B737 flight crew expressed frustration regarding new runway identify at mia.

Attributes
ACN	592651
Time
Date	200309
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mia.airport
State Reference	FL
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : mia.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-800
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	592651
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
ASRS Report	592653
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airport
Primary Problem	Airport

Narrative:

Looking over the approach plates for mia just prior to descent, it came to our attention that the new runway was not depicted on our arrival procedure. On further examination, it became obvious that the runway numbering for mia would cause confusion. Case in point: we were cleared to land on runway 9L. The close parallel runway numbered 8 is actually the left runway. One does not see the number until on short final during the day and not until flare at night. It is one thing for us who use english as our primary language. I believe we are putting an unnecessary burden on those for whom english is a second or third language. Further, the numbering is not standard. If one goes to other airports with multiple parallel numbers, ie, den, dfw, dtw, etc, one finds that the close parallels always have the same number. This is not an accident looking for a place to happen. The place is found! It is just a matter of time before someone confuses the runways here in mia.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLT CREW EXPRESSED FRUSTRATION REGARDING NEW RWY IDENT AT MIA.

Narrative: LOOKING OVER THE APCH PLATES FOR MIA JUST PRIOR TO DSCNT, IT CAME TO OUR ATTN THAT THE NEW RWY WAS NOT DEPICTED ON OUR ARR PROC. ON FURTHER EXAMINATION, IT BECAME OBVIOUS THAT THE RWY NUMBERING FOR MIA WOULD CAUSE CONFUSION. CASE IN POINT: WE WERE CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 9L. THE CLOSE PARALLEL RWY NUMBERED 8 IS ACTUALLY THE L RWY. ONE DOES NOT SEE THE NUMBER UNTIL ON SHORT FINAL DURING THE DAY AND NOT UNTIL FLARE AT NIGHT. IT IS ONE THING FOR US WHO USE ENGLISH AS OUR PRIMARY LANGUAGE. I BELIEVE WE ARE PUTTING AN UNNECESSARY BURDEN ON THOSE FOR WHOM ENGLISH IS A SECOND OR THIRD LANGUAGE. FURTHER, THE NUMBERING IS NOT STANDARD. IF ONE GOES TO OTHER ARPTS WITH MULTIPLE PARALLEL NUMBERS, IE, DEN, DFW, DTW, ETC, ONE FINDS THAT THE CLOSE PARALLELS ALWAYS HAVE THE SAME NUMBER. THIS IS NOT AN ACCIDENT LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO HAPPEN. THE PLACE IS FOUND! IT IS JUST A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE SOMEONE CONFUSES THE RWYS HERE IN MIA.

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.