Narrative:

I was the PF. Den was landing runway 16 and runway 17R. I briefed and loaded runway 17R prior to descent. On initial contact with approach, we were given runway 16, so I rebriefed and reloaded the FMGS. We were arriving over sayge with numerous arrs over lander. At about 20 mi, our runway was switched to runway 17R. We were being sequenced behind an aircraft from the north. Both of us were working hard to sort out our traffic from those going to runway 16 against a backgnd of city lights. We were slowed to 210 KTS then 180 KTS. We called the field at about 10 mi and were cleared for the visual to runway 17R. We were now on a dogleg with the traffic at 2 1/2 - 3 mi on the TCASII. We were to 160 KTS. Approach said we wre still closing and assigned 150 KTS, then 140 KTS. Captain advised unable 140 KTS. When managed speed was selected, engines started to spool up because approach phase was not activated, so I disconnected the autothrottles and captain corrected the FMGS. By now we were on final and with the traffic at about 2.5 mi on the TCASII, I asked for an s-turn and was cleared to maneuver to the left. Soon after switching to tower, the controller asked us to turn back in from the s-turn. Captain was running the final checklist as I rolled out on final. At about 2 mi, tower told us we were not aligned with runway 17R and offered landing on runway 17L. I determined that to be the safest plan and accepted the clearance. ILS GS was for runway 17R, so I got the flight directors off and remarked that we would get the GS warning, which we did. I used PAPI guidance and made a normal landing and rollout on runway 17L. All checklists and callouts were accomplished and the approach was stabilized. Supplemental information from acn 564786: WX was cavok and it was dark. We had been progressively slowed to 210 KTS, 180 KTS, 160 KTS, then 150 KTS, while continuing our descent. The first officer was hand flying and using full speed brakes to meet these requirements and to try and keep on the required descent profile. We were asked whether we had either the runway or the traffic in sight. We reported the runway in sight, and were cleared for the visual approach to runway 17R. I did not call this aircraft in sight yet because I could see 3 aircraft in my 2 O'clock position and I wanted to be exactly sure I had idented the right one before calling it in sight. We checked in with tower and were told to turn back in towards the runway. I now got the gear down and was 'head down' configuring for landing and completed the final descent checklist. Just then, tower told us we were lined up for runway 17L and needed to turn further right. I looked up and saw that this was true. We were now approximately 900 ft AGL. Tower said runway 17L was available if we wanted it. This seemed to be a safer course of action rather than trying to turn toward runway 17R. It was 12000 ft long, well lit, and with no conflicting traffic. Some considerations: I think spacing on approachs needs to be somewhat more than 3 NM. We were right at 3 NM and 150 KTS and still closing in on the preceding aircraft. We had no option at this stage but to do an s-turn to create adequate spacing. A little more spacing would have helped in giving us and the controllers a little more breathing room.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WHILE ATTEMPTING TO GET A VISUAL ON TFC AHEAD AND BEING ASSIGNED A RWY CHANGE FOR THE SECOND TIME, AN A320 FLC MAKES A WRONG RWY APCH TO RWY 17L AFTER BEING RECLRED FOR THE VISUAL TO RWY 17R AT DEN, CO.

