Narrative:

Approximately 15 mi from banty intersection on cougar 6 arrival to iah, we were given clearance 'depart banty heading 085 degrees....' we heard and read back '...for runway 27.' although tapes later revealed that controller had said 'runway 26,' she failed to catch and correct our readback. We briefed the visual approach to runway 27, backed up by the ILS. While being vectored on the downwind leg, our flight path appeared to be close to runway 26. The next vector was to a heading of 130 degrees followed very shortly by 'turn right to heading of 240 degrees to intercept the localizer.' no mention of runway 26 was made. At a standard rate turn, we went through the localizer of runway 26 and were set up to intercept runway 27 localizer. At this point the final controller asked what runway we were going to and there ensued a conversation between us and the controller that indicated there was confusion as to which approach we were cleared for. During this time, we visually sighted an aircraft on the approach to runway 27 followed immediately by a TCASII RA to climb. As we started to climb, the controller told us to climb to avoid the traffic. He then cleared us to land on runway 26. The rest of the flight proceeded without incident, however, controller attempted to engage us in non essential radio chatter while we were still on runway 26. Contributing factors to incident were: 1) crew fatigue due to early report time and no facilities and time to eat breakfast. 2) failure of controller to catch and correct our improper readback of landing runway. 3) close, tight vectors to runway 26 which confirmed in our minds our clearance for runway 27. 4) use of the phrase 'intercept the localizer' without specifying specific localizer while simultaneous approachs are being conducted to closely spaced runways. 5) as a final note, houston controllers seem to have a tendency to use excessive amounts of nonstandard phraseology, and they tend to talk too fast without speaking clearly.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: READBACK OF INCORRECT RWY ASSIGNMENT WAS NOT CAUGHT BY CTLR. THE CREW PLANNED AND MADE APCH TO WRONG RWY UNTIL TFC CONFLICT WAS DISCOVERED.

Narrative: APPROX 15 MI FROM BANTY INTXN ON COUGAR 6 ARR TO IAH, WE WERE GIVEN CLRNC 'DEPART BANTY HDG 085 DEGS....' WE HEARD AND READ BACK '...FOR RWY 27.' ALTHOUGH TAPES LATER REVEALED THAT CTLR HAD SAID 'RWY 26,' SHE FAILED TO CATCH AND CORRECT OUR READBACK. WE BRIEFED THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 27, BACKED UP BY THE ILS. WHILE BEING VECTORED ON THE DOWNWIND LEG, OUR FLT PATH APPEARED TO BE CLOSE TO RWY 26. THE NEXT VECTOR WAS TO A HDG OF 130 DEGS FOLLOWED VERY SHORTLY BY 'TURN R TO HDG OF 240 DEGS TO INTERCEPT THE LOC.' NO MENTION OF RWY 26 WAS MADE. AT A STANDARD RATE TURN, WE WENT THROUGH THE LOC OF RWY 26 AND WERE SET UP TO INTERCEPT RWY 27 LOC. AT THIS POINT THE FINAL CTLR ASKED WHAT RWY WE WERE GOING TO AND THERE ENSUED A CONVERSATION BTWN US AND THE CTLR THAT INDICATED THERE WAS CONFUSION AS TO WHICH APCH WE WERE CLRED FOR. DURING THIS TIME, WE VISUALLY SIGHTED AN ACFT ON THE APCH TO RWY 27 FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY A TCASII RA TO CLB. AS WE STARTED TO CLB, THE CTLR TOLD US TO CLB TO AVOID THE TFC. HE THEN CLRED US TO LAND ON RWY 26. THE REST OF THE FLT PROCEEDED WITHOUT INCIDENT, HOWEVER, CTLR ATTEMPTED TO ENGAGE US IN NON ESSENTIAL RADIO CHATTER WHILE WE WERE STILL ON RWY 26. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO INCIDENT WERE: 1) CREW FATIGUE DUE TO EARLY RPT TIME AND NO FACILITIES AND TIME TO EAT BREAKFAST. 2) FAILURE OF CTLR TO CATCH AND CORRECT OUR IMPROPER READBACK OF LNDG RWY. 3) CLOSE, TIGHT VECTORS TO RWY 26 WHICH CONFIRMED IN OUR MINDS OUR CLRNC FOR RWY 27. 4) USE OF THE PHRASE 'INTERCEPT THE LOC' WITHOUT SPECIFYING SPECIFIC LOC WHILE SIMULTANEOUS APCHS ARE BEING CONDUCTED TO CLOSELY SPACED RWYS. 5) AS A FINAL NOTE, HOUSTON CTLRS SEEM TO HAVE A TENDENCY TO USE EXCESSIVE AMOUNTS OF NONSTANDARD PHRASEOLOGY, AND THEY TEND TO TALK TOO FAST WITHOUT SPEAKING CLRLY.

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.