Air carrier made sidestep maneuver to parallel runway in IMC WX condition.

Attributes
ACN	81871
Time
Date	198802
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : ord tower : ord tower : msp
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time total : 17000
ASRS Report	81871
Person 2
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Deviation other

Narrative:

ATIS gave landing runway as 14. Approach control then switched this to 27L during vectors. A briefing was done in cockpit on this approach and we turned final to 27L after being cleared for approach to 27 left. Inside OM controller said we were making approach to wrong runway and were supposed to be making approach to 27 right. At the time this occurred we had downwind visibility to the ground but not enough forward visibility to see the end of 27 right. We were told to turn 30 degree to right and land on 27 right. The end of the runway and runway environment was picked up and a normal landing occurred. After the landing I confirmed with the other two pilots that we had been given 27 left for approach. A dangerous situation could have occurred during the confusion. Neither the captain or copilot had approach plates our for 27 right. The only other course of action would have been to take a missed approach and if I had not seen the 27 right environment would have done so. Somewhere we felt that a switch in controllers was made and the word was not passed properly as to which approach we were making.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MADE SIDESTEP MANEUVER TO PARALLEL RWY IN IMC WX CONDITION.

Narrative: ATIS GAVE LNDG RWY AS 14. APCH CTL THEN SWITCHED THIS TO 27L DURING VECTORS. A BRIEFING WAS DONE IN COCKPIT ON THIS APCH AND WE TURNED FINAL TO 27L AFTER BEING CLRED FOR APCH TO 27 LEFT. INSIDE OM CTLR SAID WE WERE MAKING APCH TO WRONG RWY AND WERE SUPPOSED TO BE MAKING APCH TO 27 RIGHT. AT THE TIME THIS OCCURRED WE HAD DOWNWIND VISIBILITY TO THE GND BUT NOT ENOUGH FORWARD VISIBILITY TO SEE THE END OF 27 RIGHT. WE WERE TOLD TO TURN 30 DEG TO RIGHT AND LAND ON 27 RIGHT. THE END OF THE RWY AND RWY ENVIRONMENT WAS PICKED UP AND A NORMAL LNDG OCCURRED. AFTER THE LNDG I CONFIRMED WITH THE OTHER TWO PLTS THAT WE HAD BEEN GIVEN 27 LEFT FOR APCH. A DANGEROUS SITUATION COULD HAVE OCCURRED DURING THE CONFUSION. NEITHER THE CAPT OR COPLT HAD APCH PLATES OUR FOR 27 RIGHT. THE ONLY OTHER COURSE OF ACTION WOULD HAVE BEEN TO TAKE A MISSED APCH AND IF I HAD NOT SEEN THE 27 RIGHT ENVIRONMENT WOULD HAVE DONE SO. SOMEWHERE WE FELT THAT A SWITCH IN CTLRS WAS MADE AND THE WORD WAS NOT PASSED PROPERLY AS TO WHICH APCH WE WERE MAKING.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.