Narrative:

The first officer was flying. At the initial contact with ord approach, we were advised to make the ILS runway 22R. We were on the pmm 4 arrival, tracking obk 081 degree radial with #2 VOR. Somewhere between pivot and pappi intxns at 8000 ft, the approach controller gave us 'cleared for the ILS runway 22R approach' clearance. Since we were not on radar vector at that point, sudden clearance to 'cleared for approach' was a little surprising and puzzling to both of us. I tuned my #1 navigation to ord VOR for the DME fixes of ILS runway 22R and 220 degree course. I thought the first officer was tuning his #2 navigation to the ILS runway 22R. While I was trying to listen to the morse identify on the #2 navigation, I was also running the mechanical checklist, listened to the approach, and making the landing PA. I was too busy to catch the wrong frequency set on the #2 navigation. The #2 navigation identify sounded a little funny compared to my ILS runway 22R approach plate (the morse codes of ILS runway 22L and runway 22R are similar) but looked like the localizer was already arriving and aircraft was intercepting (my #1 navigation was still ord VOR and it looked like the radial was within 1 DOT) so I decided to accept the identify and told my first officer 'localizer idented.' as we turned inbound the ILS runway 22L course, the approach controller asked us if we were receiving the localizer ok. I told him 'that's affirmative.' all this time, I thought we were tracking runway 22R. Then the approach controller told us we were tracking the ILS runway 22L. I looked at #2 navigation and realized it was set 110.1, not runway 22R. I told my first officer to set 111.3, and then I told the approach controller 'ok, we are fixing it.' he told us 'right turn 250 degrees, intercept ILS runway 22R.' I acknowledged it. We intercepted runway 22R localizer and completed rest of the approach and landing normally. Supplemental information from acn 500310: I turned to what I thought was the runway 22R approach page, but instead selected runway 22L. I immediately began to set up the approach for runway 22L. The captain called for clarification of the approach clearance since we weren't on a vector, and it was confirmed. I briefed the wrong approach and it was not caught by the captain. I realized almost immediately it was incorrect when fnuch did not appear on the runway 22L approach plate. As I changed frequency and began to correct, approach control came on and said we were 3 mi east of course and appeared to be lining up on runway 22L.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: S80 FLC INCORRECTLY SETS UP AND BRIEFS FOR WRONG APCH WHICH IS CAUGHT WHEN C90 ADVISES FLC.

Narrative: THE FO WAS FLYING. AT THE INITIAL CONTACT WITH ORD APCH, WE WERE ADVISED TO MAKE THE ILS RWY 22R. WE WERE ON THE PMM 4 ARR, TRACKING OBK 081 DEG RADIAL WITH #2 VOR. SOMEWHERE BTWN PIVOT AND PAPPI INTXNS AT 8000 FT, THE APCH CTLR GAVE US 'CLRED FOR THE ILS RWY 22R APCH' CLRNC. SINCE WE WERE NOT ON RADAR VECTOR AT THAT POINT, SUDDEN CLRNC TO 'CLRED FOR APCH' WAS A LITTLE SURPRISING AND PUZZLING TO BOTH OF US. I TUNED MY #1 NAV TO ORD VOR FOR THE DME FIXES OF ILS RWY 22R AND 220 DEG COURSE. I THOUGHT THE FO WAS TUNING HIS #2 NAV TO THE ILS RWY 22R. WHILE I WAS TRYING TO LISTEN TO THE MORSE IDENT ON THE #2 NAV, I WAS ALSO RUNNING THE MECHANICAL CHKLIST, LISTENED TO THE APCH, AND MAKING THE LNDG PA. I WAS TOO BUSY TO CATCH THE WRONG FREQ SET ON THE #2 NAV. THE #2 NAV IDENT SOUNDED A LITTLE FUNNY COMPARED TO MY ILS RWY 22R APCH PLATE (THE MORSE CODES OF ILS RWY 22L AND RWY 22R ARE SIMILAR) BUT LOOKED LIKE THE LOC WAS ALREADY ARRIVING AND ACFT WAS INTERCEPTING (MY #1 NAV WAS STILL ORD VOR AND IT LOOKED LIKE THE RADIAL WAS WITHIN 1 DOT) SO I DECIDED TO ACCEPT THE IDENT AND TOLD MY FO 'LOC IDENTED.' AS WE TURNED INBOUND THE ILS RWY 22L COURSE, THE APCH CTLR ASKED US IF WE WERE RECEIVING THE LOC OK. I TOLD HIM 'THAT'S AFFIRMATIVE.' ALL THIS TIME, I THOUGHT WE WERE TRACKING RWY 22R. THEN THE APCH CTLR TOLD US WE WERE TRACKING THE ILS RWY 22L. I LOOKED AT #2 NAV AND REALIZED IT WAS SET 110.1, NOT RWY 22R. I TOLD MY FO TO SET 111.3, AND THEN I TOLD THE APCH CTLR 'OK, WE ARE FIXING IT.' HE TOLD US 'R TURN 250 DEGS, INTERCEPT ILS RWY 22R.' I ACKNOWLEDGED IT. WE INTERCEPTED RWY 22R LOC AND COMPLETED REST OF THE APCH AND LNDG NORMALLY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 500310: I TURNED TO WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE RWY 22R APCH PAGE, BUT INSTEAD SELECTED RWY 22L. I IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO SET UP THE APCH FOR RWY 22L. THE CAPT CALLED FOR CLARIFICATION OF THE APCH CLRNC SINCE WE WEREN'T ON A VECTOR, AND IT WAS CONFIRMED. I BRIEFED THE WRONG APCH AND IT WAS NOT CAUGHT BY THE CAPT. I REALIZED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY IT WAS INCORRECT WHEN FNUCH DID NOT APPEAR ON THE RWY 22L APCH PLATE. AS I CHANGED FREQ AND BEGAN TO CORRECT, APCH CTL CAME ON AND SAID WE WERE 3 MI E OF COURSE AND APPEARED TO BE LINING UP ON RWY 22L.

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.