Narrative:

The aircraft was an EMB120. The PIC has 16000+ hours total time, and 10000+ hours as PIC in type. The first officer less than 2500 hours total and less than 1000 hours in type. This is a commuter operation consisting of 4 day trips and 6 legs per day. We fly with the same crew members all month or more together. This particular leg (seattle, wa, to vancouver, back course) is flown by this crew 3 times a week for several months. This was day 3 of that 4 day trip. The first officer was flying the aircraft and monitoring or speaking to ATC if I was busy on another frequency. En route from sea to yvr at 16000 ft with ZSE on the accord 8 arrival with a 10000 ft crossing restr at accord. I left ATC frequency and retrieved the ATIS. The ATIS stated winds 320 degrees at 16 KTS gusting to 24 KTS, 800 ft broken 30 mi visibility using runways 26L&right and runway 12. When I returned to the ATC frequency, my first officer stated no change. We then discussed the WX and briefed the approach for runway 26R, which is what we always receive. We set speed bugs and completed the descent check. Just south of accord we were handed off to vancouver approach. We were at approximately 12000 ft in our descent. On check-in, were given 8000 ft and expect runway 26L. The controllers voice quality was less than desirable and slightly hard to understand, but readable. I acknowledged the instructions and left to check in with air carrier flight operations at yvr (we are an air carrier feeder carrier and it is against company policy to leave the ATC cockpit environment below 10000 ft). Air carrier did not respond to my call so I returned to ATC frequency with a no change from the first officer and we were outbound on the bli 309 degree radial, which is the transition to runway 26R. We were given a couple of stepdown altitudes with the final altitude being 3000 ft. Our relationship with vancouver air carrier operations is ok, but a little strained, and they are never pleased when their first call is from the ground. We, as flight crew, had strained the relationship a little more that same morning, we had overnighted that night in yvr. In the morning we received an aircraft that had not been cleaned, there was no coffee, nor hot water and no ice. We also had 2 passenger that required special assistance, one traveling without a visa, another required a wheelchair. I did not wish to violate company policy and it is not practice to do so. However, I was concerned about our relationship with air carrier and had been called on the carpet before for upsetting an agent of air carrier's. So against my better judgement the frequency to contact as everything appeared to be under control, and I would be gone maybe 1 min. When I returned, I was told we were on a heading of 300 degrees to intercept the localizer and since both navs were tuned to 110.55 (the localizer frequency for runway 26R) I assumed that we were cleared for the ILS DME runway 26R. We were told to contact the tower, so we switched to 119.55 (runway 26R tower frequency) and waited, since we were still more than 10 mi out and the frequency was busy. The controller called and asked if we were on frequency, which I responded, yes we are. He stated, you are #3 behind a dash. Caution wake turbulence. We broke out at 800 ft and when the runway was cleared of traffic, we were cleared to land on runway 26R, which we did. After clearing the runway, we were told to call this number and talk to the approach control supervisor. We had no idea that there was or had been a problem prior to that phone call. The supervisor informed me that we had been cleared 3 times to runway 26L, not runway 26R, and that each time we had read back runway 26L. Some relevant items: complacency, going into the same airport 3 times a week in all kinds of WX. Being in a rut always expecting the same runway to be assigned to you, because that is the way it has always been in my experience at yvr. Over confidence in your first officer's ability to keep you out of trouble. I was so preoccupied by what air carrier operations thought that I was not keeping proper vigilance on my first officer and what was happening with ATC. I also did not follow up on the inconsistency of which runway we were assigned. Assume bit me again, only this time in the air. Poor CRM was used on this approach. Company policy was disregarded in a critical stage of flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMB120 LANDS ON WRONG PARALLEL RWY YVR.

