Narrative:

Told to follow A320 and cleared for the visual approach with only aircraft, not airport in sight. Also given 180 degree heading to intercept. While trying to keep A320 in sight, aircraft flew through localizer and encroached on runway 25L approach course slightly. No conflict occurred. This routinely happens at lax where controllers clear aircraft for visual approachs, then add restrs. These instances are particularly hard when visibility is low and at sunset (trying to keep aircraft in sight as well as trying to locate airport, maintain good wake turbulence separation). Conditions warranted vectors to the final for an ILS since we saw airport on a 4 mi final. Lax puts too many aircraft with too little space in order to keep large numbers of arrs. In addition, lax appears to keep jet aircraft higher on approach thus making it harder for t- propeller aircraft to avoid wake and still maintain our own stabilized approach criteria.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A COMMUTER FLC OVERSHOT THE FINAL APCH COURSE FOR RWY 24R AND ENCROACHED ON THE RWY 25L FINAL. THE RPTR WAS INSTRUCTED TO FOLLOW ANOTHER ACFT FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 24R.

Narrative: TOLD TO FOLLOW A320 AND CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH WITH ONLY ACFT, NOT ARPT IN SIGHT. ALSO GIVEN 180 DEG HDG TO INTERCEPT. WHILE TRYING TO KEEP A320 IN SIGHT, ACFT FLEW THROUGH LOC AND ENCROACHED ON RWY 25L APCH COURSE SLIGHTLY. NO CONFLICT OCCURRED. THIS ROUTINELY HAPPENS AT LAX WHERE CTLRS CLR ACFT FOR VISUAL APCHS, THEN ADD RESTRS. THESE INSTANCES ARE PARTICULARLY HARD WHEN VISIBILITY IS LOW AND AT SUNSET (TRYING TO KEEP ACFT IN SIGHT AS WELL AS TRYING TO LOCATE ARPT, MAINTAIN GOOD WAKE TURB SEPARATION). CONDITIONS WARRANTED VECTORS TO THE FINAL FOR AN ILS SINCE WE SAW ARPT ON A 4 MI FINAL. LAX PUTS TOO MANY ACFT WITH TOO LITTLE SPACE IN ORDER TO KEEP LARGE NUMBERS OF ARRS. IN ADDITION, LAX APPEARS TO KEEP JET ACFT HIGHER ON APCH THUS MAKING IT HARDER FOR T- PROP ACFT TO AVOID WAKE AND STILL MAINTAIN OUR OWN STABILIZED APCH CRITERIA.

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.