Narrative:

Our aircraft was cleared for visual approach to runway 19L at mci airport. We thought it was for runway 19R and began to intercept the localizer for runway 19R. Approach mentioned we were through the localizer for runway 19L. We realized the problem and asked for visual to runway 19R. We were then cleared for a visual approach to runway 19R and handed over to mci tower. We (captain and first officer) cannot remember exactly what runway we were cleared for, and I can't remember to what runway I acknowledged for the clearance. There are 2 factors that contributed to this event: 1) crew fatigue: this is a non scheduled far part 121 airline we work for. We are on the pager 24/7, and have no specified duty day, unlike passenger carrier. We were alerted for this trip at XA00. Both myself and the first officer had less than 2 hours of sleep. We both had been up all day waiting for a trip. Our route was yip to ptk. We waited about 2.5 hours for freight. We were told this was a 'code X' trip and the freight was waiting for us. A code X trip is defined by our company as urgent, an automatic factory may shut down if we don't expedite the trip. There is a great deal of pressure from management to accept all trips, regardless of adequate rest. So, by the time we were landing at mci, we each had approximately 3 hours of sleep in the last 24 hours. This was all completely legal according to applicable FARS and company policy. However, while we both felt capable of completing the trip safely, fatigue can effect judgement before you realize it. Getting paged for trips like this with little to no sleep is quite common in the non scheduled cargo industry, and needs to be changed. 2) anticipating a clearance: we always land on runway 194 because it is adjacent the cargo ramp. So I anticipated runway 19R, and thus did not hear the clearance for runway 19L. However, I believe the chances of missing the clearance would have been greatly reduced if not eliminated had we had adequate rest.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FALCON 20 CARGO FLC INTERCEPTS ILS RWY 19R INSTEAD OF RWY 19L AS CLRED BY ATC AT 6 MI N OF MCI, MO.

Narrative: OUR ACFT WAS CLRED FOR VISUAL APCH TO RWY 19L AT MCI ARPT. WE THOUGHT IT WAS FOR RWY 19R AND BEGAN TO INTERCEPT THE LOC FOR RWY 19R. APCH MENTIONED WE WERE THROUGH THE LOC FOR RWY 19L. WE REALIZED THE PROB AND ASKED FOR VISUAL TO RWY 19R. WE WERE THEN CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 19R AND HANDED OVER TO MCI TWR. WE (CAPT AND FO) CANNOT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT RWY WE WERE CLRED FOR, AND I CAN'T REMEMBER TO WHAT RWY I ACKNOWLEDGED FOR THE CLRNC. THERE ARE 2 FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THIS EVENT: 1) CREW FATIGUE: THIS IS A NON SCHEDULED FAR PART 121 AIRLINE WE WORK FOR. WE ARE ON THE PAGER 24/7, AND HAVE NO SPECIFIED DUTY DAY, UNLIKE PAX CARRIER. WE WERE ALERTED FOR THIS TRIP AT XA00. BOTH MYSELF AND THE FO HAD LESS THAN 2 HRS OF SLEEP. WE BOTH HAD BEEN UP ALL DAY WAITING FOR A TRIP. OUR RTE WAS YIP TO PTK. WE WAITED ABOUT 2.5 HRS FOR FREIGHT. WE WERE TOLD THIS WAS A 'CODE X' TRIP AND THE FREIGHT WAS WAITING FOR US. A CODE X TRIP IS DEFINED BY OUR COMPANY AS URGENT, AN AUTO FACTORY MAY SHUT DOWN IF WE DON'T EXPEDITE THE TRIP. THERE IS A GREAT DEAL OF PRESSURE FROM MGMNT TO ACCEPT ALL TRIPS, REGARDLESS OF ADEQUATE REST. SO, BY THE TIME WE WERE LNDG AT MCI, WE EACH HAD APPROX 3 HRS OF SLEEP IN THE LAST 24 HRS. THIS WAS ALL COMPLETELY LEGAL ACCORDING TO APPLICABLE FARS AND COMPANY POLICY. HOWEVER, WHILE WE BOTH FELT CAPABLE OF COMPLETING THE TRIP SAFELY, FATIGUE CAN EFFECT JUDGEMENT BEFORE YOU REALIZE IT. GETTING PAGED FOR TRIPS LIKE THIS WITH LITTLE TO NO SLEEP IS QUITE COMMON IN THE NON SCHEDULED CARGO INDUSTRY, AND NEEDS TO BE CHANGED. 2) ANTICIPATING A CLRNC: WE ALWAYS LAND ON RWY 194 BECAUSE IT IS ADJACENT THE CARGO RAMP. SO I ANTICIPATED RWY 19R, AND THUS DID NOT HEAR THE CLRNC FOR RWY 19L. HOWEVER, I BELIEVE THE CHANCES OF MISSING THE CLRNC WOULD HAVE BEEN GREATLY REDUCED IF NOT ELIMINATED HAD WE HAD ADEQUATE REST.

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.