Narrative:

On north downwind for runway 27R, ord, ATC directs turn to 180 degrees, slow to 180 KIAS, descend to 3000 ft, report field in sight. Captain, hand-flying, calls for gear down, flaps 2 degrees, report the field in sight. We're in the turn, I put gear down, flaps 1 degree as speed did not permit flaps 2 degrees yet. He says he has field, I say I do not. ATC says intercept runway 27R localizer. I report field in sight, captain is flying visually, and ATC says '180 KTS 'til the marker, call tower.' I roger and continue some button selections 'inside' and still can't see the runway. I do call 'localizer active' to captain and give him flaps 2 degrees as we've slaved sufficiently. I now look out and see runway lights ahead, just as ATC calls to sag we're lining up on the left runway, not the right as assigned. We both then pick out the runway 27R lights and the captain corrects back to runway 27R final. No conflict occurred, no evasive action or breakouts, but, here was the potential. We landed uneventfully. How problem arose: as PNF, I was busy with multiple requests from inside and outside the airplane, did not have the field in sight, but assumed too much when the captain said he had 'runway in sight.' he was hand-flying with flight directors off, visually maneuvering and didn't catch the 'localizer' when I called it. I went back inside to complete tasks and didn't notice his overshoot. A north crosswind may have caused him to misjudge the turn on and he may have locked visually on the first runway approach lighting he saw. Contributing factors: PF turned off both flight directors when I was 'heads down' without telling me (we fly with both 'on' or both 'off' visually). This took away a common cue we look for in instrument guidance. I was distracted from monitoring his visual progress and the instrument guidance as I performed other tasks and was watching for speed to dissipate enough for more flaps. Usually we fly 'coupled' at these busy places with FMS armed to intercept an ILS, allowing less chance of error when one is task saturated. It seems 'hand-flying' EFIS birds on visual approachs requires more vigilance on the part of the PNF to monitor flight path first.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 CREW, ON FINAL TO ORD, LINED UP ON THE WRONG PARALLEL RWY. WHEN QUERIED BY TWR, A CORRECTION WAS MADE, FOLLOWED BY AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG ON THEIR ASSIGNED RWY.

Narrative: ON N DOWNWIND FOR RWY 27R, ORD, ATC DIRECTS TURN TO 180 DEGS, SLOW TO 180 KIAS, DSND TO 3000 FT, RPT FIELD IN SIGHT. CAPT, HAND-FLYING, CALLS FOR GEAR DOWN, FLAPS 2 DEGS, RPT THE FIELD IN SIGHT. WE'RE IN THE TURN, I PUT GEAR DOWN, FLAPS 1 DEG AS SPD DID NOT PERMIT FLAPS 2 DEGS YET. HE SAYS HE HAS FIELD, I SAY I DO NOT. ATC SAYS INTERCEPT RWY 27R LOC. I RPT FIELD IN SIGHT, CAPT IS FLYING VISUALLY, AND ATC SAYS '180 KTS 'TIL THE MARKER, CALL TWR.' I ROGER AND CONTINUE SOME BUTTON SELECTIONS 'INSIDE' AND STILL CAN'T SEE THE RWY. I DO CALL 'LOC ACTIVE' TO CAPT AND GIVE HIM FLAPS 2 DEGS AS WE'VE SLAVED SUFFICIENTLY. I NOW LOOK OUT AND SEE RWY LIGHTS AHEAD, JUST AS ATC CALLS TO SAG WE'RE LINING UP ON THE L RWY, NOT THE R AS ASSIGNED. WE BOTH THEN PICK OUT THE RWY 27R LIGHTS AND THE CAPT CORRECTS BACK TO RWY 27R FINAL. NO CONFLICT OCCURRED, NO EVASIVE ACTION OR BREAKOUTS, BUT, HERE WAS THE POTENTIAL. WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. HOW PROB AROSE: AS PNF, I WAS BUSY WITH MULTIPLE REQUESTS FROM INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE AIRPLANE, DID NOT HAVE THE FIELD IN SIGHT, BUT ASSUMED TOO MUCH WHEN THE CAPT SAID HE HAD 'RWY IN SIGHT.' HE WAS HAND-FLYING WITH FLT DIRECTORS OFF, VISUALLY MANEUVERING AND DIDN'T CATCH THE 'LOC' WHEN I CALLED IT. I WENT BACK INSIDE TO COMPLETE TASKS AND DIDN'T NOTICE HIS OVERSHOOT. A N XWIND MAY HAVE CAUSED HIM TO MISJUDGE THE TURN ON AND HE MAY HAVE LOCKED VISUALLY ON THE FIRST RWY APCH LIGHTING HE SAW. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: PF TURNED OFF BOTH FLT DIRECTORS WHEN I WAS 'HEADS DOWN' WITHOUT TELLING ME (WE FLY WITH BOTH 'ON' OR BOTH 'OFF' VISUALLY). THIS TOOK AWAY A COMMON CUE WE LOOK FOR IN INST GUIDANCE. I WAS DISTRACTED FROM MONITORING HIS VISUAL PROGRESS AND THE INST GUIDANCE AS I PERFORMED OTHER TASKS AND WAS WATCHING FOR SPD TO DISSIPATE ENOUGH FOR MORE FLAPS. USUALLY WE FLY 'COUPLED' AT THESE BUSY PLACES WITH FMS ARMED TO INTERCEPT AN ILS, ALLOWING LESS CHANCE OF ERROR WHEN ONE IS TASK SATURATED. IT SEEMS 'HAND-FLYING' EFIS BIRDS ON VISUAL APCHS REQUIRES MORE VIGILANCE ON THE PART OF THE PNF TO MONITOR FLT PATH FIRST.

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.