SMA VECTORED TO APCH BEHIND LGT OVERFLIES LOC COURSE TO WRONG RWYS.
Synopsis
SMA VECTORED TO APCH BEHIND LGT OVERFLIES LOC COURSE TO WRONG RWYS.
Narrative
I WAS IFR TO LAX AND WAS GIVEN A 180 DEG VECTOR JUST S OF BURBANK BY BURBANK APCH. I QUERIED CTR SINCE NORMAL VECTOR IS 140 DEGS AND WAS ASSURED 180 DEGS WAS WHAT SHE WANTED. I WAS TOLD TO SWITCH TO LAX APCH AND APCH TOLD ME TO FOLLOW AN LGT WHICH WAS HDG ABOUT 060 DEGS (180 DEGS WAS DIRECTLY TO THE ARPT; LAX). I QUESTIONED THE INSTRUCTION; SINCE I'D NEVER BE ABLE TO TRULY FOLLOW BECAUSE OF THE SPD DIFFERENCE. A SENIOR CTLR CAME ON AND TOLD ME TO BASICALLY HALF FOLLOW THE LGT; KEEP HIM IN SIGHT; AND CLRED ME FOR THE VISUAL FOR RWY 24R. I WAS NOW REASONABLY CLOSE TO THE ARPT; HDG AWAY FROM IT BUT TURNING BACK TOWARDS IT; AND HIGH (OVER 3000 FT). I CONFIGURED THE PLANE FOR LNDG AND LOOKED BACK OUT AND CONTINUED FOLLOWING WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE LGT. AS I GOT NEARER TO THE ARPT; I SUDDENLY REALIZED I WAS FOLLOWING AN LGT TOWARDS THE LAX 25 COMPLEX AND HAD FLOWN ACROSS THE RWY 24R AND L APCHS. AS I TURNED BACK N TOWARDS THE 24'S; THE APCH CTLR INFORMED ME I HAD FLOWN THROUGH THE FINAL APCH COURSE AND ASKED IF I HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT. I REPLIED I DID AND FLEW THE APCH AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. AT THE TIME I NOTICED MY MISTAKE; I WAS ABOUT 2000 FT AGL AND 2-3 MI FROM ARPT. I'M FRANKLY NOT SURE WHAT COULD BE DONE TO AVOID THIS IN THE FUTURE. I WAS ATTENTIVE; HAD HAD THE 24 COMPLEX IN SIGHT BUT LOST IT WHEN TURNED BY ATC; SIMPLY FOLLOWED THE WRONG LGT. I HAD THE LOC SET IN; BUT WITH THE MANEUVERING; I DID NOT CHK IT. I SUPPOSE SPENDING SOME TIME WITH MY HEAD IN THE COCKPIT WOULD HAVE HELPED. I ALSO THINK THE ATC VECTORS WERE NOT PARTICULARLY HELPFUL AND THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION WITH LAX APCH. THE BOTTOM LINE IS TO JUST BE EVEN MORE ATTENTIVE; AND INSTEAD OF JUST FOLLOWING THE LGT; I SHOULD HAVE ALSO LOOKED AT THE RWY 24 COMPLEX.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.