ATCT local controller cleared air carrier-medium large transport to land on right runway when he sho...

Attributes
ACN	90250
Time
Date	198807
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : stl
State Reference	MO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 100 agl bound upper : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : stl
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : go around
Route In Use	approach : straight in
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	landing other
Route In Use	approach : straight in
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 8000
ASRS Report	90250
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe incursion : runway other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 5000 vertical : 100
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

Cleared lda runway 12L approach at stl in visual conditions to follow an small transport on approach for runway 12R. We called the small transport in sight (about 3 mi ahead) and we were told to follow him to the airport, maintain visual sep. He was for runway 12R, we were for runway 12L. We were switched to the tower about 6 mi out (north tower 120.05) and reported in for landing. Tower controller said, 'cleared to land runway 12R,' and captain read back, 'cleared to land 12R.' emphasizing the 'right' to make sure. I felt we were too close to the small transport (about 2 mi ahead), but continued, thinking he would make an early turn off. On short final we asked tower if the small transport was going to clear. Tower seemed confused by our request, so we initiated a go around at 100' over the threshold. Tower then told us we were supposed to be on runway 12L (my feeling all along), but never corrected us when we read back our landing clearance for runway 12R, and never noticed our sidestep and approach to the right. We should have initiated another call to the tower to confirm the runway change before assuming the tower controller had switched our runway. The absence of a frequency change to the south tower should have been another clue. I looked behind me very carefully before sidestepping to the right and there was no conflict, and that gave me more reason to believe the controller had done us a favor and switched us to runway 12R for a shorter taxi. Perhaps it was a less experienced crew working tower/approach on this holiday--everyone was getting a 25 mi final on a VFR/VMC day.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATCT LCL CTLR CLEARED ACR-MLG TO LAND ON RIGHT RWY WHEN HE SHOULD HAVE STATED LEFT RWY. MLG EXECUTED GO AROUND ACCOUNT TRAFFIC ON RWY.

Narrative: CLRED LDA RWY 12L APCH AT STL IN VISUAL CONDITIONS TO FOLLOW AN SMT ON APCH FOR RWY 12R. WE CALLED THE SMT IN SIGHT (ABOUT 3 MI AHEAD) AND WE WERE TOLD TO FOLLOW HIM TO THE ARPT, MAINTAIN VISUAL SEP. HE WAS FOR RWY 12R, WE WERE FOR RWY 12L. WE WERE SWITCHED TO THE TWR ABOUT 6 MI OUT (N TWR 120.05) AND RPTED IN FOR LNDG. TWR CTLR SAID, 'CLRED TO LAND RWY 12R,' AND CAPT READ BACK, 'CLRED TO LAND 12R.' EMPHASIZING THE 'RIGHT' TO MAKE SURE. I FELT WE WERE TOO CLOSE TO THE SMT (ABOUT 2 MI AHEAD), BUT CONTINUED, THINKING HE WOULD MAKE AN EARLY TURN OFF. ON SHORT FINAL WE ASKED TWR IF THE SMT WAS GOING TO CLEAR. TWR SEEMED CONFUSED BY OUR REQUEST, SO WE INITIATED A GO AROUND AT 100' OVER THE THRESHOLD. TWR THEN TOLD US WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE ON RWY 12L (MY FEELING ALL ALONG), BUT NEVER CORRECTED US WHEN WE READ BACK OUR LNDG CLRNC FOR RWY 12R, AND NEVER NOTICED OUR SIDESTEP AND APCH TO THE RIGHT. WE SHOULD HAVE INITIATED ANOTHER CALL TO THE TWR TO CONFIRM THE RWY CHANGE BEFORE ASSUMING THE TWR CTLR HAD SWITCHED OUR RWY. THE ABSENCE OF A FREQ CHANGE TO THE S TWR SHOULD HAVE BEEN ANOTHER CLUE. I LOOKED BEHIND ME VERY CAREFULLY BEFORE SIDESTEPPING TO THE RIGHT AND THERE WAS NO CONFLICT, AND THAT GAVE ME MORE REASON TO BELIEVE THE CTLR HAD DONE US A FAVOR AND SWITCHED US TO RWY 12R FOR A SHORTER TAXI. PERHAPS IT WAS A LESS EXPERIENCED CREW WORKING TWR/APCH ON THIS HOLIDAY--EVERYONE WAS GETTING A 25 MI FINAL ON A VFR/VMC DAY.

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.

ATCT local controller cleared air carrier-medium large transport to land on right runway when he should have stated left runway. Medium large transport executed go around account traffic on runway.