Narrative:

Prior to civet intersection inbound to lax cleared CIVET5 to what I remember to be runway 25L and to descend on the arrival. Approaching krain at 10000 ft socal asked if we were lined up for runway 24L. Replied negative we were established on the arrival for runway 25L; instructed to turn right 10 degrees and intercept localizer runway 24L and descend to 7000 ft. Frequency change to 124.5 on check in runway changed to runway 24R. Programmed new approach in FMC and tuned localizer frequency (108.5). Cockpit indications of no localizer signal; no command steering; no raw data; localizer FMA with yellow line through it and no identify. Reported problem to socal and they switched runway to runway 24L; following rj traffic. Descent continued to 3200 ft with no visual on traffic ahead; perhaps due to numerous city lights; or traffic was not utilizing all lights for approach. With traffic 2 mi ahead no visual contact and unable to descend any lower; socal broke us out of the pattern with instructions to climb to 3000 ft and turn right 020 degrees (last assigned altitude 3200 ft) reply 'descending to 3000.' spun us round for a second approach slowed to 160 KTS then 150 KTS cleared for visual runway 24R speed 160 KTS switch to tower 133.9 said speed 150 KTS told to maintain 150 KTS. PF initially lined up for runway 24L due to no flight director steering to localizer runway 24R PNF called line up and PF corrected to runway 24R visual at approximately 6 mi. Switched tower to verify runway and cleared to land runway 24R. Remainder of flight and taxi uneventful.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 RWY CHANGED FROM 25L TO 24R AT KRAIN. UNABLE TO SEE TRAFFIC AHEAD IN CITY LIGHTS AND WITH NO ILS SIGNAL ATC DIRECTED A GAR FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER APCH.

Narrative: PRIOR TO CIVET INTXN INBOUND TO LAX CLRED CIVET5 TO WHAT I REMEMBER TO BE RWY 25L AND TO DSND ON THE ARR. APCHING KRAIN AT 10000 FT SOCAL ASKED IF WE WERE LINED UP FOR RWY 24L. REPLIED NEGATIVE WE WERE ESTABLISHED ON THE ARR FOR RWY 25L; INSTRUCTED TO TURN R 10 DEGS AND INTERCEPT LOC RWY 24L AND DSND TO 7000 FT. FREQ CHANGE TO 124.5 ON CHK IN RWY CHANGED TO RWY 24R. PROGRAMMED NEW APCH IN FMC AND TUNED LOC FREQ (108.5). COCKPIT INDICATIONS OF NO LOC SIGNAL; NO COMMAND STEERING; NO RAW DATA; LOC FMA WITH YELLOW LINE THROUGH IT AND NO IDENT. RPTED PROB TO SOCAL AND THEY SWITCHED RWY TO RWY 24L; FOLLOWING RJ TFC. DSCNT CONTINUED TO 3200 FT WITH NO VISUAL ON TFC AHEAD; PERHAPS DUE TO NUMEROUS CITY LIGHTS; OR TFC WAS NOT UTILIZING ALL LIGHTS FOR APCH. WITH TFC 2 MI AHEAD NO VISUAL CONTACT AND UNABLE TO DSND ANY LOWER; SOCAL BROKE US OUT OF THE PATTERN WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO CLB TO 3000 FT AND TURN R 020 DEGS (LAST ASSIGNED ALT 3200 FT) REPLY 'DSNDING TO 3000.' SPUN US ROUND FOR A SECOND APCH SLOWED TO 160 KTS THEN 150 KTS CLRED FOR VISUAL RWY 24R SPD 160 KTS SWITCH TO TWR 133.9 SAID SPD 150 KTS TOLD TO MAINTAIN 150 KTS. PF INITIALLY LINED UP FOR RWY 24L DUE TO NO FLT DIRECTOR STEERING TO LOC RWY 24R PNF CALLED LINE UP AND PF CORRECTED TO RWY 24R VISUAL AT APPROX 6 MI. SWITCHED TWR TO VERIFY RWY AND CLRED TO LAND RWY 24R. REMAINDER OF FLT AND TAXI UNEVENTFUL.

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.