B757 FO OVERSHOOTS THE FINAL ON A NIGHT VISUAL APCH TO RWY 24R AT LAX. THEY HAVE A TCASII RA ON TFC ON THE RWY 25 APCH COMPLEX. CAPT TELLS OF PITFALLS OF THAT APCH.

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SADDE 6 ARR AT LAX. RPTED VFR CONDITIONS; EXPECTING VISUAL FOR RWY 24R (ILS'S ON RWY 24L). FO'S LEG. AT SMO ASSIGNED HDG 070 DEGS AND DSCNT TO 3500 FT. WE COULD SEE SCATTERED CLOUDS ABOVE LAX; CLOUD LAYER OVER SMO BUT APCH PATH APPEARED CLR (FOR VISUAL TO RWY 24R). DURING DOWNWIND ASSIGNED HDG 070 DEGS. I ASKED APCH HOW LONG OF A DOWNWIND; HE REPLIED WE WERE #1 AND GAVE US AN IMMEDIATE VECTOR (160 DEG HDG) TO BASE LEG (A CLASSIC SLUM DUNK!). OUR HDG WAS DIRECTLY AT ROMEN -- PRECLUDING AN ILS AND WOULD EVENTUALLY CONFLICT WITH THE SOUTHERN COMPLEX. I COULD SEE A B747 ON FINAL FOR THE RWY 25'S. THE CTLR THEN ASKED SEVERAL TIMES IF WE HAD THE RWY IN SIGHT (PUTTING THE HORSE WELL BEHIND THE CART). FROM MY L SEAT I COULD ONLY SEE CLR AHEAD AND TO THE E. THE FO WAS NON COMMITTED ('I CAN SEE WHERE IT'S GOING TO BE' OR WORDS TO THAT EFFECT). OBVIOUSLY; IF WE DIDN'T CALL IT IN SIGHT; HE WOULD HAVE TO GIVE US A MISSED. (THIS IS A SFO TRICK ALSO; PUT THE PLT ON A VECTOR TOWARD A CONFLICT AND FORCE HIM TO CALL RWY IN SIGHT OR DO A MISSED.) RATHER THAN DO A MISSED APCH; I CALLED RWY IN SIGHT AND CLRED VISUAL. AS WE STARTED TO TURN FINAL; I COULD SEE WE WERE OVERSHOOTING RWY AND URGED FO TO TIGHTEN TURN. HOWEVER; HE'D KEPT THE SPD UP AND WE'D OVERSHOT THE N COMPLEX. DURING R TURN; TCASII GAVE RA; BUT SINCE I HAD B747 TFC IN SIGHT; I ADVISED FO TO DISREGARD AND 'KEEP IT TURNING.' AFTER TURN AND HDG TO GET US BACK TOWARD CTRLINE FOR RWY 24R; I COULD SEE THAT THE RWYS WERE BARELY IN VIEW AND COULD UNDERSTAND WHY THE FO MIGHT HAVE MISSED THE CTRLINE.