Narrative:

Cleared for visual approach to follow very low relative to us B747 to runway 24R lax. Upon confirmation of visual on B747, we started right base to follow aircraft. Upon starting dogleg to final, both pilots suddenly were surprised to see B747 appear to fill windscreen. I asked approach to verify aircraft we saw was on 25 complex. Approach slow to respond. We rolled wing level to avoid close on aircraft. Approach stated cleared visual to follow B747. We overshot runway 24R while trying to confirm aircraft identify, etc. Approach asked for right turn back on course to runway 24R which we were in process of doing, again cleared visual runway 24R operations normal. Approach must relay to visual aircraft location/type of parallel aircraft at lax -- B747 DC10 -- aircraft are too large to not inform crews of relative position, while conducting parallel approachs. Large aircraft give illusions of closeness which, under low lighting conditions, can cause confusion as to relative position when turning base and then final with direct head on 'apparent' conflicts to eventually parallel aircraft. No violations were incurred, but this has happened before!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN MLG OVERSHOT FINAL DURING A VISUAL APCH WHEN ATTEMPTING TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION WITH TFC GOING TO A PARALLEL RWY AND WITH TFC TO FOLLOW.

Narrative: CLRED FOR VISUAL APCH TO FOLLOW VERY LOW RELATIVE TO US B747 TO RWY 24R LAX. UPON CONFIRMATION OF VISUAL ON B747, WE STARTED R BASE TO FOLLOW ACFT. UPON STARTING DOGLEG TO FINAL, BOTH PLTS SUDDENLY WERE SURPRISED TO SEE B747 APPEAR TO FILL WINDSCREEN. I ASKED APCH TO VERIFY ACFT WE SAW WAS ON 25 COMPLEX. APCH SLOW TO RESPOND. WE ROLLED WING LEVEL TO AVOID CLOSE ON ACFT. APCH STATED CLRED VISUAL TO FOLLOW B747. WE OVERSHOT RWY 24R WHILE TRYING TO CONFIRM ACFT IDENT, ETC. APCH ASKED FOR R TURN BACK ON COURSE TO RWY 24R WHICH WE WERE IN PROCESS OF DOING, AGAIN CLRED VISUAL RWY 24R OPS NORMAL. APCH MUST RELAY TO VISUAL ACFT LOCATION/TYPE OF PARALLEL ACFT AT LAX -- B747 DC10 -- ACFT ARE TOO LARGE TO NOT INFORM CREWS OF RELATIVE POS, WHILE CONDUCTING PARALLEL APCHS. LARGE ACFT GIVE ILLUSIONS OF CLOSENESS WHICH, UNDER LOW LIGHTING CONDITIONS, CAN CAUSE CONFUSION AS TO RELATIVE POS WHEN TURNING BASE AND THEN FINAL WITH DIRECT HEAD ON 'APPARENT' CONFLICTS TO EVENTUALLY PARALLEL ACFT. NO VIOLATIONS WERE INCURRED, BUT THIS HAS HAPPENED BEFORE!

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.