TO LAND ON RWY 24L AND AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG WAS COMPLETED. MM AT TIME OF CLRNC JETSTREAM WAS EASY TO SEE, BUT DISAPPEARED IN SUN AND LOW CLUTTER. I HAD CONFIDENCE IN MY FO FROM MANY FLTS AND DID NOT MONITOR HIS APCH AS CLOSELY AS I COULD HAVE.

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.