Narrative: I WAS THE PF. DEN WAS LNDG RWY 16 AND RWY 17R. I BRIEFED AND LOADED RWY 17R PRIOR TO DSCNT. ON INITIAL CONTACT WITH APCH, WE WERE GIVEN RWY 16, SO I REBRIEFED AND RELOADED THE FMGS. WE WERE ARRIVING OVER SAYGE WITH NUMEROUS ARRS OVER LANDER. AT ABOUT 20 MI, OUR RWY WAS SWITCHED TO RWY 17R. WE WERE BEING SEQUENCED BEHIND AN ACFT FROM THE N. BOTH OF US WERE WORKING HARD TO SORT OUT OUR TFC FROM THOSE GOING TO RWY 16 AGAINST A BACKGND OF CITY LIGHTS. WE WERE SLOWED TO 210 KTS THEN 180 KTS. WE CALLED THE FIELD AT ABOUT 10 MI AND WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL TO RWY 17R. WE WERE NOW ON A DOGLEG WITH THE TFC AT 2 1/2 - 3 MI ON THE TCASII. WE WERE TO 160 KTS. APCH SAID WE WRE STILL CLOSING AND ASSIGNED 150 KTS, THEN 140 KTS. CAPT ADVISED UNABLE 140 KTS. WHEN MANAGED SPD WAS SELECTED, ENGS STARTED TO SPOOL UP BECAUSE APCH PHASE WAS NOT ACTIVATED, SO I DISCONNECTED THE AUTOTHROTTLES AND CAPT CORRECTED THE FMGS. BY NOW WE WERE ON FINAL AND WITH THE TFC AT ABOUT 2.5 MI ON THE TCASII, I ASKED FOR AN S-TURN AND WAS CLRED TO MANEUVER TO THE L. SOON AFTER SWITCHING TO TWR, THE CTLR ASKED US TO TURN BACK IN FROM THE S-TURN. CAPT WAS RUNNING THE FINAL CHKLIST AS I ROLLED OUT ON FINAL. AT ABOUT 2 MI, TWR TOLD US WE WERE NOT ALIGNED WITH RWY 17R AND OFFERED LNDG ON RWY 17L. I DETERMINED THAT TO BE THE SAFEST PLAN AND ACCEPTED THE CLRNC. ILS GS WAS FOR RWY 17R, SO I GOT THE FLT DIRECTORS OFF AND REMARKED THAT WE WOULD GET THE GS WARNING, WHICH WE DID. I USED PAPI GUIDANCE AND MADE A NORMAL LNDG AND ROLLOUT ON RWY 17L. ALL CHKLISTS AND CALLOUTS WERE ACCOMPLISHED AND THE APCH WAS STABILIZED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 564786: WX WAS CAVOK AND IT WAS DARK. WE HAD BEEN PROGRESSIVELY SLOWED TO 210 KTS, 180 KTS, 160 KTS, THEN 150 KTS, WHILE CONTINUING OUR DSCNT. THE FO WAS HAND FLYING AND USING FULL SPD BRAKES TO MEET THESE REQUIREMENTS AND TO TRY AND KEEP ON THE REQUIRED DSCNT PROFILE. WE WERE ASKED WHETHER WE HAD EITHER THE RWY OR THE TFC IN SIGHT. WE RPTED THE RWY IN SIGHT, AND WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 17R. I DID NOT CALL THIS ACFT IN SIGHT YET BECAUSE I COULD SEE 3 ACFT IN MY 2 O'CLOCK POS AND I WANTED TO BE EXACTLY SURE I HAD IDENTED THE RIGHT ONE BEFORE CALLING IT IN SIGHT. WE CHKED IN WITH TWR AND WERE TOLD TO TURN BACK IN TOWARDS THE RWY. I NOW GOT THE GEAR DOWN AND WAS 'HEAD DOWN' CONFIGURING FOR LNDG AND COMPLETED THE FINAL DSCNT CHKLIST. JUST THEN, TWR TOLD US WE WERE LINED UP FOR RWY 17L AND NEEDED TO TURN FURTHER R. I LOOKED UP AND SAW THAT THIS WAS TRUE. WE WERE NOW APPROX 900 FT AGL. TWR SAID RWY 17L WAS AVAILABLE IF WE WANTED IT. THIS SEEMED TO BE A SAFER COURSE OF ACTION RATHER THAN TRYING TO TURN TOWARD RWY 17R. IT WAS 12000 FT LONG, WELL LIT, AND WITH NO CONFLICTING TFC. SOME CONSIDERATIONS: I THINK SPACING ON APCHS NEEDS TO BE SOMEWHAT MORE THAN 3 NM. WE WERE RIGHT AT 3 NM AND 150 KTS AND STILL CLOSING IN ON THE PRECEDING ACFT. WE HAD NO OPTION AT THIS STAGE BUT TO DO AN S-TURN TO CREATE ADEQUATE SPACING. A LITTLE MORE SPACING WOULD HAVE HELPED IN GIVING US AND THE CTLRS A LITTLE MORE BREATHING ROOM.

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.