Narrative: THE ACFT WAS AN EMB120. THE PIC HAS 16000+ HRS TOTAL TIME, AND 10000+ HRS AS PIC IN TYPE. THE FO LESS THAN 2500 HRS TOTAL AND LESS THAN 1000 HRS IN TYPE. THIS IS A COMMUTER OP CONSISTING OF 4 DAY TRIPS AND 6 LEGS PER DAY. WE FLY WITH THE SAME CREW MEMBERS ALL MONTH OR MORE TOGETHER. THIS PARTICULAR LEG (SEATTLE, WA, TO VANCOUVER, BC) IS FLOWN BY THIS CREW 3 TIMES A WK FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. THIS WAS DAY 3 OF THAT 4 DAY TRIP. THE FO WAS FLYING THE ACFT AND MONITORING OR SPEAKING TO ATC IF I WAS BUSY ON ANOTHER FREQ. ENRTE FROM SEA TO YVR AT 16000 FT WITH ZSE ON THE ACCORD 8 ARR WITH A 10000 FT XING RESTR AT ACCORD. I LEFT ATC FREQ AND RETRIEVED THE ATIS. THE ATIS STATED WINDS 320 DEGS AT 16 KTS GUSTING TO 24 KTS, 800 FT BROKEN 30 MI VISIBILITY USING RWYS 26L&R AND RWY 12. WHEN I RETURNED TO THE ATC FREQ, MY FO STATED NO CHANGE. WE THEN DISCUSSED THE WX AND BRIEFED THE APCH FOR RWY 26R, WHICH IS WHAT WE ALWAYS RECEIVE. WE SET SPD BUGS AND COMPLETED THE DSCNT CHK. JUST S OF ACCORD WE WERE HANDED OFF TO VANCOUVER APCH. WE WERE AT APPROX 12000 FT IN OUR DSCNT. ON CHK-IN, WERE GIVEN 8000 FT AND EXPECT RWY 26L. THE CTLRS VOICE QUALITY WAS LESS THAN DESIRABLE AND SLIGHTLY HARD TO UNDERSTAND, BUT READABLE. I ACKNOWLEDGED THE INSTRUCTIONS AND LEFT TO CHK IN WITH ACR FLT OPS AT YVR (WE ARE AN ACR FEEDER CARRIER AND IT IS AGAINST COMPANY POLICY TO LEAVE THE ATC COCKPIT ENVIRONMENT BELOW 10000 FT). ACR DID NOT RESPOND TO MY CALL SO I RETURNED TO ATC FREQ WITH A NO CHANGE FROM THE FO AND WE WERE OUTBOUND ON THE BLI 309 DEG RADIAL, WHICH IS THE TRANSITION TO RWY 26R. WE WERE GIVEN A COUPLE OF STEPDOWN ALTS WITH THE FINAL ALT BEING 3000 FT. OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH VANCOUVER ACR OPS IS OK, BUT A LITTLE STRAINED, AND THEY ARE NEVER PLEASED WHEN THEIR FIRST CALL IS FROM THE GND. WE, AS FLC, HAD STRAINED THE RELATIONSHIP A LITTLE MORE THAT SAME MORNING, WE HAD OVERNIGHTED THAT NIGHT IN YVR. IN THE MORNING WE RECEIVED AN ACFT THAT HAD NOT BEEN CLEANED, THERE WAS NO COFFEE, NOR HOT WATER AND NO ICE. WE ALSO HAD 2 PAX THAT REQUIRED SPECIAL ASSISTANCE, ONE TRAVELING WITHOUT A VISA, ANOTHER REQUIRED A WHEELCHAIR. I DID NOT WISH TO VIOLATE COMPANY POLICY AND IT IS NOT PRACTICE TO DO SO. HOWEVER, I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH ACR AND HAD BEEN CALLED ON THE CARPET BEFORE FOR UPSETTING AN AGENT OF ACR'S. SO AGAINST MY BETTER JUDGEMENT THE FREQ TO CONTACT AS EVERYTHING APPEARED TO BE UNDER CTL, AND I WOULD BE GONE MAYBE 1 MIN. WHEN I RETURNED, I WAS TOLD WE WERE ON A HDG OF 300 DEGS TO INTERCEPT THE LOC AND SINCE BOTH NAVS WERE TUNED TO 110.55 (THE LOC FREQ FOR RWY 26R) I ASSUMED THAT WE WERE CLRED FOR THE ILS DME RWY 26R. WE WERE TOLD TO CONTACT THE TWR, SO WE SWITCHED TO 119.55 (RWY 26R TWR FREQ) AND WAITED, SINCE WE WERE STILL MORE THAN 10 MI OUT AND THE FREQ WAS BUSY. THE CTLR CALLED AND ASKED IF WE WERE ON FREQ, WHICH I RESPONDED, YES WE ARE. HE STATED, YOU ARE #3 BEHIND A DASH. CAUTION WAKE TURB. WE BROKE OUT AT 800 FT AND WHEN THE RWY WAS CLRED OF TFC, WE WERE CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 26R, WHICH WE DID. AFTER CLRING THE RWY, WE WERE TOLD TO CALL THIS NUMBER AND TALK TO THE APCH CTL SUPVR. WE HAD NO IDEA THAT THERE WAS OR HAD BEEN A PROB PRIOR TO THAT PHONE CALL. THE SUPVR INFORMED ME THAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED 3 TIMES TO RWY 26L, NOT RWY 26R, AND THAT EACH TIME WE HAD READ BACK RWY 26L. SOME RELEVANT ITEMS: COMPLACENCY, GOING INTO THE SAME ARPT 3 TIMES A WK IN ALL KINDS OF WX. BEING IN A RUT ALWAYS EXPECTING THE SAME RWY TO BE ASSIGNED TO YOU, BECAUSE THAT IS THE WAY IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN IN MY EXPERIENCE AT YVR. OVER CONFIDENCE IN YOUR FO'S ABILITY TO KEEP YOU OUT OF TROUBLE. I WAS SO PREOCCUPIED BY WHAT ACR OPS THOUGHT THAT I WAS NOT KEEPING PROPER VIGILANCE ON MY FO AND WHAT WAS HAPPENING WITH ATC. I ALSO DID NOT FOLLOW UP ON THE INCONSISTENCY OF WHICH RWY WE WERE ASSIGNED. ASSUME BIT ME AGAIN, ONLY THIS TIME IN THE AIR. POOR CRM WAS USED ON THIS APCH. COMPANY POLICY WAS DISREGARDED IN A CRITICAL STAGE OF FLT.

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.