Narrative:

While doing the stadium visual to lax (runway 24R) visibility reported as 10 SM with haze. I was given a vector of 160 degrees at 7 DME off smo, told to contact tower at roman and cleared for the visual to runway 24R. In the turn I saw what I thought was the south complex, tuned in the ILS and continued. I saw an aircraft on final and asked the first officer if approach had issued a TA. He said no. I started the base to final approximately 4000 ft and rolled out 2-3 mi behind and 1500 ft above the traffic. No TCASII advisory. The traffic appeared lined up for what I thought was runway 24L. Tower then called and said to turn right to intercept the runway 24R final. We were on runway 25R. After turning to intercept runway 24R, I did not see it until about 3-4 DME. Factors bearing on the problem: visibility was reported at 10 SM and we had seen the airport and did not think visibility a problem. Visibility to the south was obviously much better and looking into the haze was a problem. Wind was 290 degrees at 15 KTS which shortened the final turn but took us farther out on final. The first officer did not have the approach out and took his eyes off the runway complex to retrieve the correct approach. When told to contact tower at roman, I immediately wondered how since our ADF was inoperative. I then took my eyes off outside to get the ILS chart which was out but under the visual chart. Even though the ILS was tuned to the correct ILS, it was not used because I thought I saw the correct runway. The hugs was in use for the entire flight. When I saw the runway and realized I was too high for the ILS approach that had been briefed, I switched to VMC mode which took away the ILS information. The south complex which I thought I had idented must have been hawthorne airport approximately 3-4 NM east of lax final runway 25L/25R. When taken off the stadium visual by a vector, I should have reassessed my position. Also, socal approach had us on a vector of 070 degrees off smo instead of 068 degrees track which in fact shortened the turn to final with the winds. Lax tower did an outstanding job of recognizing my error immediately before a conflict ensued.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WRONG RWY APCH DURING VISUAL APCH PROC STAR AT LAX ARPT.

Narrative: WHILE DOING THE STADIUM VISUAL TO LAX (RWY 24R) VISIBILITY RPTED AS 10 SM WITH HAZE. I WAS GIVEN A VECTOR OF 160 DEGS AT 7 DME OFF SMO, TOLD TO CONTACT TWR AT ROMAN AND CLRED FOR THE VISUAL TO RWY 24R. IN THE TURN I SAW WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE S COMPLEX, TUNED IN THE ILS AND CONTINUED. I SAW AN ACFT ON FINAL AND ASKED THE FO IF APCH HAD ISSUED A TA. HE SAID NO. I STARTED THE BASE TO FINAL APPROX 4000 FT AND ROLLED OUT 2-3 MI BEHIND AND 1500 FT ABOVE THE TFC. NO TCASII ADVISORY. THE TFC APPEARED LINED UP FOR WHAT I THOUGHT WAS RWY 24L. TWR THEN CALLED AND SAID TO TURN R TO INTERCEPT THE RWY 24R FINAL. WE WERE ON RWY 25R. AFTER TURNING TO INTERCEPT RWY 24R, I DID NOT SEE IT UNTIL ABOUT 3-4 DME. FACTORS BEARING ON THE PROB: VISIBILITY WAS RPTED AT 10 SM AND WE HAD SEEN THE ARPT AND DID NOT THINK VISIBILITY A PROB. VISIBILITY TO THE S WAS OBVIOUSLY MUCH BETTER AND LOOKING INTO THE HAZE WAS A PROB. WIND WAS 290 DEGS AT 15 KTS WHICH SHORTENED THE FINAL TURN BUT TOOK US FARTHER OUT ON FINAL. THE FO DID NOT HAVE THE APCH OUT AND TOOK HIS EYES OFF THE RWY COMPLEX TO RETRIEVE THE CORRECT APCH. WHEN TOLD TO CONTACT TWR AT ROMAN, I IMMEDIATELY WONDERED HOW SINCE OUR ADF WAS INOP. I THEN TOOK MY EYES OFF OUTSIDE TO GET THE ILS CHART WHICH WAS OUT BUT UNDER THE VISUAL CHART. EVEN THOUGH THE ILS WAS TUNED TO THE CORRECT ILS, IT WAS NOT USED BECAUSE I THOUGHT I SAW THE CORRECT RWY. THE HUGS WAS IN USE FOR THE ENTIRE FLT. WHEN I SAW THE RWY AND REALIZED I WAS TOO HIGH FOR THE ILS APCH THAT HAD BEEN BRIEFED, I SWITCHED TO VMC MODE WHICH TOOK AWAY THE ILS INFO. THE S COMPLEX WHICH I THOUGHT I HAD IDENTED MUST HAVE BEEN HAWTHORNE ARPT APPROX 3-4 NM E OF LAX FINAL RWY 25L/25R. WHEN TAKEN OFF THE STADIUM VISUAL BY A VECTOR, I SHOULD HAVE REASSESSED MY POS. ALSO, SOCAL APCH HAD US ON A VECTOR OF 070 DEGS OFF SMO INSTEAD OF 068 DEGS TRACK WHICH IN FACT SHORTENED THE TURN TO FINAL WITH THE WINDS. LAX TWR DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB OF RECOGNIZING MY ERROR IMMEDIATELY BEFORE A CONFLICT ENSUED.

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.