Narrative:

Air carrier X came onto my frequency. I was working the north final position at atl approach control. The flight was descended to 5000 ft, approximately 12 mi northeast of atl. I instructed the flight to turn right heading 180 degrees, pilot responded. Very shortly after, I advised air carrier X they were following a DC9 at 2 O'clock position 4 mi swbound leaving 4500 ft. Air carrier X's reply, 'in sight.' I then cleared air carrier X for visual approach runway 26R, follow the DC9 maintain 170 KTS till the OM. Air carrier X acknowledged the clearance. I was busy at the time and I went back to my other traffic. A few moments later, I observed air carrier X going through the runway 26R final approach course. I asked pilot if they were turning in for runway 26R. Pilot informed me that I had cleared them for runway 27L. My response was, 'I don't think so, but level off at 4000 ft and turn right to 290 degrees.' I then asked pilot if they had traffic off their left approximately 800 ft below. Pilot replied yes. I instructed air carrier X to maintain visual separation on the B737 heading 290 degrees. I later reclred air carrier X for visual approach to runway 26R. I thought everything was fine, that I had saved a potential problem. Approximately 2 hours later, the supervisor received a call from an FAA evaluator onboard air carrier X (in cockpit) and advised we may have had a problem. I was relieved from duty while investigation was started. Later, I was informed that I had cleared air carrier X for approach to runway 26R to follow DC9. Pilot read back runway 27L. Neither I nor the evaluator caught the readback error. My problem with this: I cleared air carrier X to follow DC9 to runway 26R, which was acknowledged. But, pilot wound up trying to follow a B737 on the runway 27L final. Air carrier X never questioned separation of traffic, which was declining. Supplemental information from acn 408090: coming from north to atl. Cleared for visual runway 27L. We go through runway 26R to intercept runway 27L. Captain flying and wonders what this B737 is doing below and behind him on runway 27L. B737 then goes in front of us on runway 27L ILS. I see him for the first time at this point, approximately 800 ft away. Just then approach asks if we are going to correct back to runway 26R. We tell him we were cleared for runway 27L. He apologizes and we land visually runway 26R.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FK10 FLC CHALLENGES APCH CTLR'S CLRNC FOR VISUAL APCH TO RWY WHEN OBSERVING CONFLICTING TFC. CTLR RECLRS FK10 FOR VISUAL APCH TO OTHER RWY. LATER INVESTIGATION DETERMINES FK10 ACKNOWLEDGED APCH CLRNC TO WRONG RWY AND NO ONCE CAUGHT INCORRECT READBACK.

Narrative: ACR X CAME ONTO MY FREQ. I WAS WORKING THE N FINAL POS AT ATL APCH CTL. THE FLT WAS DSNDED TO 5000 FT, APPROX 12 MI NE OF ATL. I INSTRUCTED THE FLT TO TURN R HDG 180 DEGS, PLT RESPONDED. VERY SHORTLY AFTER, I ADVISED ACR X THEY WERE FOLLOWING A DC9 AT 2 O'CLOCK POS 4 MI SWBOUND LEAVING 4500 FT. ACR X'S REPLY, 'IN SIGHT.' I THEN CLRED ACR X FOR VISUAL APCH RWY 26R, FOLLOW THE DC9 MAINTAIN 170 KTS TILL THE OM. ACR X ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLRNC. I WAS BUSY AT THE TIME AND I WENT BACK TO MY OTHER TFC. A FEW MOMENTS LATER, I OBSERVED ACR X GOING THROUGH THE RWY 26R FINAL APCH COURSE. I ASKED PLT IF THEY WERE TURNING IN FOR RWY 26R. PLT INFORMED ME THAT I HAD CLRED THEM FOR RWY 27L. MY RESPONSE WAS, 'I DON'T THINK SO, BUT LEVEL OFF AT 4000 FT AND TURN R TO 290 DEGS.' I THEN ASKED PLT IF THEY HAD TFC OFF THEIR L APPROX 800 FT BELOW. PLT REPLIED YES. I INSTRUCTED ACR X TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION ON THE B737 HDG 290 DEGS. I LATER RECLRED ACR X FOR VISUAL APCH TO RWY 26R. I THOUGHT EVERYTHING WAS FINE, THAT I HAD SAVED A POTENTIAL PROB. APPROX 2 HRS LATER, THE SUPVR RECEIVED A CALL FROM AN FAA EVALUATOR ONBOARD ACR X (IN COCKPIT) AND ADVISED WE MAY HAVE HAD A PROB. I WAS RELIEVED FROM DUTY WHILE INVESTIGATION WAS STARTED. LATER, I WAS INFORMED THAT I HAD CLRED ACR X FOR APCH TO RWY 26R TO FOLLOW DC9. PLT READ BACK RWY 27L. NEITHER I NOR THE EVALUATOR CAUGHT THE READBACK ERROR. MY PROB WITH THIS: I CLRED ACR X TO FOLLOW DC9 TO RWY 26R, WHICH WAS ACKNOWLEDGED. BUT, PLT WOUND UP TRYING TO FOLLOW A B737 ON THE RWY 27L FINAL. ACR X NEVER QUESTIONED SEPARATION OF TFC, WHICH WAS DECLINING. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 408090: COMING FROM N TO ATL. CLRED FOR VISUAL RWY 27L. WE GO THROUGH RWY 26R TO INTERCEPT RWY 27L. CAPT FLYING AND WONDERS WHAT THIS B737 IS DOING BELOW AND BEHIND HIM ON RWY 27L. B737 THEN GOES IN FRONT OF US ON RWY 27L ILS. I SEE HIM FOR THE FIRST TIME AT THIS POINT, APPROX 800 FT AWAY. JUST THEN APCH ASKS IF WE ARE GOING TO CORRECT BACK TO RWY 26R. WE TELL HIM WE WERE CLRED FOR RWY 27L. HE APOLOGIZES AND WE LAND VISUALLY RWY 26R.

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.