B737-300 crew lined up on the wrong runway while on a visual approach at dfw.

Attributes
ACN	538452
Time
Date	200202
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dfw.airport
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl single value : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : dfw.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual approach : traffic pattern
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 125 flight time total : 8500 flight time type : 750
ASRS Report	538452
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 85
ASRS Report	538468
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter other non adherence : company policies non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : radar aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : loc indication other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued alert flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : returned to intended or assigned course none taken : detected after the fact other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Flight was on downwind for a visual approach to dfw runway 17C. Pilots were familiar with airport operations. Flight was cleared for the visual approach and captain initiated a left base turn. Sun was bright and somewhat limiting visibility. Captain noticed control tower position and, for a brief instant, initiated a dogleg turn towards runway 17L in lieu of runway 17C. At that same time, the first officer mentioned that localizer displacement was not right, and captain stated that runway environment was not right. Both pilots then visually picked up runway 17C and captain initiated corrective turn to runway 17C. Tower queried about this time and first officer mentioned that turn was in progress. Normal landing and taxi to gate followed. Lessons learned: 1) examine airport plate page more closely for control tower position. Dormant grass, creating reduced contrast and sun position were contributing factors. 2) back up all visual approachs with any electronic guidance available, as we were, to facilitate early recognition of non normal situation. 3) lastly, encourage good CRM via initial brief with first officer in an effort to keep communication barriers to a minimum.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 CREW LINED UP ON THE WRONG RWY WHILE ON A VISUAL APCH AT DFW.

Narrative: FLT WAS ON DOWNWIND FOR A VISUAL APCH TO DFW RWY 17C. PLTS WERE FAMILIAR WITH ARPT OPS. FLT WAS CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH AND CAPT INITIATED A L BASE TURN. SUN WAS BRIGHT AND SOMEWHAT LIMITING VISIBILITY. CAPT NOTICED CTL TWR POS AND, FOR A BRIEF INSTANT, INITIATED A DOGLEG TURN TOWARDS RWY 17L IN LIEU OF RWY 17C. AT THAT SAME TIME, THE FO MENTIONED THAT LOC DISPLACEMENT WAS NOT RIGHT, AND CAPT STATED THAT RWY ENVIRONMENT WAS NOT RIGHT. BOTH PLTS THEN VISUALLY PICKED UP RWY 17C AND CAPT INITIATED CORRECTIVE TURN TO RWY 17C. TWR QUERIED ABOUT THIS TIME AND FO MENTIONED THAT TURN WAS IN PROGRESS. NORMAL LNDG AND TAXI TO GATE FOLLOWED. LESSONS LEARNED: 1) EXAMINE ARPT PLATE PAGE MORE CLOSELY FOR CTL TWR POS. DORMANT GRASS, CREATING REDUCED CONTRAST AND SUN POS WERE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS. 2) BACK UP ALL VISUAL APCHS WITH ANY ELECTRONIC GUIDANCE AVAILABLE, AS WE WERE, TO FACILITATE EARLY RECOGNITION OF NON NORMAL SIT. 3) LASTLY, ENCOURAGE GOOD CRM VIA INITIAL BRIEF WITH FO IN AN EFFORT TO KEEP COM BARRIERS TO A MINIMUM.

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.