Narrative:

Initial potomac approach controller assigned us ILS runway 19R at iad. After switching to the final approach controller; he gave us a heading to intercept the localizer runway 19L and the first officer read back runway 19L; however; neither of us caught the fact that he said 'left.' we intercepted the localizer for runway 19R like originally assigned. He questioned us saying it looked like we were lined up for the right and gave us a heading to re-intercept the left. As I was briefing the new approach the first officer accidentally accepted a handoff to the tower meant for another aircraft. The tower immediately said 'go back to approach.' we did; and the approach controller cleared us for the ILS runway 19L and we landed uneventfully. Supplemental information from acn 761522: we should have paid very close attention in the approach and landing phases of flight. Also; annunciating the runway that we are cleared for. Finally; it would have avoided a lot of confusion if the second controller notified us ahead of time that we were going to be switching runways.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PILOT INBOUND TO IAD GOT A CLOSE-IN RWY CHANGE FROM 19R TO 19L THAT WAS NOT RECOGNIZED. CONTROLLER SAW TRACK DEV AND RECLEARED THE FLT TO INTERCEPT 19L.

Narrative: INITIAL POTOMAC APCH CTLR ASSIGNED US ILS RWY 19R AT IAD. AFTER SWITCHING TO THE FINAL APCH CTLR; HE GAVE US A HDG TO INTERCEPT THE LOC RWY 19L AND THE FO READ BACK RWY 19L; HOWEVER; NEITHER OF US CAUGHT THE FACT THAT HE SAID 'LEFT.' WE INTERCEPTED THE LOC FOR RWY 19R LIKE ORIGINALLY ASSIGNED. HE QUESTIONED US SAYING IT LOOKED LIKE WE WERE LINED UP FOR THE R AND GAVE US A HDG TO RE-INTERCEPT THE L. AS I WAS BRIEFING THE NEW APCH THE FO ACCIDENTALLY ACCEPTED A HDOF TO THE TWR MEANT FOR ANOTHER ACFT. THE TWR IMMEDIATELY SAID 'GO BACK TO APCH.' WE DID; AND THE APCH CTLR CLRED US FOR THE ILS RWY 19L AND WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 761522: WE SHOULD HAVE PAID VERY CLOSE ATTN IN THE APCH AND LNDG PHASES OF FLT. ALSO; ANNUNCIATING THE RWY THAT WE ARE CLRED FOR. FINALLY; IT WOULD HAVE AVOIDED A LOT OF CONFUSION IF THE SECOND CTLR NOTIFIED US AHEAD OF TIME THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE SWITCHING RWYS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.