Narrative:

We were on a right downwind leg for runway 24R at lax having flown this sadde arrival from oak. Approach said 'your traffic is at 5 mi, 2500 ft 1 O'clock, a brasilia.' the first officer and I both agreed that we had the target aircraft in sight. It was at the correct location and we could see it was a small turboprop. We called the traffic 'in sight' and socal said, 'follow that traffic, cleared for the visual to runway 24R.' we began the turn. As our aircraft turned toward the runway, socal said, 'XXX you're turning inside your traffic.' we rolled out of the turn and saw another turboprop, not the one we were following, at 12 O'clock and about a mi, at our altitude. We did not get a TCASII alert of any type. We acknowledged this aircraft in sight, and said we were apparently following the wrong aircraft. Socal cleared us to a visual approach runway 24L and warned us of another turboprop on final for runway 25R. We called this aircraft in sight and we did get a TCASII RA on this aircraft. We overshot final to runway 24L slightly as a result of our first rollout of the turn to final, but did not encroach on the final for runway 25R. I have 2 observations: there were dozens of landing lights in the sky on this clear night. We assumed that the turboprop closest to us, at 1 O'clock was our target. In fact, it was the second aircraft. Care should be exercised that, when multiple aircraft are in the same vicinity, pilots and controllers are certain that each is agreed on the target. Socal is to be commended for the prompt call that precluded further deterioration of aircraft separation.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WHILE ON THE DOWNWIND FOR RWY 24R AT LAX, A B737 FLC MISTAKENLY IDENTED THE WRONG TFC TO FOLLOW ON THE VISUAL APCH. WHEN THEY TURNED INBOUND, THE APCH CTLR INTERVENED AND TOLD THEM THAT THEY WERE TURNING INSIDE OF THE TFC THAT THEY WERE TO FOLLOW.

Narrative: WE WERE ON A R DOWNWIND LEG FOR RWY 24R AT LAX HAVING FLOWN THIS SADDE ARR FROM OAK. APCH SAID 'YOUR TFC IS AT 5 MI, 2500 FT 1 O'CLOCK, A BRASILIA.' THE FO AND I BOTH AGREED THAT WE HAD THE TARGET ACFT IN SIGHT. IT WAS AT THE CORRECT LOCATION AND WE COULD SEE IT WAS A SMALL TURBOPROP. WE CALLED THE TFC 'IN SIGHT' AND SOCAL SAID, 'FOLLOW THAT TFC, CLRED FOR THE VISUAL TO RWY 24R.' WE BEGAN THE TURN. AS OUR ACFT TURNED TOWARD THE RWY, SOCAL SAID, 'XXX YOU'RE TURNING INSIDE YOUR TFC.' WE ROLLED OUT OF THE TURN AND SAW ANOTHER TURBOPROP, NOT THE ONE WE WERE FOLLOWING, AT 12 O'CLOCK AND ABOUT A MI, AT OUR ALT. WE DID NOT GET A TCASII ALERT OF ANY TYPE. WE ACKNOWLEDGED THIS ACFT IN SIGHT, AND SAID WE WERE APPARENTLY FOLLOWING THE WRONG ACFT. SOCAL CLRED US TO A VISUAL APCH RWY 24L AND WARNED US OF ANOTHER TURBOPROP ON FINAL FOR RWY 25R. WE CALLED THIS ACFT IN SIGHT AND WE DID GET A TCASII RA ON THIS ACFT. WE OVERSHOT FINAL TO RWY 24L SLIGHTLY AS A RESULT OF OUR FIRST ROLLOUT OF THE TURN TO FINAL, BUT DID NOT ENCROACH ON THE FINAL FOR RWY 25R. I HAVE 2 OBSERVATIONS: THERE WERE DOZENS OF LNDG LIGHTS IN THE SKY ON THIS CLR NIGHT. WE ASSUMED THAT THE TURBOPROP CLOSEST TO US, AT 1 O'CLOCK WAS OUR TARGET. IN FACT, IT WAS THE SECOND ACFT. CARE SHOULD BE EXERCISED THAT, WHEN MULTIPLE ACFT ARE IN THE SAME VICINITY, PLTS AND CTLRS ARE CERTAIN THAT EACH IS AGREED ON THE TARGET. SOCAL IS TO BE COMMENDED FOR THE PROMPT CALL THAT PRECLUDED FURTHER DETERIORATION OF ACFT SEPARATION.

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.